100 Years and Still Standing 

Paul Obi writes on the centenary anniversary of St Patrick Kakwagom – Boki and the coming of Irish missionaries to the then old Ogoja Province, Cross River State  

Theidea of Christian evangelization for Nigeria was first conceived by Bishop John Shanahan, in 1920 in faraway Kiltegan, Republic of Ireland. By 1921, the Irish missionaries arrived Southern Nigeria in the coast of British West Africa and commenced evangelism, spreading Catholicism in the hinterland. Within the Cross River area, made up of today Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, beyond the Malaria plaque that was a big challenge, the receptive nature in some of the towns the Irish missionaries visited will go a long way to define today’s history and the making of the new world in those locations.  

Thus, by 1921 when the Irish Missionaries arrived Okem, in the Ishibori area of then old Ogoja Province, they started evangelism, and later added Western education to their missionary work. Giving a  historical account of events in view of the centenary celebration of St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Kakwagom, Boki, a former Director of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and an indigene of Kakwagom, who had joined the missionary as a seminarian in the latter years, Rev Dr George Obi Bisong explained that as the news of the arrival of the white missionaries spread, it was Mr Njagu Ekpinjok from Kakwagom who went in search of the missionaries alongside his son, Gereald Otu Njagu. Bisong stated that it took Mr Ekpinjok long time to arrived Ishibori, present day Ogoja as there were no motorable roads then.  

According to Bisong, “When Ekpinjok finally met the Irish missionaries led by Fr Shanahan, he inquired whether the white’s man religion and education could be extended to his village.” It was in that desire that the Irish missionaries first made move to establish a Christian village in Kakwu, near Effigbo in Kakwagom community. The first set of Catecumen and learners were Nathaniel Aseme, Denis Ewung, Finian Binang, Edward Bisong of Bansan community among others. These new recruits started disseminated Catholicism, education, and knowledge of the whiteman’s ways, spreading the message across the whole Boki land, Ikom, Bansara, Mbube and even some parts of Southern Cameroun. Kakwagom became a centre of Christianity, civilisation,education and commerce.  

As the church expanded, Bisong observed that the villagers became wearied and sceptical of the intentions of the white missionaries. Sort of a re-enactment of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart suspicionof the white man. More so, an apocalyptic concern of what will happen to the native authority and traditional political institutions in Kakwagom then and Boki at large. A concern that caught the rest of British colonial Nigeria. In Things Fall Apart, Achebe narrated this conflict and complexities between the Umuofia community on one hand and Mr James Smith and the Commissioner on the other hand. To disrupt the European incursion into their cultural heritage and African traditional stead, a decision was taken by Kakwagom community. According to Bisong, “in order to test the powers of the white man, they decided to apportion a vast piece of land – an evil groove to the Irish Catholic missionaries to test the whiteman and church powers. They church survived and it became a Christian and spiritual centre. It had an ancient outlook then,” Bisong stated.  

Also, a former pupil of St Patrick’s Primary School in the early stages, and former Military Administrator of Bayelsa State, Lt Col Paul Edor Obi (Rtd) while appraising the significance of the centenary anniversary, explained that “the first set of St. Patrick missionaries arrived Ogoja Diocese sometime in the nineteenth century. Their goal was evangelization and spreading of the Catholic faith. ln order to achieve this goal, they tried to win the hearts and minds of the local, by focusing on three areas: education, health care, churches. ln the area of education they started by establishing primary schools a nd later secondary schools.”  

Obi, a former Board Chairman of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) further stated that “one of the first primary schools was St. Patrick Primary School in Kakwagom which had impacted the education of the community. They also set up similar schools in order places such as St. Peter Primary School Kakwagom – lrruan and St. Columbus Primary School ldum Mbube, to mention a few. He concluded by stating that, “looking at the impact of St. Patrick missionaries, one can see how a lot of people in Boki and beyond that got early education later had distinguished careers. Mention can be made of Late Amb. MT Mbu, Prof. Kevin Etta, Late Justice R.I.E.Odu.”  

Also speaking, another former pupil of St Patrick, and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof Kevin O. Etta went memory lane and gave account of St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Kakwagom and its historical context in today’s Cross River State and beyond. Etta observed that he started in Standard Four in 1950 and concluded in 1952. “We were all there for Standard Six, my friend was the late Dr Abang, I used to stay in Leo Bisong’s place. St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Kakwagom was the light of all Boki, even Nwang, Mbube, Bansara. The church was a focal point to produce all that was good. There were also better teachers; like late Mr Emmanuel Agim, Justice James Binang (Rtd) was my classmate in Standard Six. In St Patrick’s then, there were even Igbos, including Bishop John Cross Anyogu, who later became the first indigenous Bishop of Enugu Diocese – he spoke good English, and I learned a lot from him. There was also Mr Ogwu; Mr Nwanze and Mr Bernard Ayambi. In all, St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Kakwagom was a melting pot” Etta said.   

Beside the historical accounts indicated above, the place of St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Kakwagom in today’s world occupies a critical role, particularly, in the history of Cross River State and parts of the old Eastern Nigeria. From raising and grooming Nigeria’s first High Commissioner to Great Britain and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, late Chief M.T. Mbu (Otu Agrinya 1 of Boki) known then as the ‘Star of Ogoja,’ ‘Wonder Boy of the Commonwealth,’ ‘Baby Minister,’ to governors, envoys, justices, scholars, and intellectuals, religious, clergy, public servants, farmers and others, it is difficult to erase the history of the church.  

In his autobiography, ‘Dignity in Service’, MT. Mbu highlighted that “while in St Patrick School Kakwagom, I had a unique history. It was in St Patrick’s School Kakwagom that I received inspiration of what I set out to be. The genesis of my public image started from there. In Kakwagom, we had Rev. Fr Patrick Meenan as our teacher…” Also, St Patrick has also passed through about four bishops: from Thomas Mcgettrick, Joseph E. Ukpo, John Ayah and now Donatus Akpan, the church has become both a social and ecclesiastical epicenter. Beyond the architectural edifice of the church that bestrode the area like the Roman arcade to the primary school, there is the Handmaid of the Holy Child of Jesus (HHCJ) Novitiate, HHCJ Covent, the Catholic Mission Hospital (which sadly is in a comatose state), and the newly built John Shanahan Secondary School.  

More so, beyond the high-ranking personalities listed above that St Patrick has produced; today, the institution is not bereaved of great men either. For instance, the current Secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Dr George A. Ekpungu, Esq was also a pupil in St Patrick. In terms of the clergy, from Boki first priest, Rev Fr kris Owan, late Nicholas Obi, late Peter Ella, late Michael E. Abang to Ogoja Diocese first reverend sister, late Mary Thomas Bisong who died early this year, the list is numerous.  

But as the Parish Administrator of the church, Rev Fr Victor Mario Arikpo said of the importance of the centenary anniversary, the church is central to the making of Cross River State in a sense, specifically, within the old Ogoja Province. The priest explained that “St Patrick’s Parish kakwagom, Boki is of immense significance to the ancient faith community which serves as the bedrock of Catholicism within and around the central and northern parts of cross river state.” Observers believed that the celebration of the centenary anniversary, therefore attest to the footprints of not just Christianity, but also, the modern world which the church has bequeathed society, community, and Nigeria at large. The history of St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Kakwagom – Boki, perhaps will ever remain timeless and unimpeachable, they reasoned.  

• Obi writes from Abuja