BADAGRY DOOR OF RETURN FESTIVAL: Marcus Garvey Jnr given a name
Oru Leonard
Dr Julius Garvey, son of legendary Marcus Garvey has been given a new
name by the Akran of Badagry. He is now called “Ajigo of Badagry
Kingdom” which means in Yoruba language, “the Child returns home”.
This took place at the Palace of the Akran of Badagry as part of activities leading to the Grand Finale of the 4th Edition of the Badagry Door of Return Festival, in Badagry, Lagos State.
Dr Garvey who could not help expressing his excitement and joy of return, maintained that it is indeed a long awaited home- coming. He
promised to remain connected and rooted with Badagry, Lagos and Nigeria
as homeland.
Dr David Anderson of the United States of America who has been to
Badagry for three consecutive times and with a revered title of *Jogbo*
of Badagry Kingdom, and had been named *Mautin* , added that it is
always refreshing and heartwarming coming home, his motherland, Badagry.
Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission
and Initiator of the Badagry Door Of Return, believes that if the event
is well harvested, exploited and positioned, it will become one of the
best tourism products in Nigeria, given its Diaspora content.
The 27 member historic African Diaspora team to the Badagry Door of
Return Festival visited historical sites and monuments revealing the
true perspectives of the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade. First point of call
was the Seat of the British Canon donated to King Aholu Wawu of Badagry
in 1843.
At the Lagos State Heritage Museum, it was a sad recollection of
horrendous pictorial presentation of the evils of slavery.
The delegation was also at the Mobee Family Museum Relics, depicting the
height of man inhumanity to man through the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade.
At the Seriki Williams Abbas Slave Museum, relics of Brazilian Baracoon
of 1840 and Point of No Return, Gerefu-Badagry, were visible.
Day 2 of the Badagry Door of Return Festival ended with a heart
rendering theatrical enactment of the boisterous African continent,
blessed with rich flora and fiona, demonstrating the dastardly
consequences of Slavery, the renaissance and renewed hope of the
historic African Diaspora reconnecting with homeland, directed by Prof
Sola Fosudo.
(NiDCOM Media)
