.jpg)
Against the backdrop of an article written by Muyiwa Awe, an
erudite Professor of Emeritus of The Premier University, University of Ibadan
which was published in the Guardian Newspaper of May 12 and 13, 2003, entitled:
“Soyinka, Christianity and Pyrates” ( I ) and ( II ) . As a stakeholder, I
wish to set the records straight by responding to some of the salient lies made
by the author. Albeit I am not a member of National Association of Seadogs, but
a foremost member of National Association of Airlords, popularly referred to as
Supreme Eiye Confraternity, (SEC). However, some of us have developed
everlasting relationship with the known fraternities in which some of the
individuals there we are best of friends, therefore, our collective interest
must be defended to the fullest. A fundamental issue requires a germane
response.
Awe no doubt has
really distinguished himself in the academic realm, having risen to the highest
position any scholar would wish to be –Emeritus. Apart from that, he has a
wonderful wife that equally shares that status with him. Consequently, he can
be regarded as Homose Gueedum- leader in all respect. It is a known fact that
he is one of the founding members of Pyrates Confraternity in 1953/54 sessions
at the then university college, now University of Ibadan, and played a
prominent role in the creeds of fraternities. Today, according to him, he is a
“born again Christian” and, combines his spiritual duty with that of the
chairman of the University of Ibadan Anti-Cultism Campaign Committee. What an
excellent combination for a renowned Professor, it is penitent to note that a
self confessed born again or man of God would expose himself through
unwarranted mischief making and deceits, thereby claiming glory for what he did
not achieved.
In my last article on this issue, I rightly pointed out
what National Inter Fraternity Council led by Ben Oguntuase, Ex NAS Capone, has
been able to achieve and still through the collective efforts and sacrifice of
some individuals within the leadership of the fraternities with the University
of Ibadan as a focal point of reference as against the saturnine activities of
the so called anti cultism campaign led by the most honorable Professor Awe.
To take you back to history,
when Professor Tunde Adeniran, the Ex- Minister of Education, allocated the sum
of five hundred million Naira to the Vice Chancellors to fight cultism, through
the collaboration of one of the worse administrators ever to lead UI ,
Professor Ominiyi Adewoye, the then VC of UI and one time Head of Department of
the great History Department which is known as the Ibadan School of History ,
your mendacious activities became obvious through proposals. With the
assistance of Global Peace Movement led by Mike Uyi, also a born again
Christian who was known for his despicable activities in UI in the 80s,
organized a charade of renunciation which was procured through payment of the
sum of Ten Thousand Naira each to students with criminal records who were
awaiting trial at the student disciplinary committee to pose as cultists and
that they would be pardoned by Adewoye.
Hired members of FOCEM were
mobilized to come and shout praise the lord halleluiah-Amen in the parade. This
was done because Adeniran gave all vice chancellors three months to justify the
money given to them. These are the so-called people of Jesus Christ that want
to see heaven. We have our records and the cheques paid to these charlatans and
your committee, which was widely circulated to the media during NIFC world
press conference of April 4, 2000, held at the international press center in
Lagos. See the major newspapers of that week and The News Magazine of April
9,2000.Yet you claim to be a man of God with fatal predilection for materialism
As a Christian, who you
claimed to be and, as you rightly said, have already found peace of mind in
Christ and have the assurance of salvation, so do not have to crave for them.
However, I put it to you that with your FOCEM you are a liar, misleading people
and have no credibility in the eyes of God. The world should know that the
academic credibility you achieved was because you were a Pyrate, a group whose
goal is ‘excellence’ but you have now become renegade and a part of cavernous
and caterwaulis charade and orchestrated propaganda. It is unfortunate that
when we look around we see debauchery perfidy, opportunism and villainy posing as
heroism.
I will also like to remind
you of two other notable issues that occurred at the university of Ibadan in
the year 2001, issues you are very much aware of. First, when the frat boys
after our glorious efforts started relating as one and formed the NIFC student
chapter, your committee became jittery and uncomfortable and, then sort
devilish means to create confusion within their midst. The news was that the
newfound love within fraternities would put an end to the ‘chop chop’ of your
committee through proposals to government.
The second aspect was the
great inter fraternity football match, which attracted large number of students
and members of the university community. It was two weeks of good soccer with
the final match between “Supreme Eiye Confraternity” and the Neo Black Movement
of Africa, a.k.a. “Black Axe Confraternity”. Throughout this period of the
soccer fiesta, your committee tried in vain to disrupt the peace of the boys by
removing some of the joint banners with the slogan ‘NEVER AGAIN’ and ‘PEACE WE
STAND’. Is this not a classic allegory of the open perennial contradiction of
your committee? Thanks goodness, your comic relief did not provoke the boys in
ways you wanted. Where were you last year when the Ibadan Polytechnic Rector
invited NIFC to come and help out on the incessant crises of fraternities based
on the UI magic? Today, the campus is so peaceful and the students and the boys
are relating well .The movement is also yielding fruit in other southwest
institutions.
Most importantly on this
matter is your misreading and misinterpretation of Oguntuase’s write-ups and on
that. I will make a clarification because the educator must also be educated.
Immediately after the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife incident which
happened to be the time NIFC was trying to find its feet, some write ups were
personally written by him which he condemned the unnecessary clashes and
killings among fraternities and with succinct explanation of what fraternity is
all about. It also highlighted the way forward and at every public fora we have
religiously abided by it. An example was the panel set up on the OAU crisis, in
which we were strongly represented and the Ife students, based on our
philosophy of RESCUE AND REFORM, fervently applauded our superior position
RATHER THAN THE SEARCH AND DESTROY METHOD. It is unfortunate that the panel
report has not seen the light of the day. It is also sad that a distinguished
journalist of Mr. Ray Epku repute, after collecting sitting allowance, has been
unable to speak out. Some people who tend to be donors of opinions are daily
feeding on this issue and, we are saying to them enough is enough. Vice
chancellors and the likes of Awe have become overnight millionaires.
Those who try to run down
others for their own selfish interest must remember that such dishonourable
method does not last. What am I saying? I am simply saying that you shout Jesus
is Lord and yet your deeds are not the ways of Christ. I am reminding you of
the year 2001 also when you goofed and became agent provocateur in when you
compiled names of your colleagues at UI who were members of fraternity and
submitted it to the authorities for them to be sacked. However, God was not on
your side because they were members long ago as you were when it was duly
registered and therefore not liable.
Above all, it is not my wish
to castigate or denigrate anybody, as it is not my character most especially an
erudite Professor of your calibre. But it is in the interest of history for
people to acknowledge a noble goal embarked upon by NIFC rather than willful
distortion and obfuscation. I have always appreciated honesty and truth as a
philosophy instead of one preternaturally consumed by a psychopathic
dishonesty. I therefore agree with Professor Wole Soyinka for using the words
intellectual dishonesty, twisted reasoning and morally deficient all because of
your deeds. Just as Plato said ‘in order for justice to be exercised
absolutely, one must put himself in the position of those to be judged’. That
is to say those who seek equity must come with clean hands.
As
written by : Lekan Akinosho a.k.a Scoro8
Toronto, canada
No comments:
Post a Comment