Foundation honours past, brave African nationalists

As many Africans pay tributes to past and brave heroes for their lives, struggles and experiences during the fight against slavery and colonialism, a non-political group, Correct Connect Africa Foundation (CCAF), has fixed every May 1 to honour the nationalists.

Speaking at the African Memorial Day on the theme: “Relevance of remembering the African heroes past,” Chairman of Ojodu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, David Odunmbaku, said the struggles against colonial domination in Nigeria and the sacrifices made by the heroes past – either dead or alive like Herbert Macaulay, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe, Pa Anthony Enahoro and others whom one may call ‘anonymous’ nationalists – can never be forgotten or erased from the country’s history.

His words: “In other African countries, we had the likes of Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, Samora Machel of Mozambique, Stephen Biko and Nelson Mandela of South Africa, among others.

These were men of impeccable character whom, irrespective of the precarious socio-economic and political milieus of their times, transformed Africa was hitherto under the shackles of colonial domination to a continent of hope.”

He called on Africans to honour yearly memory of those who lost their lives, reinstalled the history that colonialists pillaged from everyone, restored the dignity and respect Africans deserve, and never compromised national interest. 

General Coordinator, CCAF, Rev. Fr. Anthony Odior, said it’s a remembrance of those captured, deceived, sold, transported in the horrific transatlantic slave trade and those who fought for the total independence of Africa.

Director, Asterisks Concept, Iloegbunam Obiajulu, enjoined Africans to “know thyself, reinvent thyself, continue the journey of the past heroes and sustain development.”