LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- Renowned novelist and professor, Wole Soyinka has weighed in on the controversial ban of Eedris Abdulkareem’s latest song, “Tell Your Papa”, calling it a repression of truth.
The professor shared his opinion on Sunday, April 13, via a statement from the New York University, Abu Dhabi. Soyinka stated, with a hint of sarcasm, that the government should do more than ban the song, suggesting that the artiste himself should be banned, alongside the leaders of the musical associations Eedris belonged to.
“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,” Soyinka stated.
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Soyinka warned the government that the ban had inadvertently amplified the song’s influence and reach, suggesting that it might have fueled Eedris’s financial success, which he envied.
“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 Nobel laureate admitted that he hadn’t listened to the song but believed its lyrics stemmed from a desire to preserve human rights. He described the ban’s impact on democracy as “petulant irrationality” and warned that a government intolerant of criticism is on a “slippery slope to the abyss.”
