Former Presidents of Nigeria and Republic of Benin, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Nicephore Soglo have resolved to submit a proposal to the African Union (AU) on adoption of Africa Remembrance Day of Slavery and Slave Trade.
If approved, an annual work-free day will be set aside to celebrate history of slavery and slave trade in the African continent.
Besides, Obasanjo reiterated the call for adoption of a single currency for the Economic Communities of West African States (ECOWAS) to boost socio-economic and cultural developments in the African sub-region.
A statement made available to our correspondent in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, on Thursday by Obasanjo’s spokesman, Kehinde Akinyemi, quoted the former presidents to have spoken at a special meeting held in Cotonou, Republic of Benin.
Obasanjo said the parley was a follow-up to the conference on peace, security and stability in Africa held in Tokyo, Japan last month.
The elder statesman said the move for the recognition of a day of slavery and slave trade in Africa could best be described as a “passionate move”, which should be pursued in order to avoid the mistakes of the past.
He emphasized that the passion on not forgetting the history of Africa’s slavery as expressed by Soglo during the Japan’s meeting, “is the most pernicious and I have decided to work hard with those who share our sentiments on the issue.”
“I shared in this passion, which is with a bit of agony, and I shared both of them with President Soglo, hence my coming here to Cotonou, and rub minds together and take it up from there to our leaders at the AU and the UN, which is the global body,” he said.
Obasanjo said “While the past is the past, we may not forget that past, because if we forget the past, the chances are that we may repeat the mistakes of the past. So we agreed that after this meeting, we can for a start, take our position to the AU to push for a day to be called “Africa Remembrance Day of Slavery and Slave Trade”.
The Ota farmer said God had decided to keep some leaders who are former Presidents for “unfinished job to complete for this continent.”
On the issue of integration and monetary union in ECOWAS, Obasanjo expressed concern over the yet to be implemented single currency for the region, stressing that leaders of the region should be persuaded to so, to better the lot of trade in the area.
“It is our responsibility to call on our leaders in West Africa to come up with our one currency. They have already taken the decision in Togo, the headquarters of our region, so, what is happening? We should ask them. We should tell them that enough is enough.
“I should be able to leave Abeokuta on a Sunday, come to Cotonou and have lunch and return without any hindrance. At Idiroko this morning, I have to submit my passport for entry, but, should this be so?
“If colonialism made it so about 50 years ago, should we still continue to do it in this century and age?” Obasanjo queried.
In his opening remarks, Soglo who went down memory lane on history of slavery and slave trade in Africa, lamented that it was unfortunate that century after the practice, some parts of the continent still engage in the inhuman trade.
