Professor Wole Soyinka has knocked the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, over its recent ban on the viral song by singer Idris Abudulkareem.
The recently released song ‘Tell Your Papa’ had been banned by the federal government amidst criticisms by not a few Nigerians, who described the action as one of the efforts of the administration to silent dissent in the country.
The Bola Tinubu’s administration has been under fire for clamping down on those who speak against the government.
Soyinka, a Nobel Laureate agrees, expressing his objection to the ban of Abdulkareem song.
The literary icon made his position known in a statement he issued from Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates at the weekend.
He said repressive regimes don’t usually last because “we have been through this before” and knows “ where it ends”.
According to him, freedom of expression is not a localized issue but an international one which should be toyed with by any government in power, adding that any government which only listen to praise singers is headed for the abyss.
Soyinka: “We have been through this before, over and over again, ad nauseam. We know where it all ends. It is boring, time-wasting, diversionary, but most essential of all, subversive of all seizure of the fundamental right of free expression.
“Oh, bear in mind also theocratic “authorities” that continue to arrogate to themselves the right to arrest and imprison artists and thinkers for their expression of opinion and vision of human existence.
“The fundamental right of free expression, as already touched upon, is not a closet affair; it is never hidden but echoes as loudly on international fora as in the most obscure hamlet.
“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.
“Whatever regulating body is responsible for this petulant irrationality should be compelled to reverse its misstep.”
until now, Soyinka has been under serious criticism from not a few Nigerians who accused him of remaining silent on critical national issues.
He had told his critics to give him more time to be able to assess the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
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