A storm of political controversy has engulfed Saint Lucia following Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s state visit, with Prime Minister Philip Pierre launching a scathing rebuke against detractors he accuses of undermining Afro-Caribbean unity.
Speaking at a public ceremony on August 1 marking Emancipation Day, Pierre criticised local and international commentators who labelled Tinubu’s July visit wasteful and inconvenient. He expressed disappointment in the opposition’s handling of what he described as a critical opportunity for pan-African solidarity.
“That behaviour was nothing short of shameful and disgraceful,” Pierre stated in his address. “Had the visit been from the Head of State of another country, the reception from that group would have been at the least respectful.”
Pierre said the pushback symbolised lingering psychological bondage stemming from slavery and colonial rule.
“It was another demonstration of the harmful effects of the legacy of slavery: self-hate and a readiness to accept African people and their descendants as inferior,” he said.
President Tinubu’s visit culminated in an MoU designed to bolster economic, educational, and cultural cooperation. However, the criticism over security logistics, air traffic interruptions, and lack of transparency around agreements overshadowed parts of the trip.
Still, the President was bestowed with the Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia (KCOSL), a gesture seen by some as a mark of symbolic reconciliation between the African continent and the Caribbean.