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Role Of Museum In The Preservation Of Knowledge
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1.3 THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF COLONIAL HISTORY, ABA
In
1975 it was discovered that the old consulate building of the then
eastern central state (6 ikot ekpene road, Aba) was abandoned and in a
state of disuse. Mr. Ebenezar Onyoma was appointed as the first head of
station and after all the necessary protocol arrangements had been made,
the building was transferred to what is now known as the National
Museum of Colonial History, Aba, Nigeria.
HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM
The
old consulate building had a unique history because it was
pre-fabricated in England and transported in parts to Nigeria in
mid-nineteenth century.
The building was first assembled and located
at Opobo as the administrative headquarters of the oil river
protectorate. It served a dual purpose as the commercial nerve centre of
the British trading companies in protectorate and as its administrative
command post.
In the course of time, owing to
trading/administrative in convenience and poor communications, the
consulate was transferred to Akwete.
Akwete had a natural harbour,
which suited British colonial interests. The colonial
traders/administrators later found that most of the oil and palm kernel
which they traded in was concentrated in the hinter land and since they
wanted to dominate the trade the necessity for a final move arose. Aba
was chosen because the river Asa occupied a strategic position.
The
building was dismantled and brought to the new headquarters. The
apparently happened 1898, but research subsequently revealed the date as
1902.
The Aba waterside (River Asa) was called Onummiri Opobo. The
reason was that at the time the Opobo people admitted this legitimate
free trade, the manned the canoes filled with pots. (A pot measure was
much bigger than the standard British drum used as containers. A pot was
up to two big drums in British measure and was made of wood and iron
bars by the Portuguese).
Chief Pepple was known as their leader.
A road was named after him in recognition of the role he played in the trading and urbanization of the settlement of Aba.
The
present location of the museum of colonial history was the seat of
government. All over business-commercial, administration, the judiciary
was conducted from here.
Renovation work on the building as well as
the erection of other buildings that would make of the museum complex
continued until early 1985. Similarly, a group of ethnographers were
assembled who concentrated on the write-ups and collection of materials
culture on colonial matters for the purpose of setting up a museum. On
8th March 1985, the museum was officially opened by the then Governor of
Imo State, Brigadier General Ike Nwachukwu.
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]The purpose of this study is to look at the role museums play in the preservation of knowledge.In doing this, the author tended to discuss briefly the general museum, making specific reference to the national museum of colonial history Aba.The study pinpoints some of the problems militating against the museum.It also examines the crucial and inevitable impacts of objects in knowledge preservation and also sees museum as a indispensable agency in the national development.Finally, the study goes o ... Continue reading---
