THE EDITOR, Sir:
WE HAD a terrible start to our New Year. The tragic event which took place with the killing of seven persons at a lane off Red Hills Road was a cause of great distress generally.
The fact is that in the Red Hills Road area gunmanism, extortion, robbery, etc., are now common experiences. Abduction also happens.
It will be interesting to reflect on the situation that forms the background to this very sad state of affairs. Here is a scenario that made a crucial contribution.
During the 1940s the Baptist Missionary Society of London (BMS) acquired 70 acres of land off Red Hills Road as a development project which they expected would promote vital community activities inspired by Christian influence.
In the early 1950s they set the process in motion by relocating the Baptist Seminary and High School to the fitting site. A logical deduction from their scheme was that there would in due course be the establishment of a Community College intended to offer appropriate training to the youth of Red Hills Road and its environs. Through this facility they would be expected to prove responsible citizens.
There was a time when this distinctive operation appeared to have been obvious. Clearly, the Baptist Union Leadership, I think, abandoned the vision of Calabar's broader fulfilment. That advancement would have shown the final outlay as a setting serving as the centre of a progressive area spreading widely.
The Red Hills Road expanse of the present is showing in so many ways the result of a plan that failed to maintain purpose. A great opportunity for religious witness was definitely thrown away.
History therefore cannot be kind to a few of my countrymen. Let them reckon therewith.
I am, etc.,
SALDOR D. ROBERTSON
BMS Scholar
Seven Miles P.A.
St. Andrew
