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UK museum agrees to return looted bronze artefacts to Nigerian Kingdom

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A museum in the United Kingdom has entered into an agreement with Nigeria to repatriate bronze artefacts looted by British soldiers from the Benin Kingdom during an invasion in the late 19th century.

The Horniman Museum and Gardens in southeast London, on Sunday, said that it would transfer a collection of 72 pieces of prized Benin Bronzes to the Nigerian government

The agreement was reached between the Chairperson of the museum’s Board of Trustees, Eve Salomon, and the Nigeria National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), which made a formal request for the artifacts to be returned earlier this year.

“The evidence is very clear that these objects were acquired through force, and external consultation supported our view that it is both moral and appropriate to return their ownership to Nigeria,” Salomon said in a statement.

“The Horniman is pleased to be able to take this step, and we look forward to working with the NCMM to secure longer term care for these precious artifacts,” she added.

It is on record that during the infamous invasion of the Benin Kingdom in 1897, between 3,000 to 5,000 artifacts stolen by British soldiers who attacked and occupied Benin City as Britain expanded its empire in West Africa.

As it stands today, museums in the UK alone holds more than 900 of those objects while the Scotland National Museum has another 74. The rest are held in museums in Europe and around the world.

The artifacts made from pure and unadulterated ivory, coral, wood and other rare materials include plaques, animal, human figures, and items of royal regalia made by specially selected artists who worked for the royal court of the Benin Kingdom.

Culture

African men run away from single mothers— Joselyn Dumas

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Veteran Ghanaian actress and media personality, Joselyn Dumas, has lamented the fact that most African men shy away from getting married to single mothers due to the added responsibilities they will be saddled with.

The actress who made the assertion in her recent podcast, “Keeping it Real with Joselyn Dumas, The Perfect Picture”, opened up on the challenges of many single mothers who are struggling to find a partner because of societal biases.

In the podcast, Dumas who shared a personal story of a male friend whom she said refused to settle down with a lady because she had a child.

According to her, the friend named Anthony, firmly stated that it wasn’t his thing to be with a ‘born one’ or ‘born two’.

“He said B1, B2, I’m not in and I said to myself, ‘this is the reason why a lot of single mothers are single with their children.

“Now his reason was, why am I going to raise somebody’s child? That’s not my bloodline. He doesn’t have my DNA in him. Why am I now going to help someone’s bloodline grow? What about mine?” she said.

Dumas who is a single mother, noted that Anthony’s mindset is a “reflection of the views of a larger majority of people who don’t want to have meaningful relationship with single mothers.”

She also criticised what she termed as the double standard in society’s views on raising non-biological children, arguing that it should not be seen differently from adoption.

“I have a child but these men won’t even ask you, they don’t even care why you have a child. You’ve had seven miscarriages when you got married. You meet a guy, you were dating and you got pregnant, are you going to abort the baby because you aren’t married?

“He doesn’t want the child, are you going to throw the child away? No! You can raise the child. It takes a village to raise the child, so even if you don’t have a job, you will get support. This is part of the sacrifice you have to make regardless of what has happened,” she said.

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Namibia govt condemns tourists posing naked on Big Daddy Dune

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The Namibian authorities have frowned at tourists who posed naked at the Big Daddy Dune, the country’s top tourist attraction located in the Namibian desert.

Reports in the country’s media say locals were shocked to sight the tourists posing naked on the Dune during a safari and have demanded for action against them from authorities.

According to local media, actions that could be taken against the tourists include being blacklisted from entering any of Namibia’s parks.

A spokesperson from the country’s Tourism Ministry told local media that photos and a video from of the naked tourists have been widely shared, sparking sharp reactions.

Vice Chairperson of the Federation of Namibian Tourism Associations, Kenneth Nependa, who condemned the act, told journalists that the behaviour risked attracting tourists “who think anything goes in Namibia.”

“It is very sickening and it really creates a bad image for Namibia,” Nependa said, adding that the Big Daddy Dune was not just a relaxing place for tourists but for families too.

Though it is not clear who took the photos and the video of the three male tourists who were seen stark naked in the sandy dune, next to their clothes, authorities say a stern action will be taken against them.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Romeo Muyunda, described the behaviour as “extremely shocking,” saying it was public indecency punishable by Namibian law.

“We appeal to that section of tourists to summon the conscience so that they do the right things,” Muyunda said.

He appealed to Namibians to report violations of park regulations immediately for swift action.

The Big Daddy dune is one of the three largest dunes in Namibia’s enormous Namib-Naukluft National Park, one of the largest in the world and are popular with tourists who hike to the top to have a stunning view across the crests.

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