The president of the Saint Lucian Senate, Alvina Reynolds, on Monday, underscored Nigeria’s and Saint Lucian ancestral links by quoting the result of a British census conducted on the island in 1815, which showed that most of the residents came from Nigeria.
“Of the 16,282 enslaved people in Saint Lucia that year, 3,488 were born in Africa. Of these, 34% were from Nigeria, 11% from Nigeria-Cameroon, and 22% from the Congo. The remaining 12,794 were born in Saint Lucia, with most of their forefathers coming from Senegambia and Nigeria.”
She reeled out the figures in her address as she welcomed President Bola Tinubu to the joint session of the Lucian bicameral parliament on Monday.
She said President Tinubu’s presence is historic for this Parliament and the people of Saint Lucia.
She noted that the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, which spanned more than 350 years, forged an unbreakable historical and cultural link between Africa and the Caribbean.
She described President Tinubu’s arrival as the rekindling of “a mission to reunite us with our homeland and for our people to work together.”
The Senate President also paid tribute to one of Saint Lucia’s most distinguished sons, Sir Darnley Alexander.
Alexander journeyed to Nigeria in 1957 and rose through the legal ranks to become the Chief Justice of Nigeria from 1975 to 1979, the only non-Nigerian to hold the office in Nigeria’s post-independence history.
“This mission, Your Excellency, continues with Catholic priests from Nigeria who have answered the call and come to Saint Lucia to serve, one of whom is our special guest this morning, Father Festus.”
“Your address to this Parliament today could not have occurred at a more auspicious time, for today is World Parliament Day, an occasion to reflect on the essential role of Parliament and the service we provide as representatives to our people.”
