Yesterday, 8th September 2022 , there was rumors making round that the British monarch ,Her majesty Queen Elizabeth 11 passed on . Several online news platforms went agog over the death of the British queen in a far away Britain.
Towards evening of the same yesterday, Nigeria main news media carried the news of the demise of the nonagenarian British Queen after confirming officially from the government of Britain.
Today, both bloggers and national news platforms such as Television and Radio stations aired the news of the demise of the Queen with every print media capturing it boldly.
To my chagrin , I read some comments from people's Whatsapp status, Facebook pages , Instagram and Twitter etc who seems to be grieving more than the Queen's children , grandchildren,great grand children and the entire British royal family.
Incase u need a reminder ,the woman you are grieving for was one of the descendants of those who came to Africa ;
* kidnapped and sold our ancestors on slavery.
*Destroyed our infrastructure.
* Destroyed our institution of worship .
* Destroyed our government.
* Changed our identity.
The British Royal family participated tremendously in the enslavement of native Africans.
For instance ,
King Charles 11 in 1663 granted a royal charter to the Royal Adventures of England , a company trading human beings in Africa. This company and the Royal family was responsible for transporting millions of Africans as slaves to their colonies in America where their captives were forced to work on plantation for their personal gains .
In 1554, John Hawkins, a British slave Marchant in collaboration with British Royal family formed a slave trading syndicate that specialized in kidnap and sales of Africans.
In 1564, Sir Admiral John Hawkins (a knight in Church of England) embarked on a voyage to Africa, which was funded by Queen Elizabeth I who provided a slave ship code named 'Jesus' for him . Sir John Hawkins sold an estimated 1500 native Africans as slaves throughout the period.
During the slave trade era , cities like Bristol,London and Liverpool were slave ports. In 1740, Liverpool became the leading British slave trade port as 43% of the ships engaged in British slave trade were owned by Liverpool slave Marchants. Within the period of British slave trade, Liverpool ships delivered over 1.1million native Africans who were captured from Africa as slave . Majority of this number,were people from Bight of Biafra ( epicenter of British slave trade).
We have not forgotten the role of John Newton, a British slave ship captain who later became an Evangelical minister in the church of England.
Between 1700---1807, more than 2,000 slave ships delivered over 500,000 people of Africa as slaves to the so called "new world" ....we cannot forget !
In 1660, the Duke of York (James 11) established the Royal African company. A slave trading company which transported more than 187,000 Native Africans as slaves to English colonies in America.
we have not forgotten how native enslaved Africans were branded with hot iron on their forehead with insignia "DY", which means Duke of York to for easy identification.
We also remembered that between 1690----1807, more than 6million enslaved Africans were transported in chains to British colonies under the approval and protection of British Royal family.
We have not forgotten that 14.6% of slaves taken from Africa were from Bight of Biafra......the people that accepted their religion.
We have not forgotten that British slave Marchants made a total profit of 12 million pounds, that they invested in British industries,Banks and insurance companies.
We have not forgotten how British slave Marchants publicly auctioned African slaves in an open market for between 3 pounds in 1700.
We have not forgotten that enslaved Africans who got infected of infectious diseases while on the voyage to British slave trading ports were thrown into the ocean while the Marchants made insurance claims .
We have not forgotten how captives Africans were forced and caged in barracoon in a poorly ventilated and sanitary conditions where they defecated and eat bread . And how those captives who attempted to resist the inhumane treatment were nailed on their foot as a punishment.
We have not forgotten how British government under the supervision of deceased Queen, Elizabeth 11 supplied military equipment and arms to Nigerian government against the people of Biafra which led to sadistic and brutal death of estimated 3million Biafrans ,woman and children inclusive .
We have not forgotten that Steve Jobs denounced Christianity for the British involvement in the killings of Christian biafrans during Biafra / Nigeria war .
We have not forgotten that Dr Francis Akanu Ibiam returned his academic certificates acquired in Britain and British award of officer of the civil Division of the excellent order of the British Empire (OBE) , knight commander of the civil Division of the most Excellent order of the British Empire (K.B.E) and Distinguished order of st Michael and George ( K C.M.G) conferred on him by King George vi and late Queen Elizabeth 11.
We have not forgotten!
We have not forgotten!!
We have not forgotten!!!
