By Kayode Emola
Ever wondered what happened to our ancestors during the Trans-Atlantic slave period when majority of them were taken to the New World? Most of those who survived the treacherous journey to the New World would simply have wanted to come back home, to be reunited with their families. Others may have been less concerned, preferring to continue with the misery before them, rather than the prospect of returning home to the daily uncertainty of when the traders would return and capture them again. The truth is that many endured despite the hardship of their time, hoping that one day they would see their freedom returned. Finally, one day, justice prevailed and the slave trade was abolished.
The reality of the matter is that the legislative abolition of the slave trade and the pronouncement thereof did not actually bring about the end of slavery. It merely transformed its operations, methods of execution and modi operandi. With that in mind, permit me to elaborate a little about what really happened in the Trans-Atlantic slave period and how it has subtly re-insinuated itself into our modern world without our knowledge.
In addition to visiting Calabar museum and seeing the harrowing pictures of how our ancestors were loaded unto the slave boats, I have also had opportunity to visit the slave museum in Osu Castle, Ghana, and the slave museum in Liverpool, UK. The pain our ancestors would have faced can only ever be imagined, and we hope and pray that the odious experience never repeats itself. This sentiment is captured by the inscription on the wall of Elmina Castle in Ghana, which finished with the words, “May humanity never again perpetrate such injustice against humanity. We, the living, vow to uphold this.” (Emphasis added)
Many people did not know that it was not only West Africans that were taken to America and the Caribbean as slaves. Actually, the Europeans themselves were the first to be transported as slaves; however, unlike their African counterparts, the early Europeans were given the path to freedom. They became the slave masters of the early Africans, especially those transported from Angola and several southern African countries. Unfortunately, the Southern African slaves were often not strong enough to survive the journey and appalling conditions, and many of them died before they even reached the promised land.
When West Africans were introduced to the barbaric slave trade, it took on another dimension. This time, their spirit of endurance meant that they were able to survive many harsh circumstances that had previously claimed the lives of would-be slaves. This led to the commercialisation and commodification of slavery, which would prove the motivating force in prolonging the trade. To the average West African, survival mattered more than their humanity and the Europeans exploited this to their advantage.
Our ancestors were made to build cities in America and Europe that their descendants would never inherit. They laboured day and night on plantations of coffee, tobacco, cocoa, sugar, and cotton; gold and silver mines; rice fields; the construction industry; cutting timber for ships; as skilled labourers; and as domestic servants. After building these cities from the 16th century and eventually establishing these places, it felt like our assignment could finally be considered completed.
Alas, the Caucasians, now scattered across many continents, never wanted Africans to go scot free: that would be detrimental to all they have ‘laboured for’. They developed new systems to exploit the continent and the people of Africa as much as they could. For instance, our ancestors were taken in crammed boats in the most horrendous of journeys for weeks, even months, on the sea. In comparison, today Africans travel in crowded planes to Europe and America, seeking a better life, but ending up working in the factories and industries that our ancestors helped to develop. In fact, the number of people that have left Nigeria of their own volition from the 1980’s to the present day is several orders of magnitude higher than those removed by force during the Trans-Atlantic trade.
Nigerians are now the most likely to naturalize in their host nations, compared to other foreign-born nationals. They apply for citizenship as soon as they become eligible. Most of the modern-day Nigerians travellers are from the southern part of Nigeria, so it is safe to say the Yoruba people will represent at least 40% of Nigerians overseas. As the trend of departure increases, many Yoruba diaspora are at risk of losing their identity and even forgetting their heritage completely.
It is worth mentioning how we came to be ensconced in this ugly trend: our elders and rulers were coerced into selling their kinsmen into slavery. Whilst our ancestors were taken to the ‘New World’ for free, today we now pay through the nose to fly to the ‘New World’. Not only this, but then after many years of hard labour, we are also required to pay exorbitant fees to become citizens of the ‘New World’. This is reminiscent of the certificates given in the America of old when the slaves were declared freed.
Neither the certificate in the slave era, nor ‘citizenship’ in our present day, really guarantees freedom. Freedom where we are not permitted to dictate the terms of our own existence is not freedom at all. The colonial nations so crippled our own country that we are beholden to them for aid relief, and in return we are compelled to bow to their whims. We are still dependent on the pittance given to us by our Caucasian slave masters, rather than seeking to begin the radical process of reconstructing our mentality.
The Yoruba people both at home and abroad need to realise that if we desire to begin to build a haven for ourselves, a huge work is now required. Our haven cannot be in Europe or America; it cannot be anywhere outside our homeland. Only by this means can we escape the perpetual circle of slavery in which we currently find ourselves.
Someone may say that the task before us is herculean and may never be achieved. I would beg to disagree as we have the example of several countries – Singapore, Indonesia, Korea, UAE – who built themselves into greatness over time. And these countries display only a fraction of the strength China has used to muscle her way to the number two nation in the world. I believe that the first step to our freedom is for the Yoruba people worldwide to come to the realisation that slavery is still rampant in our lives, in our minds, and that we are currently held under its heel. The next step will then be to build a viable infrastructure in our homeland, which may become the foundation on which our development can be laid. This is what the Caucasians have done over thousands of years, and this is what has continued to put their race at the top. If we do not act now to do the same for ourselves, then we may be heading towards extinction as a people, and just like the Nok culture, will disappear without a trace.
