Easter: Oku Ibom Ibibio Advises Christians To Emulate The Exemplary Life Of Jesus Christ

The Oku Ibom Ibibio and President General of Akwa Ibom State Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers, His Eminence, Ntenyin Solomon Daniel Etuk, JP, CFR, has urged Christians to emulate the exemplary life of Jesus Christ as demonstrated during his mission of salvation on earth.

In his Easter message, Ntenyin Etuk, the Patriarch of the Ibibios Worldwide, said that as followers of Jesus Christ, faithful have to show good virtues of godliness, discipline, honesty and love for one another.

The premier royal father of Akwa Ibom State emphasised that believers must greatly treasure the exceptional sacrifice of Jesus Christ through his death and resurrection, which offered salvation to mankind.

He warned against greed, hatred, disunity, covetousness and economic sabotage, saying that such lifestyles, apart from not being in tandem with the expected virtues of a good Christian, are generally endemic to the well-being, peace, love and development of society.

The message reads, “On behalf of Akwa Ibom State Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers, I convey our best wishes to His Excellency, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, Governor of Akwa Ibom State, and the entire people of the state on this occasion of Easter celebration.

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“Easter is a very solemn season for Christians and the world in general. It reminds us of the messianic role of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, whose death and resurrection became the atonement for our sins and also renewed our sonship with the Almighty God, as recorded in Galatians 4:4–7.”

“The season further reminds us of the genuine love shown to us by our father in heaven by sending his only beloved son to us to sacrifice his precious life on our behalf. Love and sacrifice are therefore the essence of the season, hence the expectation that we show love to one another beyond the boundaries of families and friends.

“For emphasis, the life of Jesus Christ remains a great lesson for all faithful. We have to reflect on his life and follow in his footsteps. Leaders at all levels have to likewise be exemplary in their conduct. They have to be honest and committed to carrying out their entrusted responsibilities to the people, communities, states and nations, as Jesus Christ did without blemish.

“We urge our people to be obedient in carrying out God’s command and to respect leaders and constituted authorities to ensure orderliness, peace and progress in society.

The patriarch admonished everyone in Akwa Ibom State to live in peace with one another, adding that with the harsh effects of the economic situation across the country, people have to show brotherly love and touch lives as much as possible, maintaining that through love and togetherness, the state can be built to greater heights.

“We cannot claim to be good Christians if we fail to practice God’s ways and what Jesus Christ taught us. In our daily conduct, we have to show love and live in peace with one another so that the world can be a better place for us all,” he added.

Oku Ibom Ibibio expressed happiness with the various policies and programmes initiated by the federal and state governments aimed at curbing the negative impact of the economy on society.

He urged those responsible for implementing these schemes to carry them out diligently to achieve their intended purposes.

Ntenyin Etuk further called on political, religious and traditional leaders to set good examples so that followers could learn from them, and he appealed to all stakeholders and the people to support Governor Umo Eno in his governance of the state.

He noted that the impact of Governor Umo Eno’s Arise Agenda programme was already being felt across the state through project execution covering roads, health, education, agriculture, and the payment of pensions and gratuities to retired workers and next-of-kin, among others.