Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has joined other countries of the world to observe this year’s International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and its Abolition.
This comes following UNESCO’s 1998 proclamation of August 23rd as the International Day for this event and Lagos observed this very historic day with a commemorative lecture and “Fitila” Procession in Badagry.
The commemoration of this annual event took place at the ancient town of Badagry, Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Pharm. (Mrs.) Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf said that the day calls for a reflection on the consequences of slavery on Nigeria and the entire black race as a whole.
She opined that the International Day for the Remembrance of Slave Trade and its Abolition presents an opportunity for the country to address modern-day exploitation and human trafficking, otherwise known as modern day slavery.
According to her, the Lagos State Government joined the celebration as a way of raising public awareness about Slave Trade and slavery in collective memories and national narratives, resolution of injustices inherited from a biased record of history of the slave trade and recognition of the significant input made by people of African Descent.
“This Remembrance Day is designed to create a global platform for the gradual re-integration of the diaspora and to celebrate the history of the African diaspora, especially those that contributed to the emancipation of blacks from slavery and to promote the tangible and intangible heritage of Lagos State and Badagry as melting points,” the Commissioner stated.
The Commissioner explained that the Fitila Procession observed across the ancient town of Badagry from the Vlekete Market towards Marina where the Procession ends, further underscored the importance of the day and also demonstrated a great honour and respect for the departed slaves.
She said that a major benefit of this commemoration of Slave Trade and Its Abolition as highlighted by UNESCO, is that Africans/Americans in the diaspora are encouraged to retrace their steps back to their land of origin and re-unite with long-lost relatives through the August 23rd event.
Point of reference
While delivering a Lecture titled “Slave Trade and Its Abolition and How Public Opinion Could Change the Law”, the Guest Lecturer and Publisher of De Voice Newspaper in Badagry, Ovi Kuponu, maintained that Badagry remains a point of reference on slavery and its Abolition, stressing that “you have to come to Badagry when you talk about Slave Trade and its Abolition and it’s a worthy of mention that the Ministry recognizes this fact by keeping in touch with the tradition.
Recalling the harrowing experiences of most Nigerians during the years when slave trade thrived, Kuponu averred that slave trade should never be something to dance over and that no part of the narration should bring joy or profit to any sane human.
His words: “The evidences abound in my community, Badagry, to show that from 1600 when the first Portuguese slave merchant, George Freemingo (Huntokonu) arrived Badagry through the year of the revolution of the Saint-Dominigue revolution and 1808 when the slave trade was abolished; slave trade was real. Several relics and monuments dot the landscape of West African coastal towns like Quidah, Porto Novo, Freetown, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone, Badagry, Lagos and so on.
“The slave trade as practiced 200 years ago may be history. But moral blindness is ever present. Let us not close our eyes to crimes and evils being perpetuated in the society. Allowing such crimes and evil to fester will only shame us all.”
He said that the eventual Abolition of slave trade was because several people as at that time, examined their own consciences, and took personal responsibility for what was happening around them, stressing that Nigerians must approach today’s abuses in the same spirit by thinking of what could be done to hasten the end to modern slavery by Africans against fellow Africans; slavery by Nigerians against fellow Nigerians; slavery by Lagosians against fellow Lagosians, and so on.
According to Kuponu “We must all stand up and speak up against repressive, oppressive and inhuman tendencies that are tantamount to modern slavery and sustain it by the knowledge that change – even to the point of profound transformation – is possible when societies rise against evil, and rally round what represents the common good.”
The commemorative event also had in attendance top officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture led by the Director of Research and Development, Mrs. Yetunde Simpson and the Director of Tourism Promotion, Mrs. Ada Oni, the retired Permanent Secretary of Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Ashamu Fadipe, the Founder of Centre for Heritage Preservation, Chief Hunkanlin Afolabi (Ijinla), the Head of Badagry Musuem, Mr. Peter Mesewaku among others.
Dominica Nwabufo
