Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has asserted that the Pyrates Confraternity, which he co-founded in 1952, is not a secret cult but a registered association committed to justice and national betterment.
He made these remarks during the 26th Annual Wole Soyinka Lecture, organized by the National Association of Seadogs to celebrate his 90th birthday.
Held at the June 12 Cultural Centre in Kuto, Abeokuta, the lecture’s theme was “The Baby or the Bathwater: Navigating the Dark Tunnels of Systemic Corruption to Nationhood.” Soyinka emphasized the pervasiveness of corruption in Nigeria, describing it as a cankerworm that erodes society from top to bottom. He called for an attitudinal change, stressing that the fight against corruption must begin from within individuals.
The Pyrates Confraternity founder Gives Opinion on Issues of corruption
Soyinka remarked, “Corruption is not just when you exchange money; it is a cankerworm that eats deep into the fabric of society… the solution, both short-term and long-term, must begin from the inside.”
During the event, Soyinka and former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku unveiled “Ship Ahoy,” a book documenting the 60-year history of the Pyrates Confraternity.
Former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola delivered the lecture, praising Soyinka as a gift to civilization. Fashola highlighted that while monetary corruption is condemnable, the most damaging form of corruption is the erosion of moral values, which fundamentally corrupts societal ways of life.
Fashola cited data from the Federal Road Safety Corps, noting that in October 2022, 1,111 road crashes resulted in 449 deaths, reflecting the broader impact of systemic corruption on public safety.
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