"Every language is a temple in which the soul of the people who speak it is enshrined"(Smith): When in mid Nineteenth Century , two Europeans voted to impose the Efik dialect of Ibibio language as the lingua franca of the Ibibio, this was the reversal of the natural order of things in the temple. This was equivalent to imposing the Ijebu or Ekiti dialects on the Yorubas or the Aro or Ikwere dialects on the Igbos;or even the Scotch on Britain. This was a clear case of "a Cart before the Horse". Over Seventy five years ago Dr.Jeffreys did this pioneering work to put the Horse before the Cart;this work clearly put Efik in its proper relationship with her parent stock the Ibibio. The reader will not only appreciate the historical perspectives, but also the excellent linguistics. Uko Moses Akpan Okpok,MD Ibibio Foundation