Some Nigerian tour operators became emotional during their visit
to the Cape Coast Slave Castle museum at the Central Region of Ghana.
They expressed their emotions while speaking with the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Cape Coast, Ghana, during a farmiliarisation tour of
the central region of that country.
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Cape Coast, Ghana, during a farmiliarisation tour of
the central region of that country.
The tour was organised to herald the 2019 Accra Weizo,
slated for June 28 to June 29 in Accra, Ghana with the theme: “Seamless Travel
in West Africa”.
slated for June 28 to June 29 in Accra, Ghana with the theme: “Seamless Travel
in West Africa”.
The fair was organised by the Africa Travel Quarterly (ATQ)
in partnership with Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and would be a gathering of
tourism and travel players in Africa like: Togo, Uganda, South Africa, and
Benin Republic.
in partnership with Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and would be a gathering of
tourism and travel players in Africa like: Togo, Uganda, South Africa, and
Benin Republic.
The tour operators said the history of slavery in Ghana
became very real to them having seen the shambles used in chaining the slaves
and their male and female prisons.
became very real to them having seen the shambles used in chaining the slaves
and their male and female prisons.
They called on world leaders to ensure global unity and
enable people across the globe to live in peace and unity and curb all forms of
wickedness exhibited towards fellow human beings.
enable people across the globe to live in peace and unity and curb all forms of
wickedness exhibited towards fellow human beings.
They said that everyone must have a rethink to stop all
forms of armed banditry, robbery, terrorism, kidnappings, insurgencies and
promote peaceful co-existence as the world had become a global village.
forms of armed banditry, robbery, terrorism, kidnappings, insurgencies and
promote peaceful co-existence as the world had become a global village.
One of the tour operators, Mrs. Patricia Ozioma of Smoothwaka
Tours, said the visit was an eye opener to the details of the slave history
that existed in Ghana and how they gained independence.
Tours, said the visit was an eye opener to the details of the slave history
that existed in Ghana and how they gained independence.
The situation then was complicated and pathetic as the
conspiracies that existed between the slave masters and indigenes against
fellow indigenes was explained.
conspiracies that existed between the slave masters and indigenes against
fellow indigenes was explained.
“This makes me weep as a black woman and takes me back to
the root of the Ghanaian independence.
the root of the Ghanaian independence.
“Obama’s visit to the museum sometimes back tells of the
significance of history and the need to relate like brothers and sisters,” she
said.
significance of history and the need to relate like brothers and sisters,” she
said.
Also, Miss Olusola Segbenu, a representative of Travel Afcon
who had visited the Benin Republic slave museum sometime in the past, said that
could not be compared to the slave museum in Ghana as it appeared more real.
who had visited the Benin Republic slave museum sometime in the past, said that
could not be compared to the slave museum in Ghana as it appeared more real.
Segbenu, who described the experience as depressing, urged
world leaders to reflect on the experiences of Africans during slave trade and
ensure everyone is united regardless of the race, religion and all.
world leaders to reflect on the experiences of Africans during slave trade and
ensure everyone is united regardless of the race, religion and all.
“This is devastating to me even after hundreds of years
after the abolition of slave trade; I want world leaders to chat a new course
for the world and ensure people live with the consciousness that we are all
brothers and sisters.
after the abolition of slave trade; I want world leaders to chat a new course
for the world and ensure people live with the consciousness that we are all
brothers and sisters.
“It is depressing for me to hear that thousands of slaves
were made to sleep in a small room without windows and the women maltreated for
denying the colonial masters sex.
were made to sleep in a small room without windows and the women maltreated for
denying the colonial masters sex.
“We must forge ahead in unity and stop all inhumane acts
against fellow humans,” she said.
against fellow humans,” she said.
Similarly, Mrs Sophia Khan, Managing Director, Travel
Appeal, said it was disheartening to know that slavery still exists among
humans in spite of the damages it had done to humans in the past.
Appeal, said it was disheartening to know that slavery still exists among
humans in spite of the damages it had done to humans in the past.
Khan said the deliberate cumbersome procedures Africans were
subjected to before winning visa lottery was another form of slavery adopted by
the western world.
subjected to before winning visa lottery was another form of slavery adopted by
the western world.
“The history is a sad one but it trills me to know that the
history is kept; I believe we deserve apologies from countries that colonised
the African nations because they really pulled us backward.
history is kept; I believe we deserve apologies from countries that colonised
the African nations because they really pulled us backward.
“It is so sad to know that they have not stopped from
enslaving the blacks.
enslaving the blacks.
“Recently, I realised that Europeans are nothing without us
but we have been brainwashed to believe that we are nothing which is a lie but
their gimmick to make us lose confidence in ourselves.
but we have been brainwashed to believe that we are nothing which is a lie but
their gimmick to make us lose confidence in ourselves.
“It is sad that the colonial masters have their churches
where they worship on the same building where the blacks were imprisoned and
dealt with, this shows how heartless they were.
where they worship on the same building where the blacks were imprisoned and
dealt with, this shows how heartless they were.
“I was made to realise that this led to Ghanaians have a
traditional priest in the castle rather than maintaining their church and to
maintain African religion,” she said.
traditional priest in the castle rather than maintaining their church and to
maintain African religion,” she said.
She urged Nigerians to explore Africa and minimise having
their leisure in the western countries as Africa had all it takes to fascinate
tourists.
their leisure in the western countries as Africa had all it takes to fascinate
tourists.
NAN reports that the Cape Coast slave castle was used during
colonisation to hold slaves before they were loaded into ships and sold to the
Americans, especially to the Caribbeans.
colonisation to hold slaves before they were loaded into ships and sold to the
Americans, especially to the Caribbeans.
