The Essay on:

“The West Has a Moral Obligation to Pay Reparations” by Richard Oduor Oduku

Abubakar Sheriff Mele

This article “The West Has a Moral Obligation to Pay Reparations,” Kenyan writer Richard Oduor Oduku argument is that Africa deserves reparations for slavery and colonialism. He said that European wealth today is built on centuries of exploitation and so what Africa needs is not more aid but justice. The three big points in his article are that reparations should be about morality, that exploitation has always been going on, and that reparations are needed for world dignity and fairness.

Oduku makes the first point, that reparations are a moral issue. He uses examples like Belinda Royall’s 1783 petition in Massachusetts, which was one of the first reparation cases. He also mentions voices like John Quaker who asked for fairness. Oduku argues that the West cannot claim to be moral while at the same time refusing to admit how its wealth was made.

The second point is that exploitation of Africa is not just in the past but still happening. Oduku explains how slavery displaced millions and colonialism forced African workers and resources to support Europe. He says this created poverty and hunger that still affects Africa now. He even writes that the wealth of the West comes from “the biggest robbery in history,” which makes it clear that this is not just about old history.

The last point is about justice and dignity. Oduku says Britain paid 46,000 slaves after abolition, but not the slave owners, which shows the hypocrisy. Reparations, he says, should include money but also apologies and systems to repair the harm. This would show that Europe is serious about democracy and fairness.

When I read Oduku’s article, I was really moved. It made me think of how Europe is enjoying benefits that were taken from Africa. I was especially surprised by the fact that slaves were paid but the owners got nothing, which shows how unfair things were. His argument made me see reparations not as an impossible dream but as something that is needed if the world is to be fair.

Finally, Richard Oduor Oduku’s essay is very strong because it shows how reparations are about morality, history and fairness. He makes the West face its debt and reminds us that reparations are about making a better future, not just about the past.