The slave history museum in Calabar, which keeps relics of the transatlantic slave trade and modern-day slavery, needs assistance to save it from decay.

The curator, Omawunmi Ofumaka, who made the declaration in an interview on Wednesday, said the museum needed to be updated.

“People come into Calabar, and they don’t know where to go, but when they come in here, they are surprised that there is still a place like this,” she explained.

Mrs Ofumaka added, “We have worked on the sound systems, air conditioners, and generator, which were all in poor working conditions before now, but a lot still needs to be done.”

She appealed to the Cross River government and stakeholders for help.

Mrs Ofumaka further mentioned she sent a quotation to the National Museums and Monuments in Abuja and hoped the museum would be renovated in a few months.

According to the commissioner for culture and tourism, Eric Anderson, museums are run by the National Museum and Monuments Commission and are not the direct responsibility of Cross River.

Mr Anderson stressed that while the Cross River government could support the museum in Calabar, it could not be held responsible for its deplorable state.

(NAN)