Nigerian Tribune
An encounter with Anago at Seriki Abass Slave Museum
13.Aug.2014 Wale Ojo-Lanre
TOUR
Guide is not a layman’s job, it is an art that requires good knowledge
and understanding, just like every other person in their fields, tour
guides are also professionals.
What
distinguishes a professional tour guide from a quack who only finds
himself in the job because of survival is easily noticed, via his
approach, disposition, charisma and even the appearance.
A recent encounter with James Anago Osho at the Brazilian Baracoon in
Badagry reveals him as one of the few professional tour guides in
Nigeria who is proficient in the job through passion and determination
to do better. To Anago , “all these things and especially the contributions of my
father who always forced me and my brothers to read history and story
books in our quest for knowledge about African history, Culture and
tradition made me to develop more than passing interest in this act.”
Anago Osho, a middle-aged man is many in one; he is a creative
artist, historian, tour guide, drummer, dancer, artisan, writer and all
these entire he does excellently.
In Badagry , Anago is always there sharing his experience and
educating people especially on African peoples, culture and history
whenever the opportunities beckons.
One is not sure whether Anago studied tour guide and history in
school, but it is obvious from his approach and explanation, that he has
mastered the modern technique of conducting tour and tourists.
To him, his love for the job is borne out of the zeal to inform the
world the truth about African countries and people and at the same time
change the mindset of the whites especially the western world on their
“obnoxious views and perception about Africans’ history and culture.”
Telling
us who is a tour guide, Anago said “ a tour guide is an ambassador who
should relate with tourist in a manner that ginger interest in them and
also do everything politely to satisfy their curiosity". The way I approach people is to make everybody happy and enthusiastic about what they came for, the relationship between a tour guide and tourist must create an impression throughout the stay and a memorable experience.
“All tourists are the same, but it is important for a tour guide to
study and observe what really interest a particular client. A tour guide
must be psychological in his approach and sociological in briefing. He
must take into cognisance the feelings of his clients.
Conducting Tribune Tourism Magazine round the Seriki Ifaremi Abass
Williams National Museum popularly called Brazilian Baracoon , Anago
painstakingly explained in details, the historical background of
Seriki Abass, how he was captured, sold ,gained freedom and established a
slave camp where captured slaves were kept before being sold to the
slave masters especially Portuguese.
“Seriki Abass according to him was born in Joga Orile in Ilaro
district, Ogun State. A Dhaomian who named him Abass and later sold him
to another slave trader who changed his name to Williams captured him.
“Williams made him a domestic slave in Brazil and this gave him the
opportunity to learn how to speak and write English, Dutch and Spanish.
“His ability to communicate in these languages coupled with his local
language (Yoruba) gave him an edge over other slaves so he was returned
to Nigeria where he was empowered to help his masters in the slave
business, which he did successfully during his lifetime.
“He first settled at Ofin, Isale Eko and later moved to Badagry, upon
his return to Badagry, Seriki Ifaremi Abass usurped the power from the
aborigines and dominated the area because of his influence and wealth,
which he had acquired and became the paramount ruler of the community in
1895.
“In order to expand his business, frontiers Seriki Abass also founded Ayetoro and later Idogho.
“Seriki Ifaremi William Abass was of great influence during the era,
he married 28 wives with 144 children and lived in a compound with about
40 rooms and different sections, in his compound were rooms with small
windows where slaves were kept before onward transmission to foreign
lands.
Anago explained and displayed how Nigerians were tied and
subjected to inhuman treatment and sufferings during the unholy period
which left one with a deep thought and a feelings for the lost souls
who were helpless during the period. The descriptive expression and
explanations painted clear picture of the event that transpired during
the period.
Climax was reached when he showed an old, tattered and giant
umbrella, which he said was collected in exchange of 40 hefty slaves,
Brazilian plate, tea mugs for 10 slaves, Gin bottle for five slaves,
Mirror for 10 slaves and above depending on the size.
In
addition, many other household items, which were used in exchange for
human beings during the dark moment in the history of the blacks race
were on displayed.Seriki Abass, an accomplished slave trader was made the senior, in 1914; he was also made the paramount ruler of Western Yorubaland with Egba Corridor by the British and died on June 11, 1919.
He was buried in a Brazilian styled mausoleum built in the compound,
part of which has been acquired by the National Commission for Museum
and Monument (NCMM), but nothing serious to show the presence of the
Federal Government at the place apart from the big signboard that shows
something existed around the place.
Chief Wasiu Abass one of the great grandsons of Seriki Abass who
domicile in the compound said, “the government is not ready to do
anything to develop this site as a tourist centre, sometimes ago during
the era of President Olusegun Obasanjo some representatives came here to
see things for themselves.
“They promised to transform this place, but nothing is being done and
as you can see what we are having here is a sole effort of the family
through. We will not leave this place for government without any
concrete arrangement for relocation and compensation”.
To Anago, “whatever the situation, we have a monument here and a
unique historical one for that matter. We have testimonies, articles and
objects of past horrid activities of a race against another race during
the dark period in the annals of Blackman history. We should not allow
this to rut and ruin. We should make the best of it.”