By Osondu Ahirika
Prelude: The year 1930, December 30th to be precise. Sixteen congregations seceded from the Qua Iboe Mission, the actual predecessor of Qua Iboe Church. Owing to geographical affinity, they adopted the name, Ibesikpo United Church.
Rev. James William Westgarth who was the missionary in charge of affairs would have none of that and clamped down on the rebel congregations and their leaders. He ordered a shutdown of the Churches and affiliate schools which precipitated a bitter legal battle.
The matter was instigated by the refusal of the Qua Iboe Mission to grant the Ibesikpo axis a school of its own catchment, away from Itam, where the only mission school was located and the rejection of their son, Jonathan Ekong, who was propped up for admission for pastoral training.
Let me not bore you with long tales and abridge this version. In 1932, Mr Nyong Etim Udoh, who was manager of the Ibesikpo United churches School’s, won the lawsuit against Qua Iboe Mission. On April 24, 1936, an American Missionary, Dr Henry Nau arrived Nung Udoe Ibesikpo with his wife, in a pact brokered by Jonathan Ekong. This date berthed what is now The Lutheran Church of Nigeria, with the North American synod of the Church, as Principal Partner, inheriting the now autonomous G-16 of Rev. Samuel Bill’s Qua Iboe heritage.
History repeats itself
Qua Iboe Church founded in 1887 is currently enmeshed in a severe schism. The word ‘UNITED’, has returned to haunt the Church with another breakaway. Just as was the case with Ibesikpo UNITED Church, another Church has risen from the Qua Iboe womb and is known as, United Evangelical church.
Although it flatters with the alias, Founded as Qua Iboe Church, reality is, the Church is broken into twain. The current impasse commenced in 1996. A memo submitted to the National Conference of the Church demanded a name change. Reasons proffered for this demand include, the arguments that, apart from undermining effective evangelism, the name ‘Qua Iboe’ was derived from a river goddess, and therefore demonic.
But, the unspoken Truth is that, there was/remains a fear among sections of the Church, who felt/still feel, the name grants entitlement to Akwa Ibom indegene members of the Church as owner’s and alienates them as equal stakeholders.
That was the beginning of massive controversy. Pronto, the Church was sharply divided into two fiercely distinct and uncompromising camps of Pro and Anti Name change groups.
When the debate took a crisis dimension in the 2001 annual Conference of the Church, Rev Nathaniel Isah led a faction to register the United Evangelical Church, UEC, with the Corporate Affairs Commission in 2002. This found popular sway in Kogi, South East, Port Harcourt and Abuja congregations who, like the Ibesikpo 16, massively pulled out and mutated to UEC, annexing the property and structures of QIC in those areas as did Ibesikpo 16.
The Truth of the matter
Unfortunately, the Truth has become the greatest casualty in the ongoing messy infighting and face-off between UEC and QIC, both of which, ironically, proudly flaunt the Motto: Thy Word is Truth. I will howbeit, dare to serve the course of truth here.
The trouble with QIC, as it was in the beginning with the Ibesikpo 16, is that of Leadership struggle, perceived marginalization of minorities in the denomination and their total domination by the Ibibios. This ‘Ibibio’, I use loosely, to connote, the Akwa Ibom bloc of the Church.
Folks’, there are three distinct ethnic nationalities that populate QIC, namely: Ibibios, Igbos and Igalas. The Ibibio bloc can further be broken into, the Ekid, Annang and Ibibio stock, with Iman Ibom people having major stake.
Long ago, just as the adults of the Ibesikpo 16 are famous for contributing ‘Toror’ to sponsor their son, Jonathan Ekong, to go to America to fetch the Lutherans, Etinan folks of QIC will recall the ‘ifia Igala’ which referenced the contribution of firewood by member’s, which was sold, and proceeds used to support and sponsor Qua Iboe missionaries to evangelise the Igala area of Kogi State.
The Agitation by these blocs, especially Igbos and Igalas for rotational leadership of the Church, which was not given a coherent response, triggered the secessionist bid for self determination by those Area Conferences of the QIC.
The furnace for this breakaway was fashioned and hastened by a largely ignored, or perhaps unnoticed saga that happened in Samuel Bill Theological College, SBTC, Ikot Ekang, Abak local government area.
The unfortunate death, in controversial circumstances, of then Acting Rector of SBTC, Rev. Dr G. O. Okoroafor, who was, it seemed, frustrated from taking the reins of leadership from his predecessor, the late Rev Samuel Udonsak, in the premier institution for training ministers of the QIC, was a bitter pill the Aba Area Conference, and by extension, the non-Ibibio Area Conferences of the Church could not swallow, and remain indifferent.
After the burial of Rev Okoroafor, which was managed, so ethnic tensions and mistrust didn’t spill over, the clamour to get their own autonomy of Theological Schools and leadership escalated.
The result is obvious today. The Igalas have annexed the Peter Achimugu College of Theology located in Ankpa, Kogi State, while the Igbos have usurped the William Wheatley Theological College, Azuiyi Oloko, Ikwuano, Abia State, leaving SBTC for Akwa Ibom State.
Back to the birthplace of the QIC, some aboriginal members, especially, those who worship with Lagos, Abuja, Aba and Port Harcourt area conferences of the QIC have embraced the UEC bug. They claim to be progressive and open minded. On the contrary, their brethren in Akwa Cross, accuse them of betrayal and having sold their birthright as firstborns to proselytes at the gate.
Two Generals
At the heart of this fractious schism, two Generals are irreconcilably pitched and fixated on either divides. Former Director-General of the NYSC, Major General Edet Akpan and former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Nsikak Eduok, are Commanding the QIC and UEC camps respectively.
The solution for this saga is simple: The healing will anchor on Ecclesiastical inclusion in the broader fold. The QIC and UEC Leaders should fuse and work out a leadership organogram that will rotate and embrace all blocs of the Church at the National Conference level, tenured for single terms. It will be a Win-Win situation. Grandstanding and sweeping this weak link fact under the carpet will only consolidate a repeat of sordid past. After all, there is really nothing in a name or is there?
Ahirika is a journalist
