Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, has been
honoured with the ‘Spirit of Emancipation Award of Excellence’ in Trinidad and
Tobago by the Emancipation Support Committee of Trinidad and Tobago.
The event was held at the weekend in Lidj Yasu Omowale
Village, the capital city of Port of Spain in the country.
Aregbesola was accompanied by his wife, Alhaja
Sherifat, and government officials, including the state Attorney General and
Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Ajibola Bashiru; Commissioner for Home Affairs,
Dr. Obawale Adebisi; the Special Adviser on Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Taiwo
Oluga; the Director General of Office of Economic Development and Partnership
(OEDP), Dr. Charles Akinola, and the Chairman state Tourism Board, Bimbola
Daniyan.
While presenting the award to him, Chairman of the
Emancipation Support Committee of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr Khafra Kambon, commended
Aregbesola for his commitment to the emancipation of all black people in the
tradition of the great pan-Africanists like Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Web du Boise, Dr.
Nnamdi Azikiwe and others.
He thanked him for attending the Emancipation Day
celebration and for identifying with the people of Trinidad and Tobago and the
Caribbean.
“We have decided to honour our brother, His
Excellency Rauf Aregbesola, for his commitment to the emancipation of all black
people in the rich tradition of the great pan-Africanists.
“We feel honoured for him to have attended this
year’s emancipation day with a delegation from Osun State. We have therefore
decided to honour him with this award not just from Trinidad and Tobago but on
behalf of all the people of the Caribbean,” he said.
Aregbesola, in his response, thanked the
Emancipation Support Committee for the award. He urged them to carry on the
torch of the emancipation of all black people in order for the struggles of the
past not to be in vain.
According to him, “I feel at home, with my brothers
here in Trinidad and Tobago. I can see that all black people are one. I share
your aspirations and struggles and I urge you not to rest on your oars until
there is freedom for all black people wherever they are found.
“I thank the Emancipation Support Committee and
especially my brother, Kambon, for the honour done to me today. This award will
spur me to greater commitment to fight for the freedom and emancipation of all
black people.
“I look forward to greater cooperation between our
two countries economically, socially, culturally and spiritually. If the blacks
in Diaspora are successful, it will lift the black on the continent. By the
same token, if the blacks on the continent are poor and downtrodden, it will
negatively affect the status of the Diaspora blacks.
Other eminent personalities that received awards at
the occasion included Deputy Chairperson, African Union Commission, Ambassador
Kwesi Quartey, and Ambassador Wallace William.
Earlier in the day, a rally was held in front of
the Treasury Building on the Brian Lara Promenade. This was the spot in Port of
Spain where emancipation proclamation was made on August 1, 1834. That was 184
years ago. From that spot, huge crowd of people, led the Prime Minister, Dr Keith
Rowley, and other government officials held a five mile walk.
There was a stopover at Piccadilly Greens where for
over an hour a carnival and cultural display showcasing the rich Yoruba
continuity in the Diaspora and the history of slavery culminating in
emancipation proclamation. From that spot, the train moved on and terminated at
the emancipation village where Aregbesola was honoured with the award.
The rally and the walk were attended by political,
religious and community leaders in Trinidad and Tobago, delegates from the
Caribbean, Africa, United States, Europe and other parts of the world.
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