Saving Nigeria’s abandoned monuments
From the coastal regions of Southern Nigeria to the rich hinterlands, up to the rocky terrains of the North, the nation is blessed with staggering destinations of ancient treasure.
On top of a plateau on the Mandara Mountains in Adamawa State, the Sukur World Heritage site is an exceptional cultural landscape that speaks eloquently of a form of land use that marks a critical stage in human settlement and its relationship with its environment.
The site is a graphic testimony to the traditional architectural prowess of the Sukur people. It has survived un-tampered with, for many centuries at a period when this form of human settlements is under threat in other parts of the world. Prominent on the landscape is the Hidi’s (King) Palace said to have been built around the 16th century.
The Sukur Kingdom is noted for iron smelting skills. This amazing heritage caught the attention of international lovers of ancient treasures; hence was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in November, 1999.
The Osun Oshogbo sacred groove, the sanctuary of the favorite water goddess, in Oshogbo, Osun State, is another place of historical interest. It has continued to host diverse visitors at its annual festivals. According to history, the people of the land had for a long time great trouble in finding good water, until the present site was pointed out to them by the goddess of Osun, a river deity widely worshipped in Yorubaland. Laro, king of Oshogbo, is said to have made a pact with Osun; he brought sacrifices to the river and a large fish appeared (Osun’s messenger) and spat some water into his hands. This sacred water was said to have power to make barren things fertile; till date, it is known as the goddess of fertility. It was declared a national museum on 15th August, 1964.
King Jaja was born in 1821 in Ibo land in the present day South Eastern Nigeria. He was reportedly captured as a slave to an Aro trader. Due to his intelligence and exceptional leadership qualities, Jaja was made a house slave and later adopted by his master. When hostilities broke out between Jaja, the king of Opobo, King George and the chiefs of Bonny over a protectorate treaty needed to be signed with the British colonial masters, Jaja agreed to sign the treaty only on the condition that a European was held custody in Opobo Town as hostage to ensure his own safe return. Till date, King Jaja’s statue stands tall in Opobo, Rivers State, as another national monument.
‘Nigerians ignorant of import of monuments’
To an average Nigerian, what readily comes to mind when one talks of a national monument are ancient land marks such as buildings, natural sites, city centres, parks or objects, which have historical and cultural values and are relevant to the people of the country.
In the imagination of a typical Lagosian for instance, the Tafawa Balewa Square Complex (TBS) on Lagos Island, epitomizes a national monument.
Designed by celebrated architect Fola Alade, an indigene of Ekiti State Nigeria, the TBS played a historic role in the nation’s life when on October 1st, 1960, the Union Jack was lowered and Nigeria’s Green-White-Green flag fluttered free within the main bowl of the TBS; to herald the nation’s independence from British rule.
Sunday Mirror investigation, however, found that the offices of Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, which now lies in ruin on Strachan Street, Lagos Island, has not been declared a national monument. Invariably, the National Arts Theatre, Lagos; Idanre Hills, in Ondo State; Zuma Rock which overlooks the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja at Madala area of Niger State and many other monuments spread across the nation are yet to be accorded the status of national monuments.
These questions therefore become germane; what is a national monument in Nigeria? What are the criteria to determine what a national monument should be? And what is the process of declaration? Chief Heritage Officer, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Lagos office, Mr. Awoniyi A. Taiwo, defined a national monument as any building of historic value, of archaeological value which needs to be preserved for posterity.
“Apart from old buildings, there are natural sites; it can be a shrine; it can be a natural site and it can be a historical site,” Mrs. Edith Ekunke, Curator, National Museum, Lagos, added. She explained that before any site could be declared a national monument, it must have specific features that make it outstanding and at the same time relate it to a certain period in the history of Nigeria.
The National Commission for Museums was established and charged with the responsibility of maintaining, preserving, and promoting the nation’s monuments. The commission was also saddled with the job of identifying and recommending eligible sites to the National Assembly for declaration as national monuments.
“May be you are aware of the historical value of the office of Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa; but as far as our record is concerned, it is not yet a monument,” Mr. Awoniyi stressed.
Today, the old cabinet office, which once played host to the nation’s leaders, expatriates and very distinguished personalities, is now a shadow of its old self, dilapidate and apparently abandoned to be infested by dangerous reptiles.
