The Senate has reiterated its commitment to addressing injustices stemming from slavery, colonization, exploitation, and systemic discrimination both historical and contemporary.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Reparations and Repatriation, Senator Ned Munir Nwoko, gave the assurance during a one-day interactive session with relevant stakeholders.
Senator Nwoko explained that the session was organized to foster dialogue, share insights, and forge practical, collaborative pathways for advancing reparatory justice across the African continent.
The lawmaker said the committee is guided by specific terms of reference that reflect the gravity of its responsibility to address historical and systemic injustices that have long dehumanized and marginalized various groups and communities within Nigeria and the broader African diaspora.
He further stated that it is the committee’s duty to collate credible evidence of wrongdoing by individuals, states, corporations, and other institutions both past and present and to make concrete recommendations for appropriate compensation and redress.
The committee will also pursue the return of looted cultural artifacts and heritage materials taken during colonial conquests or through illicit trade, including leveraging international legal frameworks and institutions to seek restitution and financial reparations where applicable.
Similarly, a member representing Musawa and Matazu Federal constituency in Katsina state Hon Abdullahi Aliyu Ahmed in an interview shortly after the session, explained that the rationale behind organising the interactive session is to review issues of injustices against communities as far back during the colonial period and the way forward.
He said the main concern is to discuss strategic ways to invite such colonial countries for a diplomatic interface to be able to retrieve such cultural artifacts for the benefit of Nigerians and to enrich our cultural values.
He argued that during the colonial era, colonial masters take away a lot of valuable cultural items belonging to the Nigerian People, enriching their museums and tourism sector with African valuables leaving colonised Nations with historical evidences.
He said the time has come to organize and present proof and facts about the cultural items taken from Nigeria and Africa at large, many of which are pure gold of high value.
According to him, the return of these artifacts would enrich national museums, attract foreign tourists, and significantly boost internal revenue generation for the country.
Hon. Abdullahi explained that at one time, similar valuable materials were returned to the Katsina State Government, worth billions of naira, because they were made of pure, unadulterated gold.
He argued that such items can be of immense value to local communities and the country as a whole, serving as a means of reviving cultural heritage and enhancing national revenue sources.
Meanwhile, experts and stakeholders in collaboration with the committee are working hard to ensure genuine facts and evidences are gathered to forge ahead for justice and socioeconomic development of the entire country through diplomatic means Dr Muhammad Aminu is one of such experts who shade more light in an interview shortly after the session
” This initiatives have started yielding fruitful results just recently the Government of Netherlands has brought back such items taken away from Benin city in Nigeria worth billions of naira”.
Dr Muhammad Amin further said besides this there are others ways Nigeria could benefit from such injustices such as through educational support from those countries as well as giving compensations over certified injustice done during the colonial invasion.
According to him, these and many.more will be achieved through dialogue, collaboration and diplomatic engagements which is the main target ahead of diplomatic conference coming up soon on this issues.
Cov/Bashir M
