By George Odok
Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Florence Banku Obi, wants a proper documentary of the life, times and activities of Mary Slessor made.
Obi made her thoughts known when she received members of the Mary Slessor Memorial and Heritage Foundation in her office in Calabar.
While addressing members of the Foundation, she urged them to explore the advantages of the new media to give the Foundation more prominence. According to her, Slessor weathered the storm to serve humanity, especially preventing twins from being killed.
She further described Slessor as a ‘virtuous woman’ who has a place in the history of Cross River State and Nigeria as a whole and therefore deserving more attention than the attention she was presently given.
Obi specially commended the Foundation for aligning with the numerous activities of the woman who according to her, had served mankind meritoriously. “Today, it is a thing of pride to own twins as against the barbaric practice of throwing them into the river, years ago. Mary Slessor was a woman that served humanity. I want to urge members of her Foundation to do more by putting together a proper documentary to showcase her to the public,” she said.
Earlier, Imeyen Noah, Chairman of the Foundation, said they visited the VC to intimate her on the activities of the Foundation and the forthcoming Mary Slessor annual lecture billed for Dec. 12.
He disclosed that the Foundation intends to partner with the university in education, justice, equality and progress, with a view to promote the lofty ideals of the Mary Slessor Foundation.
Noah, who commended the VC for her transparent and humble disposition in running the university, invited her to be the keynote speaker on the annual Mary Slessor lecture on Dec. 12.
Born on December 2, 1848, in Aberdeen, United Kingdom, Slessor is known for her missionary work in Africa and especially for rescuing children from infanticide. She died on January 13 1915 and was buried in Calabar.