Depicting its state of abandonment, Chief Imam at Central Mosque at the Trade Fair Complex, Lagos, Alhaji Taofeek Sanni, lamented: “It is shameful that the Cabinet Office, which housed the old offices of the late Prime Minister lies desolate and in waste at the TBS, Lagos.
It is a shame that such a historical monument had got to such a sorry state”. Like many other national institutions, this edifice now belongs to a faded past.
“We have no sense of history, in allowing the office of our only Prime Minister reduced to rubble. It is a national disgrace,” he further remarked. On his own part, Pa Akinsola Saint Daniel, who is described as ‘Father’ on Strachan Street, recalled: “Until the Second Republic, the old cabinet building still played a prominent role in governance.
But its relevance began to diminish after the seat of government was moved to Abuja.” “We saw fire billowing out of the Cabinet Office building; and since then, nothing has been done to rebuild it. Things have been going bad. “We don’t know where Nigeria is heading to.
“It is in a big mess but it seems as they are not worried. The country is careless; when something gets spoilt, they will just abandon it and take on another one without repairing the former” he lamented.
Analysts believe that it does not have to take several years for these monuments to be declared as such. Many Nigerians, believe that our monuments should be preserved for posterity. They equally expect that government to be at the fore front of efforts to promote and enhance our national monuments.
They insist that there should be a well articulated plan to make the monuments become tourist destinations with the capacity to generate revenue for the nation. Many memorial structures also suffer the same fate of not being declared as national monuments; hence little or no effort is being made to upgrade them to such a form that foreign visitors are attracted to the sites.
With the exception of trail-blazing efforts by Ekiti and Cross River States, regarding the upgraded Ikogosi warm spring and the Obudu Cattle Ranch respectively, government could be said to have been paying lip-service to the task of identifying, maintaining, persevering and promoting our national monuments.
This could be seen in the recent Niger state government’s aborted effort to turn the Zuma Rock to a tourist center. At the federal level, it was discovered that over 70 per cent of the declared national monuments were identified and declared during the first republic.
The National Commission for Museum and Monuments is apparently just waking up from its deep slumber because; the commission last year sent a list of potential monuments to the Congress for declaration.
“We have recommended 10 places in Lagos for declaration. They include CMS Cathedral on Marina, Lagos; Kings College is there, Tafawa Balewa Square, Independent Building, where the Nigerian flag was first hoisted after the Union Jack was lowered. We have also the first Storey building in Badagry, Lagos; Iddo Railway Park, the Water House, where the first well was sunk on Lagos Island”, Mr. Awonoyi revealed.
The commission also complained that it is majorly handicapped due to lack of adequate funding and ignorance of the value of monuments on the part of Nigerians.
Mr. Awoniyi said: “The challenges we face mostly is the issue of ignorance regarding the values of monuments, on the part of the public. People are not aware of the importance of these monuments to national development.
They are not aware of why they should even be monuments in the first instance. They are not even ready to cooperate with us in preserving those monuments.”
According Mrs. Ekunke, regular government subvention to the commission, is not enough. Hence, the commission invites the private sector to partner with it.
“It would have been easier if different partners can come in and say this is what we can do. Maybe take up an aspect of renovation for instance; so that it won’t be cumbersome for only one partner to undertake.
When they partner with us, they have tax relief, they also advertise and enjoy certain benefits like if there are groups from sponsoring companies that want to come to the museum, they enter the museum free of charge and they are part of friends of the museum.
These are some of the peps we can give. And then you know we have what is called export permit clearance based on the fact that you are our friend,” she explained.
It was however observed that the commission needs to facilitate the declaration of more monuments, and come up with an aggressive plan for enhancing, promoting and upgrading our national monuments, rather than wait for corporate organization to come and sponsor unending seminars, and sporadic project/site renovation. “If the monuments are developed, commerce will develop around there; because people visit the site.
They want to take some pictures; do some shopping. Go to Greece, they take you to areas not so fantastic, but because they have historical importance, you will want to see them,” Chief Akomolede explained.
Some stakeholders maintain that government needs to accept certain responsibilities in areas of preserving and promoting the nation’s heritage for posterity.
And that politicians, should desist from saying government can’t do all things. “ They contend that while the private sector is building roads, providing telecommunications services, and also delving into other areas, government needs to take the initiative, before the private sector can then follow.
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