Davido doesn’t owe Muslims apology over music video – Soyinka – Newstrends
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Davido doesn’t owe Muslims apology over music video – Soyinka

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9 months ago

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Prof. Wole Soyinka and David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka on Tuesday said people are wrongfully dissipating their energy on the music video posted by singer David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, on his social media page.

Soyinka said those castigating and vilifying Davido over the video are making a mountain out of a molehill as they are other important issues they need to address.

The video, captioned ‘Jaiye Lo,’ which was released by Logos Olori, an artiste under Davido, showed some people dressed in white jalabiyas like Muslims, praying the way Muslims do before launching into dancing as they recited some Quranic verses and prayed.

Mats were spread for those praying behind an ‘Imam’ who used the popular single-prayer rug (sajadah). Those who were praying also read out what looked like Muslim recitations in Arabic language and prostrated the way Muslims do in prayer.

In the video, Logos Olori was seen sitting on the roof of a mosque-like building mounted with a horn public address system, thus, creating the complete impression of a mosque scenario.

Muslims faithful have attacked Davido for displaying such video on his Twitter handle and threatened action.

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But Soyinka, in a statement on Tuesday said he had not seen the Davido clip and would greatly appreciate if someone would make it available so they all could debate, objectively, the merits and demerits of positions taken over this recent product of the musician.

There are, however, certain principles, histories, rights and responsibilities of artistic creativity that should not be smothered under emotional manipulation.

The Nobel laureate stated: “The following should not be needed, but we appear to inhabit a nation space where memory deficiency has become an accreditation badge of competence in national affairs. I recall my intervention, several years ago, in an attempt to pillory former Governor of Kaduna State, El Rufai over some comment he had made that was considered derogatory to followers of Christianity.

“I forget the reference now but I do distinctly recall another of a bank manager who, at Easter tide, referred to the risen Christ as a metaphor for the risen dough in the bakeries of Oshodi. Something along those lines. Under obvious pressure, he apologized, and I rebuked him for the gesture.

“There was nothing to apologize about, and that applied equally to El Rufai’s comments at the time. It should come as no surprise that I equally absolutely disagree with Shehu Sani if indeed, as reported, he has demanded an apology from Davido on behalf of the Moslem community.

“No apology is required, None should be offered. Let us stop battening down our heads in the mush of contrived contrition – we know where contrition, apology and restitution remain clamorous in the cause of closure and above all – justice. Such apologies have not been forthcoming. In their place, we have the ascendancy of petulant censorship in the dance and music department. Just where will it end?”

Soyinka added that most forms of worship – from the Hare Krishna to Hinduism and lesser-known religions – sought transcendental experience through the medium of dance.

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“It goes beyond mere elation or euphoria and involves surrender of the ego to the mystical and sublime – through dance. The secularization of that medium stretches across religions, and offers the artistes’ a means of invoking a sense of spiritual community, through a common act of self-surrender.

“As already admitted, I have not seen the clip, but I insist on the right of the artiste to deploy dance in a religious setting as a fundamental given. Such deployment is universal heritage, most especially applicable in the case of Islam where a plot of land, even without the physical structure, can be turned, in the twinkling of an eye, into a sacral space for believers to gather and worship in between mundane pursuits,” he said.

According to Soyinka, dancing in front of a mosque could not therefore, on its own, be read as an act of provocation or offence but as affirmation of the unified sensibility of the spiritual in human.

“Let us learn to read it that way. Those who persist in taking offence to bed and serving it up as breakfast should exercise their right of boycotting Davido’s products – no one quarrels with that right. However, it is not a cause for negative and incitive excitation.

“The greater responsibility is to face squarely the root issues of religion in the nation. That root issue is starkly stated thus: the sectarian appropriation of the power of life and death across a community of believers, other believers, and even non-believers alike, be it for real, imagined, or deliberately contrived offence.

“It was not Davido’s music that lynched Deborah Yakubu, and continues to frustrate the cause of justice. Nor has it contributed to the arbitrary detention of religious dissenters – call them atheists or whatever – such as Mubarak Bala, now languishing in prison for his 38th month. These are the provocations where every citizen should exercise the capacity for revulsion.

“They are the issues deserving of, indeed exercise primary claim on a nation’s capacity for righteous indignation. All else is secondary. Distractive piffle,” he stated

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Fuel Scarcity: Lagos warns stations against causing traffic gridlock

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3 hours ago

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April 30, 2024

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Fuel Scarcity: Lagos warns stations against causing traffic gridlock

The Lagos state ministry of transportation, on Monday, warned petrol stations against causing traffic gridlock while dispensing fuel to customers.

Bolanle Ogunlola, deputy director, public affairs, Lagos state ministry of transportation, gave the warning in a statement in Lagos.

“In the face of the current fuel scarcity, we appeal to fuel stations that have fuel to dispense in the metropolis to ensure that queues of vehicles waiting to obtain supplies do not obstruct the free flow of traffic.

