05/09/2024
AKSG TO IMMORTALISE NAMES OF OWN SLAVE TRADE VICTIMS
--Partners ATDC To Erect Slave Memorial Park
In a heightened move towards immortalising the painful Slave Trade history, the Akwa Ibom State Government is partnering Akwa Tours Development Company, ATDC, to erect a Slave Memorial Park with names of her victims of Slave Trade.
The Slave Memorial Park located at the waterfront of the Marina Resort in Ibom Hotels and Golf Resort, is coming barely few weeks after the State Government in collaboration with NAAKIBOM unveiled a 179 years old Slave boat confiscated from the Transatlantic Slave Masters.
Laying the Foundation Stone for the Slave Memorial Park, at the Marina Resort yesterday, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Sir Charles Udoh said, the Park which will have the names of Slaves from the locality engraved on Memorial stones, is part of efforts to raise enduring legacies for the pains and desolation caused by slave trade in the State during the Colonial era.
Sir Charles Udoh emphasized that, Akwa Ibom State was a major route of the transatlantic Slave Trade therefore the State Government is taking steps to write the painful history by showcasing the relics of Slave trade to the world as part of Tourism and lauded the Managing Director of Akwa Tours Development Company, ATDC, Mr. Ubong Ekpe for partnering government in this direction.
He said the initiative by ATDC is in line with the Tourism development vision of Governor Umo Eno, as enshrined in the ARISE Agenda and urged other well meaning and Public spirited individuals to emulate the gesture, by lending their energies, resources and support towards the tourism development-drive of government.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Grace Akpan, the Tourism Commissioner averred that, Tourism is a vast sector that requires all hands on deck for cross-fertilization of ideas and requested for artefacts of cultural and Tourism values from members of the public in aid of the sector as Tourism has fast become a major foreign exchange spinner for growing economy.
Sir Udoh acknowledged that, the Slave Memorial Park, situated at the Nwaniba/Ifiayong waterfront, will not only boister the economic fortunes of the state through Tourism, but will also inscribe the pains and desolation of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade in the hearts of the people and serve as a constant deterent against Slave Trade and all forms of modern day slavery in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria and the world at large.
Earlier in his speech, the MD of Akwa Tourism Development Company Limited/ Curator of the Slave Memorial Park, Mr. Ubong Ekpe Okon, stressed that the organization will give the world a memory of the case faced in the state and emphasized that according to history, some of the slave victims came from Ndiya, Ikpa Uruan, Ifiayong and pointed at a wooden built storey building by the waterfront with a ware house, where the business of trading in human beings and other goods were carried out.
Mr. Ubong Ekpe said his company chose to erect the Memorial Park at the Marina Resort when it recalled when our forefathers were sold into slavery from the spot which was the entry and the exit point for those who were dealing in both Slave trade and timber business, adding that the volume of timber that was coming into the State through that route from Gabon and Cameron was massive.
He therefore appealed to guests at the Foundation Stone laying ceremony to advocate for total Abolition of Slave Trade and slavery, because slavery still continues as neo-colonialism, emphasizing that the names of Slaves from the State will be carved in gold as part of the project for the benefit of mankind.
Goodwill messages were presented at the event by the SSA to the Governor on Brand Management and Marketing, Sir Raphael Edem, the HSA to the Governor on Tourism, Mrs. Ime Udoh, Chairman Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State Chapter, Mr Joseph Umoh, Former Vice Chairman, Uyo LGA, Obongawan (Dr) Roberta Edem, Head Chef/ Executive Director of Uyai Kitchen, Obongawan Maria - Therese Adiakpan, in- coming Chairman, Institute of Tourism of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State Chapter, Mr Brend Inyang.
Present at the occasion were the GM, Ibom LED, Mrs Ekaete Umoh and Directors from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, including: Director (Administration) Mr. Mfon Udokang, Director(Tourism) Mrs Christie Enoch, Director (Culture) Mrs. Comfort Anwana and Head(Marketing) Mr. Mfon Essang, among others.
Information/PR Unit
Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Uyo
04/09/24
