Renowned diplomat, Amb. Prof. Dean Roberts Jnr., has urged Africans across the world to unite and build a common future rather than allow the painful legacy of the trans-Atlantic slave trade to continue dividing the continent and its people.
According to Amb. Prof. Roberts, Africans must begin to see themselves as one family and work towards building a united nation, rather than viewing Africa as a continent rich in resources but weakened by divisions.
He made the call at the internationally acclaimed Ibiaku Clan Development Association family retreat, held at the Plush Villa Hilton Hotel in Uyo, AkwaIbom State, Nigeria, on the theme: “Reclaiming Our Story – Ibiaku History, Identity and Heritage.”
His remarks were made against the backdrop of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, which Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, has described as “the gravest crime against humanity”, in an address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, during the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Amb. Prof. Roberts, who is also the High Commissioner and Continental Vice President of the U.N.I.P.G.C.-USA, said the history of slavery should not only be remembered as a period of suffering but also as a lesson for Africans on the dangers of division.
“I am not a victim of history, but a survivor of the gravest crime against humanity and a beneficiary of the slave trade menace among Africans in the Diaspora,” he said.
Speaking on the adoption of a resolution concerning the trans-Atlantic slave trade, Amb. Prof. Roberts said 123 out of 178 member countries voted in favour of the resolution, while three voted against it and 52 abstained.
He said the adoption of the resolution coincided with President Mahama’s strong condemnation of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and his call for the international community to acknowledge the scale and gravity of the atrocities committed against Africans.
According to him, President Mahama had stated that there could be no better way to honour the forebears who suffered during the slave trade than for the majority of countries to affirm that the trafficking and enslavement of nearly 13 million people constituted one of the gravest crimes against humanity.
Amb. Prof. Roberts said the slave trade deliberately exploited divisions among African communities, using a strategy of “divide, conquer and export” to remove valuable human capital from the continent.
“The gravest crime scattered our ancestors with a simple and evil strategy to divide, conquer and export the precious human capital abroad,” he said.
He noted that the consequences went beyond the loss of millions of lives, explaining that families were separated, identities and names were lost and traditional clans and communities were weakened.
He said the enslaved Africans were subsequently transported to the shores of America, the Caribbean and other parts of the world under brutal and inhumane conditions.
For him, the painful history should therefore strengthen, rather than weaken, the bonds among Africans and people of African descent across the globe.
He called on Africans to reclaim their history, identity and heritage while using them as a foundation for development and unity.
In his closing remarks Amb. Prof. Roberts pledged to continue promoting the name and heritage of Ibiaku at international platforms.
He said the development of Ibiaku would require the collective commitment and cooperation of its citizens, both at home and abroad.
He further expressed confidence in working with Amb. Dennis Ufot, a United Nations Peace Ambassador, whom he described as a diplomat with integrity, exemplary dignity, selfless leadership experience and a strong commitment to service.
Amb. Prof. Roberts said with effective collaboration and responsible leadership, Ibiaku could stop “exporting her destiny” and instead harness its human and material resources for the benefit of present and future generations.
He urged the people of Ibiaku, Mkpat Enin in AkwaIbom State, to unite around their shared history and development aspirations, stressing that the future of their community depended on their ability to work together.
