Badagry festival begins

The 2012 edition of the Badagry Festival has begun at the Heritage Museum with the remembrance of victims of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.

Declaring the festival open, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Intergovernmental Relations, Mr Sewanu Fadipe, who represented Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and the Commissioner for Tourism, Mr Oladisun Holloway, recounted Badagry’s losses to the slave trade.

“From my knowledge, the festival is built around the history of Badagry and the slave trade experience of the 16th century to the 18th century,” he said.

Fadipe, who called for a minute silence for the repose of the souls of those slaves that died during slavery, said that the foundation of Badagry was as a result of six centuries of the evil trade.

“Badagry has been affected by the slave trade since 1474 when the Portuguese came to buy our people, chained them and took them away into cities like Spain, Cuba, Brazil and Columbia for hard labour,” he said.

He observed that though Badagry experienced pains from the trade, blacks in the diaspora had been able to export its culture and heritage tradition to the outside world.

“I saw Zangbeto masquerade in Brazil, while a place was dedicated for the worship of Olokun too,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, High Chief Possu Awarawuru of Badagry Kingdom, urged the people to shun foreign religion and embrace African traditional religion and way of worship.

“Before Christianity and Islam came to Nigeria, our forefathers worshipped Orisa and the society was peaceful,” he said, while calling for cultural renaissance.

Among the programme of events for the festival are cultural exhibitions, Zangbeto masquerade performance, drama presentation, Gbenopo royal carnival and art exhibitions.

Many eminent personalities from within and outside Nigeria are attending the festival which has the theme: “Reconnecting with the Root” and will run till 25 August.