Amid Criticism, Soyinka Caves in, Lashes FG: Banning Eedris Abdulkareem’s Protest Song ‘A Return To Culture Of Censorship’

Related stories

Drama as 16, 17-year-olds Now Allowed to Vote In UK Elections

By Abiola Olawale  The government of the United Kingdom announced...

Brazil’s Petrobras Weighs Return to Retail Fuel Market to Reduce Prices

Brazil’s Petrobras will discuss this week tweaking its mid-to-long-term...

Base Handover: France Ends Decades-Long Military Presence in Senegal

By Abiola Olawale France on Thursday officially ended its 65-year...

By Kolawole Ojebisi

Amidst criticism of being allegedly hypocritical or silent in the midst of reported government’s flaws, Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has finally weighed in on an unpopular action by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

This as Soyinka took a swipe at the NBC, a federal government Boradcast regulatory agency, for banning a song by a Nigerian musician, Eedris Abdulkareem, describing the development as a return to the culture of censorship and a threat to the right to free expression.

In a statement from New York University, Abu Dhabi, on Sunday, Soyinka criticised the action and its wider implications, saying it echoed past attempts to stifle artistic and socio-political commentary in Nigeria.

“Courtesy of an artist operating in a different genre – the cartoon – 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,” Soyinka said in the piece posted on PM news.

While waxing sarcastic Soyinka suggested that the ban did not go far enough, stating, “It is not only the allegedly offensive record that should be banned – the musician himself should be proscribed. Next, PMAN, or whatever musical association of which Abdulkareem is member, should also go under the hammer.”

Soyinka noted that he had not listened to the banned song but stressed that the issue transcends content and concerns a fundamental democratic principle.

“It cannot be flouted. That, surely is basic. This is why I feel that we should look on the bright side of any picture and thus recommend the Aleshinloye cartoon – and others in allied vein – as an easy-to-apprehend, easy-to-digest summation of the wisdom of attempting to stifle unpalatable works of art or socio-political commentary,” he said.

He also pointed out the irony that censorship often benefits the targeted artist.

“The ban is a boost to the artist’s 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,” he added.

The literary icon warned that such censorship was not only counterproductive but also dangerous to democratic development.

“We have been through this before, over and over again, ad nauseum. We know where it all ends. It is boring, time-wasting, diversionary but most essential of all, subversive of all seizures of the fundamental right of free expression,” Soyinka said.

He warned that it creates “a permissive atmosphere of trickle-down power,” where state authorities feel emboldened to clamp down on dissent.

Soyinka concluded by urging the relevant regulatory body to reverse what he described as a “petulant irrationality,” warning that any government that only tolerates praise-singers “has already commenced a downhill slide into the abyss.”

The New Diplomat
The New Diplomathttps://newdiplomatng.com/
At The New Diplomat, we stand for ethical journalism, press freedom, accountable Republic, and gender equity. That is why at The New Diplomat, we are committed to speaking truth to power, fostering a robust community of responsible journalism, and using high-quality polls, data, and surveys to engage the public with compelling narratives about political, business, socio-economic, environmental, and situational dynamics in Nigeria, Africa, and globally.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
2027: Buhari’s exit Cripples APC in entire North as CPC Loyalists Defect in Large NumbersDrama as 16, 17-year-olds Now Allowed to Vote In UK ElectionsSenate passes $9 billion in spending cuts to public broadcasting, foreign aid requested by TrumpBrazil’s Petrobras Weighs Return to Retail Fuel Market to Reduce PricesBase Handover: France Ends Decades-Long Military Presence in Senegal5 Oil Titans Who Revolutionized the Energy Sector2027: Dele Momodu dumps PDP for Coalition party, ADCBuhari's Honour: Tinubu holds special FEC session as Nigerians Mourn late Hero, Statesman. First Bank Crisis: In High-Stake Intrigues, Otedola Seizes Control with 40% Stake as Oba Otudeko Exits in N324.47bn DealElderstatesman, Emeka Anyaoku, Speaks Again , Urges Nigeria to Adopt a "People’s Democratic Constitution""Nigeria's challenges not about the constitution, but its operators", says ObasanjoNigeria Surpasses OPEC’s 1.5 Million Barrel Oil Quota in June 2025Natasha vs Akpabio: Senate President Heads to Court, Challenges Court Order to Reinstate SenatorOluwo Commends Awujale's Burial, Says Late Monarchs Shouldn't Be "Butchered Like Animals"Alleged N6.9Billion Fraud: Drama as Ex-Governor Fayose Wins in Court
X whatsapp