He was appointed into the Clerical Cadre of the colonial civil service in 1919 and served in dual capacity as a Correspondence Clerk and an Interpreter in the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Judicial Department, Calabar.
While serving at the Calabar station, Chief Nyong Essien was described as än Excellent Interpreter" by His Honour, Sir Arthur Frederick Clarence Weber, whom he worked under.
[7] He was transferred to the Judicial Department in Lagos aftwhere he served under Justice Herbert Norman Cleverly and Philip Peter-Rides until he retired from in August 1929 on medical grounds.
[10] It is significant to note that the Ibibio State Union evolved to become one of the leading ethnic organizations in Nigeria and embarked on many impressive programmes before its proscription in 1966 by the Aguyi Ironsi's military administration.13 He also served as the Secretary of the Calabar National League from 1920 to 1923.
It rendered the native customs of forcing widows to remain in filth and wretchedness in their houses for seven years after the death of their husbands and the tradition of assaulting helpless women in the public void.
His Union placed a very great reliance on Article XII, Sections l and 2 of the Order-in-Council of 1922, relating to the Colonial Government of Nigeria, which maintained that "rights" given to the natives in the Protectorate by Treaties or Agreements made and sanctioned by Her Majesty, Queen Victoria or Her Agent, remained effective.
Chief Nyong Essien requested that the administration of Calabar should be a centre-piece of good government to others vis-a-vis, justice to all, irrespective of place of origin.
He, as usual rose to the occasion, presented a protest to the Lieutenant Governor of the Southern Provinces, Mr. W. E. Hunt and rejected the government's irregular and unconstitutional method on the issue.
To reverse the situation, Chief Nyong Essien organized local farmers and traders in Calabar and formed a union known as the 'Eastern· Provinces Trade Depression Association".
As the first representative of an etqno-cultural group in the Nigerian legislature, Chief Nyong Essien's contributions to the debates in the Legislative Council became mercurial and path-breaking and ostensibly fruitful.
He was regarded as a dare devil critic of the colonial structure and was acclaimed an outstanding forensic orator whose persuasive eloquence and dignified presence could not be ignored.
[22] Due to the fact that the Colonial Government made no significant improvement in running Native Administration, Chief Nyong Essien re-opened a debate on the Indirect Rule System in the Legislative Council.
He also called on the Colonial Government to encourage educated men and women to develop interest in the Native Administration System by becoming members of the Executive Committee of the Councils.
Further inquiry by Chief Nyong Essien on the subject matter of education revealed the fact concerning the staffing of the Qua Iboe Mission Secondary School, Etinan and the disparity in emolument between the African and European staff.
From this scenario, Chief Nyong Essien discovered that the African masters in the institution who had similar educational qualifications with their European counterparts were paid less salaries with little or no allowances.
He reminded the government that the co-operation and leadership of teachers were needed in social services including Public Health, Native Administration, Spiritual Duties, Adult Education and General Improvement Schemes.
For instance, when the colonial government re-considered its earlier enactment prohibiting the importation of certain books into Nigeria, Chief Nyong Essien raised a strong debate on the matter in the Legislative Council.
The passage of the Newspaper Ordinance, which required a private press to deposit the sum of £250, with the Colonial Government as a security for possible "misdemeanor" such as distortion of facts also attracted the reaction of Chief Nyong Essien in the Legislative Council.
When the Member for Rivers, S. A. Rhodes, raised a motion urging the Colonial Government to amend the Newspaper Ordinance, Chief Nyong Essien gave it his full support.
He compared the duty of the press to that of an advocate, a teacher, a preacher, an engineer or a governor in a state since each could provide some services according to bis capacity and office.
In his opening address in the first session of this term, the Governor, Lord Milver1on (then Sir Arthur Richard), paid glowing tribute to Chief Nyong Essien in the following words: "I welcome also the representatives of the Eastern Provinces of whom one has had previous experience of Legislative Council under the former constitution."
now it may be necessary to form a representative delegation to go to England and pray the Majesty, personally, if the thin gods of Nigeria refuse our request locally ... come and join the deputation.
Chief Nyong Essien was saddled with the responsibility of writing the "Farewell Speech", which was delivered to Nigerians at the mass meeting before the delegation left for London.
The objective of the N. C. N. C. pan-Nigerian delegation to London was to present to Sir Arthur Creech Jones, Secretary of State for Colonies, Nigeria's demand for the review of the amendment of the Richard's Constitution to accord Nigerians equality, economic security and political freedom.
After the discussion, Sir Jones expressed the desire of British government to grant self-government to Nigeria in future, but noted that the Richard's Constitution could only be reviewed after it had been tried for some time.
During the delegate's visit to the Broadcasting House, they paid high tribute to the Irish missionaries, who contributed to the development of Nigeria and the Cameroons in the fields of education and medicine.
Dr. Okpara hinged his persuasive argument on the basis that from the time past, the various Igbo communities, being ultra republican in their political concept, was autonomous and never had any institution in any way approximating to chieftainship.
At the inaugural session the Premier of the Eastern Region Dr. Michael Okpara also paid glowing tributes to the path-breaking nationalistic contributions of Chief Nyong Essien thus: My President may I on behalf of my colleagues congratulate you on your elevation to this high office.
His activities during and after the delegation: will crown him the dauntless, he will always be remembered for hi: staunch stance in the Eastern Regional House of Assembly, in the Legislative Council sessions and his faith in Africa".
The word Shekinah according to him means, "the divine presence in the tabernacle or school for the dispersion of human ignorance" The collection of books ranged from English; Politics; Law, Religion; Modern and Classica·l Languages; Geography; History; Philosophy; Accountancy; Anthropology-; Biology; Chemistry; Physics,;Agriculture to Mathematics.