Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, on Friday, denounced corruption as a devastating force that undermines nations and impoverishes their people.
Speaking at the 26th Annual Wole Soyinka Lecture organized by the National Association of Seadogs, also known as Pyrates Confraternity, Soyinka emphasized the need for attitudinal change and collective action to combat corruption effectively.
The event, held at the June 12 Cultural Centre in Abeokuta, marked Soyinka’s 90th birthday and featured a lecture titled “The Baby or the Bathwater: Navigating the Dark Tunnels of Systemic Corruption to Nationhood.”
The Pyrates Confraternity, founded by Soyinka and six other University of Ibadan undergraduates in 1952, was the host.
Soyinka, reflecting on the lecture delivered by former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, stressed that corruption pervades all levels of society in Nigeria.
“Corruption is not merely an exchange of money; it is a cankerworm that erodes the very fabric of society,” he said. He argued that addressing corruption requires a deep, internal change within individuals and institutions.
In addition to his remarks on corruption, Soyinka clarified misconceptions about the Pyrates Confraternity.
He stated that the group, far from being a secret cult, is a registered association dedicated to justice and national improvement.
At the event, Soyinka and former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku unveiled “Ship Ahoy,” a book documenting the 60-year history of the confraternity.
Earlier in the day, Babatunde Fashola praised Soyinka as a profound asset to both Nigeria and global civilization.
Fashola’s lecture highlighted the broader impact of corruption, particularly how it undermines moral values and disrupts societal norms.
He shared troubling statistics on road accidents in Nigeria, noting that an average of 400 people die monthly from crashes, a figure that far exceeds the impact of insecurity typically discussed during political campaigns.
