Saturday, November 8, 2014
Philosopher's Corner:- Reparation: who pay who?
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| Amodu Murisiku Ayoku |
Add BBN on 2BAFB965
Reparations for slavery are the idea that some form of compensatory payment should be made to the descendants of those who had been enslaved by the Atlantic Slave Trade.
In 1999, the African World Reparations and Repatriation Truth Commission called on "the West" to pay $777 trillion to Africa within five years.
In 2004, Lloyds of London was sued by the descendants of African slaves. The case was not successful. In Jamaica in 2004, a coalition of Rastafari movement groups argued that European countries formerly involved in the slave trade, especially Britain, should pay 72.5 billion pounds sterling to resettle 500,000 Jamaican Rastafarians in Africa. The claim was rejected by the British government, which said it could not be held accountable for wrongs in the past centuries.
In 2007, Guyana called for European nations to pay reparations for the slave trade.
In 2011, Antigua & Barbuda called for reparations at the United Nations, saying "that segregation and violence against people of African descent had impaired their capacity for advancement as nations, communities and individuals".
In 2012, Jamaica revived its reparations commission, to consider the question of whether the country should seek an apology or reparations from Britain for its role in the slave trade. The opposition cited Britain’s role in the end of the slave trade as a reason that Britain should issue no reparations
Also in 2012, the Barbados government established a 12-member Reparations Task Force, to be responsible for sustaining the local, regional and international momentum for reparations. Barbados is reportedly currently leading the way in calling for reparations from former colonial powers for the injustices suffered by slaves and their families.
While Barbados is leading the crusade yet again for
compensation and reparation for slave trade, the problem of underdevelopment in
Africa cannot be over emphasized. The so call underdeveloped Africa,
historically, was the brain behind the development of Europe. Over five
hundred(500) years of slavery is not an issue to take with kid’s glove. Taking
able-bodied Africans for over 500 years in a Trans Atlantic slave trade to
Europe, demands world attention. Nationalist in Africa before now had risen to
ask for reparation from Europe. Reparation struggle was once led by late MKO
Abiola where African sued Europeans to world court to ask for reparation.
Africans demanded that Europeans should pay Africans whatever should be able to develop Africa (800 million dollars, they guessed) or come back to Africa to develop Africa to the present standard of Europe. The sustained argument is making Europe considering paying but some skeptical Europeans are asking rational or irrational questions standing as bulwark to possible compensations.
Europe needs answers to these questions;
If (we) Europeans are to develop Africa, where do we start from? Which country? Which state? Which town?
Those (Europeans) who committed the crime then are all dead, why should we pay for the crime we never committed?
It was trade by barter then, we gave mirrors, combs, gun powders, cigarettes etc in exchange for slaves, we had paid. Why asking for reparation?
We met slavery in Africa. You thought us slave trade, we emulated you. Your rulers had slaves before our coming, why ask us to pay?
Your rulers (kings) captured you by themselves. We never did. Why must we pay?
If Europe is to make payment, how much?
Who is to receive it? Which country? Which state?
Can any African country say specifically how many people were taken away from their country?
How many from which state?
How many from which family?
Then, we need to remember that present African leaders are greedy and selfish. If payments are made to Africa, won’t African leaders embezzle it?
If they want to embezzle it, they will not be keeping
it in African banks. It will indirectly return to European banks, in foreign accounts,
in that case, why should Europe pay?
Can anyone answer these questions?
Amodu Murisiku Ayoku
ayomurisiku@yahoo.com
08057356316
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