Cleric writes Trump, seeks reparation for slavery in Africa

From Obinna Odogwu, Awka

An evangelist, Dr. Iwuchukwu Ezenwafor of the Universal Prayer Fellowship, has written to President Donald Trump, seeking his help in getting compensation for African ethnic nationalities that were exploited during the slave trade era.

Ezenwafor, in the letter sighted by Daily Sun, told Trump that till date, various communities, ethnic societies, and kingdoms across the entire catchment areas of the West Coast and the Central Africa were yet to recover from the ripple effects of the carefree rampage.

“History is criminally silent over the devastating consequences and the indelible scars trailing the inhuman transatlantic slave trade spanning over a space of four centuries (1480–1870AD) with the shipment of over 12.5 million souls”, the letter partly reads.

“The perpetrating of the heinous transactions first by the Portuguese and the Spaniards followed by the British, the French, the Dutch, the Irish, and other European merchants critically depleted the workforce/human capital necessary for sundry development entrenching pain, sorrow, loss of self worth, and abject poverty.”

The evangelist argued that the transatlantic African enslavement business opened up the New Found World (the Americas) in farming, commerce and industry, to the awful detriment of the entire West Coast and sub-Saharan Africa in extension.

“The costly effect of this stupendous crime against mankind is unimaginable with unquantifiable implications, taking into consideration the spread and duration”, he said.

Ezenwafor, therefore, appealed to the US President to use his good offices to get justice for the affected African nations by convening an international conference, where a reparation fund would be raised under his close watch.

“As a way of ensuring minimal risk of resource loss or waste, a Fund Management Board should be put in place by Your Excellency’s distinguished office.

“This fund managers will be tasked to draw up a comprehensive rebuilding and resuscitation plan/programme for all the affected peoples in whatever locations in their respective countries of today,” he added.