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“The Ministry of Transportation views with great concern the disruption of traffic flow by patrons at fuel stations, as the resulting gridlock adversely affects the economic activities of individuals and corporate bodies.

“The ministry, while advising operators of fuel stations to be orderly by ensuring that their patrons do not constitute any clog to the free flow of traffic, further warns against being sanctioned for non-compliance,” she said.

Ms Ogunlola said that the state’s law enforcement agencies were on surveillance to enforce compliance.

She added that the ministry would continue to monitor the traffic situation, while calling on the general public to report fuel stations disrupting movement through its hotlines.

Fuel Scarcity: Lagos warns stations against causing traffic gridlock

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Air Peace gets court order to answer queries on aircraft operations

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3 hours ago

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April 30, 2024

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Air Peace gets court order to answer queries on aircraft operations

A Lagos State High Court has ordered Air Peace to respond to questions brought by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism in a libel suit No. LD/ADR/4833/23 filed by the airline on October 12, 2022, regarding its aircraft operations from Lagos to Anambra State.

Air Peace insisted that it followed safety standards and practices in accordance with relevant regulations and policies.

It questioned the FIJ’s interrogations of its aircraft and flight operations, calling them “scandalous and irrelevant” to the libel case.

FIJ was dissatisfied with Air Peace’s responses to the queries and filed an application to compel them to adequately explain the objections.

Justice Kudiarat Jose upheld the argument of FIJ, represented by its counsel, Abimbola Ojenike and Jesulayomi Oyelami of Slingstone LP, stating that the questions requesting the details of the first two aircraft designated to convey passengers were relevant to the facts in issue, related to the defendant’s case, and capable of proving that the defendants were correct.

As a result, the court ordered Air Peace to respond to questions 1, 4, and 7 of the defendant’s interrogation within seven days of receiving the order.

The questions are: ‘Provide a comprehensive description and specification of the aircraft 5N-BUL initially scheduled for the operation of Flight P47336 on October 12, 2022. The description should include the make, year, engine type, and service information, including the most recent aircraft maintenance checks conducted prior to Flight P47336 on October 12, 2022, particularly but not limited to any faults or repairs on the systems.’

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The airline is also to: ‘Provide comprehensive specifications of the technical issues discovered in the course of operation of Flight P47336 and the circumstances that led to the change of the aircraft from 5N-BUL to 5N-BQQ.’

The court also ordered the airline to: ‘Provide the comprehensive descriptions and specifications of the aircraft 5N-BQQ initially onboard the passengers for the operation of Flight P47336 on October 12, 2022.

‘The description should include make, year, engine type, and service information, including the most recent aircraft maintenance checks conducted prior to Flight P47336 on October 12, 2022, particularly but not limited to any faults or repairs on the systems.

The claim was deferred until May 23, 2024, for additional proceedings.

In October 2022, FIJ stated that passengers on an Air Peace flight from Lagos to Anambra escaped death after the engine failed three times at the takeoff point.

According to FIJ, the aircraft was supposed to take off at 11 a.m. but was delayed for two hours when the airline’s management announced that the jet originally booked for the Anambra flight had suddenly acquired an issue.

“The engine stopped three times, and there was no explanation until passengers asked to be allowed to leave the plane. The captain only gave a vague explanation when the passengers expressed their concerns. He said the DAC or something similar to that went off on us,” FIJ had quoted one of three sources as saying.

“This was supposed to be a substitute plane as the first couldn’t be used for technical reasons. If this lackadaisical attitude continues, I fear they may record a crash soon. If we had flown today, we likely would have crashed.”

Air Peace then filed legal action against FIJ, seeking N50 million in damages, N250 million in aggravated damages, and N5 million in legal fees.

Air Peace gets court order to answer queries on aircraft operations

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Lagos okays annual celebration of Yoruba Week

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3 hours ago

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April 30, 2024

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Lagos okays annual celebration of Yoruba Week

The Lagos State government has announced its decision to dedicate the last week of September every year to celebrating Yoruba culture.

This decision follows a resolution passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly on September 19, 2023.

According to a statement released on Monday by the Speaker’s Chief Press Secretary, Eromosele Ebhomele, the Yoruba Week celebration aims to showcase and preserve the rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba people through various expressions, including traditional attire, music, dance, cuisine, and more.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, in a letter dated April 8, 2024, informed lawmakers that the state will begin preparations for the inaugural celebration.

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“Sequel to the resolution of the House at its plenary of Tuesday, September 19, 2023, on the activation of Yoruba cultural heritage and a special day to be assigned as Yoruba day, I have the directive to officially convey Mr. Governor’s approval for the last week of September as Yoruba Week,” a part of the letter, which was read by the Clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko, stated.

Commending Sanwo-Olu and his cabinet for the decision, Obasa described it as a good development.

He described the Yoruba culture and heritage as very important just as he stressed the need for its preservation.

The Speaker said the House was ready to support the executive to ensure the success of the planned Yoruba Week.

Lagos okays annual celebration of Yoruba Week

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