Ambassador Prof Dean Roberts Jnr admonishes Africans not to allow slavery to divide them

The distinguished leader of integrity and service, High Commissioner and Continental Vice President of UNPGC-USA, Ambassador Professor Dean Roberts Jnr, has said he is not a victim of history but a survivor of one of the gravest crimes against humanity and a beneficiary of the legacy of the slave trade among Africans in the diaspora.

Speaking at the internationally acclaimed Ibiaku Clan Development Association (ICDA) family retreat at the Plush Villa Hilton Hotel in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, under the theme, “Reclaiming Our Story, Ibiaku History, Identity and Heritage,” Amb. Prof Roberts said it was time for Africans everywhere to reflect on the need for unity as a family and a nation, rather than remain divided.

He made the remarks in reference to the transatlantic slave trade, which he described as “the gravest crime against humanity,” echoing a declaration by President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana during an address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York to mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

Amb Prof Roberts Jnr said President Mahama, speaking on behalf of the African Group, presented Ghana’s draft resolution titled “Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialized Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime Against Humanity.”

He said 123 of the 178 member countries voted in favour of the resolution, while three voted against it and 52 abstained.

He added that African countries applauded the adoption of the resolution.

According to him, the resolution was adopted on the same day President Mahama said he could not think of a better way to honour the forebears of Africans than to have the majority of the world’s countries affirm that the trafficking and enslavement of nearly 13 million human beings was indeed one of the gravest crimes against humanity.

Amb Prof Roberts Jnr said the slave trade scattered African ancestors through a simple but evil strategy: “Divide, conquer and export the precious human capital abroad.”

He said families were broken, names were lost and clans were weakened. He noted that the slave trade forced millions of Africans to the shores of America, the Caribbean, Scandinavia, the Arab nations and other parts of the world.

He further noted that millions of Africans were transported aboard slave ships, with some losing their lives during the journey.

According to him, while honouring the legacy of those who came before them and breaking the strategy of division created by slavery, the ICDA family retreat was held in memory of the late Obong Elder Harry Etukudoh, whom he described as a legend who lived in the shadow of slavery’s aftermath but chose to build rather than destroy.

He said the late Elder Etukudoh defended African identities at a time when it was easier to forget them.

Drawing inspiration from prominent African and global leaders, including Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr., Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Sir Ahmadu Bello, Amb Prof Roberts said Africans must continue to pursue unity and collective progress.

The Professor of Criminology and Diplomatic Truth said, “Division destroys but unity builds.”

He added that slavery had demonstrated that divided people could easily be exploited.

He cautioned that the consequences of slavery were still evident in Ibiaku and across the African continent, particularly through conflicts, poverty, youth restiveness, land disputes and cultism, which he described as modern chains that continue to hold communities back.

He said these challenges could only be overcome by embracing unity, reconciliation and the breaking of generational chains.

In his closing remarks, Amb Prof Roberts Jnr said his connection to the African diaspora was a source of honour and pride.

He pledged that, as a diplomat, he would speak about Ibiaku at international forums, while his expertise as a Professor of Criminology would enable him to advocate for stronger and more united communities.

He concluded by calling for maximum cooperation, God-fearing leadership and collective action among the people of Ibiaku, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area and Akwa Ibom State, both at home and abroad.

He also commended the leadership of Ambassador Dr Dennis Ufot, a United Nations Peace Ambassador, engineer, scientist, philanthropist and author, whom he described as a person of exemplary dignity, integrity and selfless leadership with experience in various international capacities.

Amb Prof Roberts Jnr concluded, “Ibiaku will no longer export her destiny; she will develop her destiny.”

Ambassador Professor Dean Roberts Jnr doubles as a high-profile diplomat, global humanitarian peace ambassador, peace mediator and conflict resolution expert, Professor of Science and Technology, Professor of Criminology, internationally renowned security expert, ordained minister of the Gospel and recipient of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Presidential Award from the President of the United States.