Renowned intellectual, Nobel laureate, and master of the pen Wole Soyinka has lashed out at the federal government following an NBC-imposed ban on the remake of the “Jaga Jaga” hit titled “Tell Your Papa” by Eedris Abdulkareem.
The literary icon described it as a political backpedaling into the government’s culture of forcefully censoring and suppressing the free speech of citizens.
In a satirical piece forwarded on Saturday to PM News from NYUAD, Abu Dhabi, the writer extraordinaire called out the president’s actions, ascribing them to “petulant irrationality” that undermines democratic principles.
Soyinka banked on the caricature painting of artist Ebun Aleshinloye, which aimed at faulting the presidency’s action, to channel his commentary on the disadvantages of placing a padlock on the lips of Nigerians.
Employing a pragmatic tool to lampoon the gravity of the government’s incredulity, the wordsmith hinted that the government would have carried out a comprehensive ban of Eedris himself, his musical teamโthe Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN)โand even the caricature cartoonist Aleshinloye, since their will is to toe the proscription path.
Professor Wole Soyinka expressed ironically that he envies Eedris Abdulkareem stating that the government’s ban is an inadvertent promotional campaign launched for Eedris Abdulkareem to promote his recent project, “Tell Your Papa,” which will spiral into a growing and flourishing bank account.
Finalizing his address, Soyinka noted that a government whose populace are praise singers and “yes-men” is on its way to perdition.
His words:
“Courtesy of an artist operating in a different genre โ the cartoon โ who sent me his recent graphic comment on the event, I learnt recently of a return to the culture of censorship with the banning of the product of a music artist, Eedris Abdulkareem.”
โI have yet to listen to the record but the principle is inflexibly etched on any democratic template. It cannot be flouted.”
“The ban is a boost to the artistโs nest egg, thanks to free governmental promotion. Mr. Abdulkareem must be currently warbling his merry way all the way to the bank. I envy him.”
“Any government that is tolerant only of yes-men and women, which accommodates only praise-singers and dancers to the official beat, has already commenced a downhill slide into the abyss,โ Soyinka warned.”
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