Eyo Edet Okon (10 June 1914 – 28 September 2010) fondly called ''Akamba Ete (Great Papa)'' was a

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

clergyman Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

and minister. He was the first indigenous

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

and third overall National president of

The Apostolic Church Nigeria The Apostolic Church Nigeria is a Pentecostal Christian denomination in Nigeria with its national headquarters at Olorunda Ketu, Lagos and international headquarters in Penygroes, UK. History The church has its origins in the founding of a prayer ...

, a position he held until his death in 2010. favourite songs are - 1) Ata Ata Ubong eyene Abasi'o, Ubong isong emi mmowo ke'yanga ekpanga. 2) Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Ubong eyene Jehovah.

Early life and education

Eyo was born on 10 June 1914 to Chief Edet Okon Itam and Madam Aya Uda Okon Itam in Creek Town, Odukpani Local Government Area of

Cross River State ) , image_map = Nigeria - Cross River.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location of Cross River State in Nigeria , coordinates = , coor_pinpoint ...

. He was the fifth male and ninth child of his father's fourteen children. In 1929, Eyo obtained his Standard Six Certificate at The Church of Scotland Mission School, Creek Town. He followed in the footsteps of Essien Edet Okon, the renowned Hope Waddell Mathematics teacher (his elder brother), popularly called Okon Geometery. He began training for the teaching profession and in 1930 he obtained the basic qualification for enrolment in the teaching profession. He went on to study

Theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

at The Apostolic Church Bible College, Pen-y-groes,

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

in the 1950s which was followed by a

Diploma A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...

in Theology from The Apostolic Bible College, Obot Idim,

Uyo Uyo is the capital city of Akwa Ibom in South South Nigeria. Ibibio is the language spoken in Uyo. It became the capital on September 23, 1987 when Akwa Ibom was created from the former Cross River State. According to the 2006 Nigerian Cens ...

Akwa Ibom State Akwa Ibom State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered on the east by Cross River State, on the west by Rivers State and Abia State, and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean. The state takes its name from the Qua Iboe ...

in 1962.

Ministerial work and service

Honours : This Legendary clergy Received several honours some of which are - State honour and award as a distinguished pastor, counselor, teacher, philanthropist and influential spiritual leader for Cross River State and Akwa ibom states, October 2000 by his excellency Dr Donald Duke, then the governor of Cross River State. -Honoured by the Apostolic Church Cameroon as the pioneer Evangelist and father of the church in the Republic of Cameroon -Honored by the Apostolic Church International council Bradford, Britain (1981) -Honoured by The Apostolic Church maritime field as a field pioneer indigenous minister -Honoured by Cross River State Students in the United States of America - Honoured by the Apostolic Church United States of America (TACUSA) June 30th 2002 -Global prayer Force "Hero of faith " November 2008 -international chaplains corps (intercorps) 2009

Death

Eyo was reported to have told his immediate family members that there were five significant meetings he would conduct, insisting that he should be prepared for those meetings, this was followed by him refusing to attend to visitors so that nothing would distract him from the meetings. On 24 September 2010, he showed signs of weakness and died on 28 September 2010 in his residence in

Calabar Calabar (also referred to as Callabar, Calabari, Calbari and Kalabar) is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language. The city is adjacent to the Calabar and Great Kwa rivers and cre ...

. Tributes came from government functionaries, traditional rulers and individuals for his enormous impact in the revolutionizing of Christianity in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. The government of Cross River State described him as ''“a pastoral icon who gave his all in the propagation and evangelization of the gospel of Christ”''. Former Governor of

Godswill Akpabio Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio, (born 9 December 1962), is a Nigerian lawyer and politician. He is the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs as he resigned on 11 May 2022 on the direction of President Muhammadu Buhari to contest at presidentia ...

pointed out that ''“his deep spiritual insight and dedication to what God says, marked him out as one of the pillars of Christian faith.”''

Family life

In 1937, Eyo Okon married the late Deaconess Nyong Okpo Mfon who died on 7 March 1985. He remained a widower until his death.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eyo, Okon 1914 births 2010 deaths Nigerian Christian clergy People from Cross River State