Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, has berated the ban placed on a song by Nigerian musician, Eedris Abdulkareem, noting that the development is a censorship and threat to the right to free expression.
In a statement issued from New York University, Abu Dhabi, on Sunday, Soyinka condemned the action, saying it echoed past attempts to stifle artistic and socio-political commentary in Nigeria.
The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, had last week banned media houses from playing Eedris Abdulkareem’s latest song.
The song, titled ‘Tell Your Papa,’ is a criticism of this current administration. In it, he directed Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, to speak to his father about the worsening state of the country.
In Tell Your Papa, Abdulkareem sings, “Seyi, tell your papa country hard. Tell your papa people dey die. Tell your papa this one don pass jagajaga.”
“Seyi, how far? I swear your papa no try. Too much empty promises. On behalf of Nigerians, take our message to him; kidnappers dey kill Nigerians. Travel destinations
“Seyi, try travel by road without your security make you feel the pains of fellow Nigerians. You dey fly private jets, insecurity no be your problem,” he continues singing.
The NBC’s circular to media Houses preventing them from playing the song reads: “The National Broadcasting Commission has identified the song ‘Tell Your Papa’ by Eedris Abdulkareem, currently trending on social media, as content deemed inappropriate for broadcast due to its objectionable nature. It is therefore classified as Not To Be Broadcast (NTBB), as it violates Section 3. 1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. Travel destinations
“The Commission requests that your station exercises discretion and refrains from airing this song to maintain responsible broadcasting standards.
“Your cooperation and commitment to upholding these standards are greatly appreciated.”
However, Soyinka wrote, “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.”
He expressed irony in suggesting 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,” the playwright stated in a piece posted on PM news.
While admitting 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 noted.
He warned that it creates “a permissive atmosphere of trickle-down power,” where state authorities feel emboldened to clamp down on dissent.
He went on to condemn broader issues of impunity and mob violence in Nigeria, citing the recent lynching of 19 youths in Edo State.
“My heart goes out to friends, colleagues and families of victims and traumatized survivors of this senseless slaughter. Our thirst for justice must remain unslaked,” he said.
He also referenced the 2022 killing of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto, Soyinka criticized the culture of impunity, saying, “Identified killers were set free to gloat, and paste their photos on the Social Media… in full daylight glare, in the presence of both citizen voyeurs and security forces.”
He called for accountability, warning that “as long as the culture of impunity is given the sheerest strain of legitimacy in any given cause, such gruesome assaults on our common humanity will continue to prevail.”
Soyinka urged 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.”
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