Danjuma completes Bible translation to Jukun after 66 years, launches institute

Gen Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) has commissioned the Jukun Bible Institute which he built to make the Christian scripture accessible to the Jukun people.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Danjuma said the idea of the Jukun Bible institute started in 1956. Then an American lady, Margrete Dykestra, assisted by a Nigerian, Mallam Jeol Omiri, translated the Bible into the Jukun language.

Before leaving Nigeria for America, Dykestra handed the completed New Testament of the Bible to him, and pleaded with him to continue with the translation project.

The project, both the new and the old testaments, are completed now after 66 years.

Danjuma urged the Jukuns to spread the gospel of God in the Jukun language to promote peace and unity in the land, especially in the local dialect.

“We cannot continue to teach our children foreign languages. I always found myself guilty of speaking English with my children, let us imbibe the spirit of speaking our languages with the children,” he said.

“Translating the Bible in Jukun language does not mean we are competing with any church, we are only consolidating the efforts of Christendom to spread the gospel of God in local languages.

“My advice is to you the Jukuns Worldwide, do not let the Jukun translated Bible remain in the bookshelves, get it and use it by teaching your children the gospel of God and need to speak their language,” he said.

Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku was represented at the commissioning by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Anthony Jelason.