Former President Olusegun Obasanjo warned that Africans might go back into slavery if they forgot their history. He said Africa had yet to recover from the effects of slave trade it suffered, over two centuries after.
The former president made the remarks during his 88th birthday celebration and unveiling of two books, held within the premises of Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The books titled, “Lest we Forget: Slavery, Slave Trade, Emancipation and Reparation,” and, “Nigeria: Past and the Future,” are authored by Obasanjo.
The event attracted eminent personalities from different walks of life, including traditional rulers, former and sitting governors, captains of industry, as well as expatriates and people from academia.
Obasanjo said there was a need for Africans to acknowledge their history, learn from it, and use it as a foundation for building a better future, in order to avoid a return into slavery.
According to him, forgetting the devastating impact of slavery on Africa would not only affect the present but equally jeopardise the future of the continent.
Obasanjo said, “We must not forget slavery, whether transatlantic or trans-Sahara slave trade, they have the same effect on us. If we forget, not only will we continue to suffer from the effect, but we will be re-enslaved again.
“We haven’t come out from the one we have suffered for more than two centuries. It is for us to see where we have gone wrong without any exception as a group and seek the way out.
“For me, I am an incurable optimist about Nigeria. Yes, the situation is bad, no doubt, but I believe that in my lifetime, we will have a Nigerian that we will be proud of.”
Director-General, Nigerian Institute for International Affairs, who was the guest lecturer at the event, Professor Eghosa Osaghae, disclosed that over 12.5 million people were trapped in modern slavery in Africa.
Osaghae said the number represented about 60 per cent of the global total of 20.9 million enslaved people.
According to him, “For Africa to really experience true liberation, there is need for another independence of meaningful decolonisation, where Africans will firmly confront the devils of colonisation.”
In his goodwill message, the Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, who was represented by his deputy, Engineer Noimot Salako-Oyedele, poured encomium on Obasanjo, describing him as a leader of thought and a true African leader.
“He continues to be a leader of thought. He has not only impacted Nigeria but also Africa and the world. He is strong, active, and purposeful in guiding the next generation,” he said.
Among those present were Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke; former governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; presidential candidate of Labour Party in the last general election, Mr Peter Obi; former Osun State governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; and former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido.
Meanwhile, tributes continued to pour in for Obasanjo from across the country.
