reflections on the cancellation of the queen - Afrikanet.info

According to reports to the Nigerian Tribune, “the Federal Government is
seeking diplomatic option to end the controversy surrounding the reported
planned sale of the prized art objects.”(9) The Tribune reports further that “The
source disclosed that President Jonathan had given instructions to the effect that
no effort should be spared to get the Benin arts, as well as other such artefacts
that symbolised the pride of Nigerians and their rich cultural heritage.
The president also ordered that machinery should be set in motion to get the
artefacts repatriated into the country.
On the nature of the president’s intervention, the source said appropriate
officials that would handle the matter had been contacted and were expected to
take the matter to the highest level of authority in Britain, adding that “we are
ready to pursue the matter to the highest level.”
We have no detailed explanation about the “diplomatic option” that the Nigerian
Government is said to be seeking. However, if this is the same as the so-called
“quiet diplomacy” which Nigerian authorities have been pursuing in the last 50
years or so without any tangible results, then one may be sceptical. We would
rather have an open and loud diplomacy in which the general public is well
informed at every step about what is happening. We do not recommend an
approach that keeps everything secret and when you inquire about progress you
are told that diplomacy takes time or that one cannot, for diplomatic reasons,
reveal anything. At the end one will be informed about the negative response
based on one of the lame excuses in the arsenal of the British such as the
Government cannot intervene in a matter of private law or that one should
address oneself directly to the British Museum.
Nigerian authorities may wish to look at the position and methods of another
African country which, unlike Nigeria, has been extremely successful in
obtaining the return of its looted/stolen artefacts. Egypt, under the leadership of
Zahi Hawass, has been able to secure the return of more than 5000 looted/stolen
Egyptian artefacts from Western museum. The methods employed by Hawass
are the opposite of “quiet diplomacy”. He lets the general public know what
Egypt wants and reports on his homepage the responses of the museum to his
requests. He gets the Egyptian public and the world at large to see and realize
what is going on. He treats public matters publicly and so there is no doubt who
is doing or not doing what. The transparency often proclaimed but hardly
practised is seen here at work. Writing about the success of Peru in getting back
thousands of its objects from the University of Yale in the USA, Hawass states
“One of the key components in my campaign to return stolen artifacts to Egypt
is the media. I have been insistent on bringing this unacceptable behavior to
light through press releases, print media and television appearances.”(10)
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