Anxiety has gripped members of the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN), Rivers Bayelsa Area, over moves by the national body of the society to scrap or the Area due to its inability to sell up to 7, 500 copies of the bible in one year.

The plan to scrap the Area was revealed by the by its Chairman, Elder Omoni Ayo-Tamuno, when he led other officers of the society on a courtesy visit to the Anglican Bishop of the Niger Delta Diocese, the Right Reverend Emmanuel Oko Jaja, in his office in Port Harcourt.

Briefing their host, the Area Chairman, Elder Omoni Ayo-Tamuno, BSN-SM, told their host that as a prelude to depriving the Area of its autonomy, the national body of BSN stopped the Rivers Bayelsa Area from attending the National Board Meeting of the society this year.

Elder Ayo-Tamuno intimated the Bishop of the real threat of merging the Area with neighbouring States if it failed to distribute 7,500 copies of the Bible by the end of 2023, disclosing that the National had taken the first step by not allowing the Area to attend the National Board Meeting this year.

He then appealed to the Bishop to use his good offices to impress it on all clergy in his Diocese, the need for them to always cooperate with the Area to achieve its goals and targets.

Responding, the Anglican Bishop of the Niger Delta Diocese, the Right Reverend Emmanuel Oko Jaja, expressed shock over the development and appealed to the body of Bible Society of Nigeria Christian Community in Rivers and Bayelsa States to come to the aid of BSN, Rivers Bayelsa Area, from being scrapped or merged.

“It will be unacceptable for the Area to be merged on the excuse of her inability to distribute or sell 7,500 copies of the Bible within one year,” Bishop Oko Jaja said.

He added: “If all hands are on deck, this target will be achieved with ease” assuring that the Niger Delta Diocese would do everything possible to assist the Area to escape being merged.”

Dr Oko Jaja promised to liaise with the relevant board in the Diocese to regularly patronise the Area Book Store to source for Bibles.

The Bishop, a Special Member of the Society, also promised to interface with other Bishops in the Niger Delta Province to support the BSN and advised that similar visits be made to them on the Bible Distribution matter.

He also promised to encourage all churches in the Diocese to work and cooperate with the Society to remain afloat and continue to exist as an Area.

Dr Oko Jaja equally accepted to host the Area’s 2023 Life Members Conference to hold at the Saint Cyprian’s Anglican Church, Port Harcourt.

The Niger Delta Bishop directed the Area to approach churches in the Diocese that owned schools and appeal to them to source their Revised Standard Version of the Bible from the Area.

He commended the efforts of the officers for their sacrifice in making the Bible available and accessible to Christians in their mother tongue and expressed shock on what the Society was passing through. Highlight of the visit was the presentation of BSN literature to the Bishop.

•PHOTO: BSN-SM Area Chairman, Omoni Ayo-Tamuno, presenting BSN publications to the Bishop of the Niger Delta Diocese, The Rt Revd Emmanuel Oko Jaja, Ph.D, during the visit.

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