…As Falana calls for historical consciousness
IBRAHIM QUADRI
A Non-profit organization, Correct Connect Africa Foundation, CCAF, has called on African leaders, including Nigeria, to declare Africa Memorial Day, AMD, a public holiday across the continent as a day of remembrance, unity, and pride.
The Founder of CCAF, Fr Anthony Aleakwe Odior made the call during the 2025 AMD that was held at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The theme for this year’s Africa Memorial Day is “Historical Consciousness and Human Justice.”
The idea for Africa Memorial Day was born eight years ago, when a group of students in the diaspora felt a burning need to honour African ancestors who were martyred during the dark days of colonialism.
In his welcome address at this year’s event, Fr Odior stated, “to commemorate and celebrate our heroes and heroines, our kings and queens, our martyrs, visionaries, and freedom fighters, people of all walks of life who stood, and often fell, for Africa’s liberation.
“On this day, we remember their struggles, their sacrifices, their betrayals, and their bravery.
“We remember their names and even those whose names were never recorded; we hold them in our hearts. That is where they live. That is where they must live. Their legacies should be ever-present in our consciousness,” Odior stated.
He added, “The truth of our ancestors’ lives is in our DNA. We may try to deny it. We may run from it. But we can never erase it. It is part of our essence. And we can only be whole, truly free when we align with it,” Anthony submitted.
Continuing, he said, “Africa Memorial Day is not just an act of remembrance, it is a return. A return to truth. A return to self. A return to the heartbeat of our history.
“But we must dream bigger. We must fill stadiums, not just halls. We must host AMD in the great cities of Benin, Kano, Ibadan, Enugu, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Harare, Accra, Cotonou, and beyond.”
To buttress the importance of African history, he stated, “Let our schools teach it. Let our children prepare for it. Let us celebrate it with poetry, parades, pageants, and football matches, all in honour of our ancestors and shared legacy.
“Let AMD become a uniting force, a history that started in Lagos but belongs to all of Africa. This is not wishful thinking. This is our responsibility. Let us commit to making it real.
He expressed hope, “Based on what I see here and all that has unfolded over these past few months in preparation for AMD2025, I can confidently say that the universe is aligned with this event. Our ancestors, whom we honour and commemorate, are in harmony with us.
peaking on the theme, he noted, “There must be a historical consciousness for the existence of an awakened Africa. Without it, we cannot truly honour the legacies of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Queen Amina of Zaria, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Chinua Achebe, Thomas Sankara, Kwame Nkrumah, Harriet Tubman, Queen Nzinga of Ndongo, and so many others who dared to imagine and fought for a free, just, and united Africa.”
In his comment as one of the panelists, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) said Africans remain stagnated because “We have not arrived. Nkruma said let’s have independence and every other things will follow but yet we are not there.
“Poverty is still around, diseases are still disturbing us. 18 5million children are on the streets and that is our future. Until we know where we are coming from, we will not be there.
“We must go back to our history and raise our consciousness. We must snatch power from those who are in Abuja.”
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