Remembering the horrors of slavery a Senate committee demands reparations

Recalling the atrocities of the slave trade, the Senate Committee on Reparations and Repatriations has pledged to rally CSOs and other interested parties to find solutions to the problem of reparations.

After Tuesday’s inauguration, Senator Ned Munir Nwoko, the committee’s chairman, spoke with reporters and expressed his hope that the unprecedented body would educate the public and encourage them to support the fight for slave owners to pay reparations.

The 10th Senate would engage other stakeholders to enhance effective awareness on the roles and objectives of the Committee, he said, because the intended reparation was never late.

In order to introduce the committee to the public and explain our purpose, we are planning to organize a meeting of all relevant parties early in the new year.

This committee is completely new, but there is a clear need for it on a global and national scale. Everyone here is cognizant of the fact that the late MKO Abiola made an effort to handle restitution.

That targets the issue of seeking reparations and apologies from the slave traders and other individuals responsible for the theft of our country and the immense suffering they caused its citizens.

In addition, he dropped hints that the Committee will address domestic challenges and root out injustices perpetrated against people and communities nationwide.

Resolving the internal crises is the second part of the repair process, he added. The Committee will focus on taking action about reparations for numerous communities and families in Nigeria that have suffered brutalization.

“We have the Odi example, the Asaba massacre, and other areas of inhuman treatment where entire villages were leveled,” he continued, explaining that the Committee was supposed to get a memorandum from those affected families and communities.

We should not waste time and energy suing each other over the inhumane treatment of our own people; instead, we should gather evidence from them to determine the extent of the harm.

Oil drilling may have wreaked havoc on the locals through pollution. “We will be requesting that everyone come and speak with us about their needs so that we can advise the government on compensation,” he said.