‘Tell Your Papa’: Soyinka slams Tinubu’s govt over ban on Eedris Abdulkareem’s song

Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has condemned the federal government over a ban on a song by Eedris Abdulkareem against the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Abdulkareem, a veteran rapper, who is famous for his critical song against the administration of then President Olusegun Obasanjo, titled ‘Jaga jaga’, came on the radar again following his song titled ‘Tell Your Papa’ and directed to the President’s son, Seyi Tinubu, criticising worsening socioeconomic situation in the country.

However, the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), in a memo on Wednesday, banned the song from being aired on radio and television, citing its “objectionable nature” — a move that sparked outrage from Nigerians.

Soyinka, while reacting to the development, ironically called for the musician, Abdulkareem, to be proscribed while the government also put his musical association under the hammer.

The Nigerian author, in a statement titled ‘Surely, Not Again’, took another dig at the administration’s censorship of anti-Tinubu’s song by ironically calling the government’s attention to a cartoonist, Ebun Aleshinloye, who criticised the ban in his widely circulated cartoon work.

He said, “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.

“My position is that such a progressive move by the government and its agencies does not go far enough. 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 a member, should also go under the hammer. Nor should we ignore the cartoonist, Ebun Aleshinloye, who not only etched out his trenchant response to the ban but disseminated it all the way to Abu Dhabi. Let’s simply go the whole hog!”

While noting that he was yet to listen to the controversial song, Soyinka described the government’s action as an attempt to stifle unpalatable works of art or socio-political commentary.

According to the Nobel laureate, the ban is at the same time a free promotion for Abdulkareem’s song, adding that he envied the rapper because he “must be currently warbling his merry way all the way to the bank.”

“​I have yet to listen to the record but the principle is inflexibly etched on any democratic template. 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, 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.

Continuing, Soyinka said Nigeria has been through this phase of government attempting to clamp down on critics before, citing how state governors pursue, kidnap, and imprison social critics “using the judicial machinery of never-ending trials.”

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“​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 seizure of the fundamental right of free expression. It also creates a permissive atmosphere of trickle-down power where governors have been known to pursue social critics across state borders, kidnap and imprison them for long spells, using the judicial machinery of never-ending trials. 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 accommodate 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.”

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