Efio-Ita Nyok|18 August 2016
Photo: Reverend Evangelist Ephraim Effiong
While surfing through the Internet as usual yesterday, I surprisingly stumbled on Reverend Evangelist Ephraim Effiong's social media (Facebook: 'Ephraim Effiong – Evangelist') account. Reverend Evangelist Ephraim Effiong is a popular Calabar-based Assemblies of God minister and one of the leading figures in the non denominational Christian centre, Prayer to All Nations (PTAN) popularly known as Prayer City located at Marina Road, Calabar. Guess what? I discovered that, on the 19 of April (four months ago) at exactly 3:01pm, the Reverend gentleman posted two verses of the Holy Writ of Christians on his social media page.
Ephraim Effiong, the ministry partner with Reverend Evangelist Theodore Effiong (they are popularly called the Effiong's of Calabar) particularly posted Proverbs chapter 24 verses 21 and 22 which reads thus: 'My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change. For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?' (Effiong emphasised the first two sentences: My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change).
It's the emphasis by Reverend Effiong that is inciting this publication. Generally, if a man/woman behind the pulpit post a verse of Scripture on his social media account, etc it's perceived as normal —besides, what else should he/she post if not Scriptures or related propositions? Albeit, considering the varied interpretations of such statements in contemporary Nigeria's societal trends, there may be more to such statements than meets the eye. What is more, the Reverend gentleman did not peg his Scriptures on any particular interpretation.
Therefore, if it goes to say without gainsaying the fact that there are more to the Reverend gentleman's Scriptural emphasis of four months ago, and I am wont to narrow the significance of that emphasis to the political especially considering the fact that sometimes before, during and even after the 2015 general elections the ruling All Progressives Congress-APC harped on the 'mantra of change'. With over one year after clinching on the centre the APC is perceived to be reneging on virtually everything they said from the basic electoral promises of fixing the nation's comatose economy, boosting a fragile security situation and combating corruption headlong to anticipated policy statements made during the campaigns.
The economy is worst in a change mantra administration with the dollars trading at over N400 (against 297 Naira in 2015), the security of lives and properties is more precarious in all six geopolitical regions of the Federation (Boko Haram, Niger Delta Avengers, Fulani Herdsmen Militia, the unprofessional acts of the Nigerian military, etc) and the fight against corruption is perceived largely to be a personal vendetta against sworn enemies and selective at most.
There is no freedom of speech or freedom of Association —religious and political, and even right to self determination. Now, the ruling party and the 'ruling ethnic group' must legislate on which political party to associate with and which religion to practice respectively. There's a glaring disobedience to the rule of law by even the exalted Office of the President. Nothing about the APC is static, everything is dynamic even the mantra change itself has been changed to 'progress' —Tinubu the Jagaban of Lagos suggested this recently in a public function. For the genius in Bourdillon, PROGRESS should rather greet the acronym APC anytime it is chanted instead of CHANGE.
Could this be the reason why Reverend Effiong cautioned against associating with 'those who are given to change'? Again, could Reverend Effiong be predicting the fall of the APC when he further posted, 'For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?'
I cannot rationally and convincingly say that the author of the Book of Proverbs, King Solomon, in the Holy Writ was talking about the APC far back hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, but can we deny Reverend Evangelist Ephraim Effiong of Calabar, our contemporary King Solomon, the tag of being political in his 19 April 2016: 3:01pm Scriptural post on Facebook? Should we heed his caution politically interpreting or should we not?
Let's say I have overstepped my bounds. I think it suffices to say that Reverend Evangelist Ephraim Effiong was admonishing his numerous congregants against the challenge of inconsistency in life generally without any particular reference to politics or a perceived consistently changing political party as such.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroidhaven.org (Negroid Haven)
