₦airaland Forum

rhames:
When did prof WS condemn these blood thirsty mongrels?

naptu2:
I listened to a BBC interview a long time ago (decades ago), in which Professor Soyinka addressed this issue. The interviewer called these organisations "cults" and Professor Soyinka said that they are not cults, they are youth gangs. He explained that it was because of these youth gangs that he ordered that the Pyrates Fraternity should cease existing on university campuses. He blamed the government for allowing these youth gangs to exist and he even hinted at the fact that a lot of the members are children of people in government and that's why the government had not done anything about them. He condemned the barbaric acts that were committed by these youth gangs.

That was on the BBC World Service Radio a long time ago.

naptu2:
The BBC interview that I wrote about occurred before this, but he repeated some of the things that he said in that interview.


This is the Oputa Panel in 2001 or thereabouts. Professor Soyinka talked about the Pyrates Fraternity and the other groups, which he said are not fraternities but Campus Killer Cults (which he called KKK).

He talked about what led to the creation of the KKK and also, as he did in the BBC interview, he said that he believes that most members of those killer organisations are children of the elite.

He completely dissociates the Pyrates from those killer organisations.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU69Fh-B1SA

naptu2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=getCPIvnBmw

naptu2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZd479iVVR8

naptu2:
10:59

They say they are fraternities, but I say that is not what fraternities are about.


On the contrary, the Pyrates voluntarily withdrew from the universities about 12 years ago because they were getting confused with those organisations.

naptu2:
He also repeated what he said in the BBC interview about vice chancellors using those murderous organisations to intimidate and control people on campus.

naptu2:
It's important for me to state here that there have been around the country many so-called initiations into Pyrates Confraternity that have. . .We unmasked, for example, a syndicate that were charging people for initiation into the Pyrates Confraternity into a non-existent deck, as we would say.

16:14 mark in the video.

pimper24:
There was advert in the dailies for your information. It was not secret in any way. Armed policemen were present at the induction et al. Haba, Would they do such and no one was coming forward to challenge them or tell the public that they were fake?
I doubt it seriously.

naptu2:
It's important for me to state here that there have been around the country many so-called initiations into Pyrates Confraternity that have. . .We unmasked, for example, a syndicate that were charging people for initiation into the Pyrates Confraternity into a non-existent deck, as we would say.

16:14 mark in the video.

naptu2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZd479iVVR8

naptu2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZd479iVVR8

etrange:
I was not particular about the "fraternity". Any group of people with shared interest could form a fraternity. So no, this isn't about the meaning of the word "fraternity" as a fraternity could be good or bad. It's about how they named the fraternity, Pyrates. Even if they called it "Pyrate Angels", it would still beg for answers as regards why the angels call themselves pirates. In this case, it could be argued that they never had bad activities or intended any. That might be true, there's no way I'd know. But I'm only saying the name they chose to give the fraternity doesn't really reflect the claim that they are in it for good. You've clarified it's from literature. But seeing how vast literature is, it's still mind boggling why they'd settle for a name that easily sells them as a bunch of thieves (pirates).

Anyway, the idea that the name was just based off literature is a thoery as Soyinka was probably the only one who was a Literature student out of the so-called "Magnificent 7". According to Soyinka himself, the name "Pyrates Confraternity" was chosen for "fun" and intended to mock, and the "y" was intended to dissociate the group from modern pirates. My point here is that the name which might have been fun to them then does not really support the image they try to sell now. Pirates are robbers. And I wouldn't blame anyone for being sceptical about that.

I'm not saying thier fraternity was bad, I'm saying the name is enough reason to be sceptical. So I wouldn't insinuate people are dumb for being sceptical about it.