Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate, has criticised the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over the recent ban on ‘Tell Your Papa’, a protest song by Eedris Abdulkareem.
The song, which was released on April 7, addresses the economic hardship being faced by many Nigerians.
The NBC, on April 10, barred radio and television stations from airing the song, describing it as “objectionable”.
In a statement issued from New York University, Abu Dhabi, on Saturday, Soyinka described the ban as “petulant irrationality” and an attack on the constitutional right to free expression.
He said the action by the commission mirrors a growing trend of intolerance for dissent, and warned that the government risks sliding into authoritarianism if it continues to silence opposing voices.
“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,” the statement reads in part
“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.”
Earlier, the Media Rights Agenda (MRA) also faulted the NBC’s move, calling it an “abuse of power”.
Abdulkareem recently alleged that unidentified individuals attempted to bribe him with N200 million following the ban
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