NGO Vows To Repatriate African Artifacts Illegally Taken Abroad
Godwin Ajom |Calabar
A non-governmental organisation, State of Africa in Diaspora SOAD, has vowed to do everything within it’s powers, to ensure that artifacts illegally taken away from African museums to Canada, Europe and America are repatriated back to the continent.
Addressing Newsmen in Calabar, the Resident Ambassador, State of The African Diaspora SOAD, Amb. Dr. Evelyn Eyo-Honesty Ogbogu, Said that the organization has a mechanism put in place to ensure that historical artifacts found in far away countries in Europe, America, Asia and Canada and belong to Africans are returned back to it’s countries of origin, in as much as there were illegally taken away from their original owners.
“We Will repatriate all historical artifacts taken away from South South, South East and indeed all the all the geo-political regions of the country back to museums in the country.
“It’s the reason that the Organization has been calling on communities particularly in Nigeria who feel that their historical artifacts illegally taken to other countries of the world should apply to the organization for assistance.
“We are passionate and ready to give assistance to such communities.
“We did that and artifacts belonging to some communities in Edo state were returned back to the the original owners in Edo state.
“We are not tired of advancing that course,” stressing that every piece of artifacts that are of historical interest to communities in the country would be retrieved in as much as the communities write to the organization indicating interest to get their artifacts back.
“As long as kingdoms recognizes the fact that artifacts were stolen from their kingdoms and taken to other continents our organization will assist them to retrieve these historical remains.
According to her, the organization already have a research team working round the clock checking which artifact belongs to a particular country adding that the artifacts in question would come home with some cash as compensation to the community of origin
“Luckily every artifact that was taken from Africa is branded and names this makes the job easy.
“For those who are in doubt let me announced to you that Edo state has received some of their artifacts with about 20 percent of the money value,” She said.
