“Treat us as returnees, not immigrants” — Trevor Hall to African governments

Veteran musician and Rastafari activist, Trevor Hall aka Elder Jabulani Tafari has called on African governments to view Africans in the diaspora as returnees and not as immigrants who have to go through all the rigors of immigration.

Elder Jabulani made the call at the 6^th Rastafari Continental Summit & 7^th All Africa Rastafari Gathering held in Lagos, Nigeria from October 13 to 17 which was under the theme, “African Unity: Myth or Reality? How to build a Truly United Africa.” He noted that the current posture of African governments treating them like immigrants instead of returnees to the motherland is a contradiction to the call by President John Dramani of Ghana for reparations for the ills of the Transatlantic Slave.

A keynote speaker at the summit, A.J Dagatola who is an educationist and activist traced the earliest attempts at African Unity to centuries before colonialism and referred to the various attempts that preceded the Pan African Conference of 1947 which is perceived as the precursor of African Unity. He advised against the divisiveness of religion which pits Africans against each other in the name of religion. In their presentations, both Ras Amiola Gaa, the representative of the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and veteran reggae musician, King Brownman both asserted that African Unity is a reality which however required a lot of work to give it meaning.

The acting General Secretary and Spokesman of the RCC, Myke Pam on his part stressed that Africa Unity is a living reality and the occurrence of the summit is an indication of African Unity. He also indicated that the Livity Awards is to celebrate persons who have contributed to the development of Rastafari and reggae in Nigeria.

The chairman of the RCC, Ahuma Bosco Ocansey applauded the organizers for hosting the event despite seemingly unsurmountable obstacles and added his voice to the assertion that African Unity is a reality, citing the event as evidence of the unity.

The Summit and Gathering brought together Rastafari brethren for five days during which various speakers presented papers. As part of activities marking the event, a trade bazaar and the recording of special musical anthems took place. In addition to these a Rastafari Livity Awards which celebrates people who have contributed to the development of Rastafari in Nigeria and beyond was held with posthumous awards going for renowned reggae artiste Ras Kimono.

The next summit and gathering has been scheduled for Shashamane, Ethiopia for 2030 which marks the Centenary Celebrations of the Coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie I in Ethiopia on November 2, 1930.