By Eyo Charles
Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party in Cross River State, Ntufam John Okon and Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State yesterday in Calabar hailed His Holiness, Olumba Olumba Obu, the spiritual leader of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, for promoting Bishop James Crawford Ellebe, an American citizen who has been his die-hard faithful since 1977, as one of the two new arch-bishops in his spiritual organisation. The other is Arch-bishop Bassey Imowo, a long time priest and oil magnate.
The occasion was the formal consecration of 214 new bishops promoted from across the ranks in the Brotherhood fold at the organization’s world headquarters in Calabar, capital of Cross River State.
Although Governor Emmanuel sent the Akwa Ibom State chairman of PDP, Obong Paul Ekpo to represent him, both himself and the PDP chairman in Cross River State, John Okon commended Olumba Olumba Obu for displaying faith and consistency in carrying out humanitarian services and ceaselessly teaching spiritual ideals of love for one another, truth, humility and forgiveness.
Both reiterated that these virtues were seriously needed in Nigeria to actually bring about change and development.
They expressed happiness at the amount of structural and socio-religious contributions made by the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star which have impacted both states and Nigeria as a whole.
Members of the Cross River State House of Assembly who came to honor one of theirs who was also made a bishop, Hon. Chris Agbor, also commended Leader Obu for the feat, saying it was historic to consecrate such a huge number of bishops at one go.
According to them, the Brotherhood has been able to bolster the state tourism drive as it continually attracts tremendous number of members from many countries to the cities of Biakpan and Calabar for pilgrimage frequently.
Hon. Bishop Agbor said Brotherhood was the only spiritual or indigenous organization from Africa that has exported its brand of religion to the Western and Eastern worlds with remarkable impact, such that both white skinned people and other races have flocked into it having acknowledged divine potency.
Exhorting the newly ordained bishops, Leader Obu stressed that they necessarily pursue things of God and encourage others through their lifestyle and speeches to equally be truthful, forgiving, faithful, and helping the less privileged all their lives.
He urged political, religious and human leaders to be truthful and accountable to their people always and not to corner their commonwealth.
He explained that those consecrated were divinely selected from across all branches of the fold irrespective of age or status or economic standing in many nations for evangelical purposes.
Earlier in the day, nearly 50,000 members of the fold who had thronged the headquarters for the consecration to commemorated the annual Eton Day by marching from 34 Ambo Street to its cradle No. 8 Eton Street and back, a distance of about seven kilometres.