26th Wole Soyinka Lectures organized by the National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) with the theme,” The Baby or the Bathwater: Navigating the Dark Tunnels of Systemic Corruption to Nationhood,” the event was held at Abeokuta, Ogun State on Saturday, 03-08-2024.
Guest lecturer Mr. Babatunde Fashola, the former two-term Minister of Works and Housing, described Soyinka as not only a gift to the country and the continent but to the entire civilisation.
Speaking on the theme of the lecture, Fashola maintained that while corruption in terms of pecuniary gains is undoubtedly condemned, the worst form of corruption is that which has displaced our highly cherished moral values and has therefore corrupted the people’s ways of life.
He said, “When I was in office as a minister, the Federal Road Safety Corps usually made copies of the monthly reports on road crashes available to me. The report is actually for the office of the Secretary-General of the Federation, but I used to get a copy.
“In October 2022, a total of 1,111 road crashes were reported across the country, out of which 449 people died, representing six per cent of 6458 people involved in the accidents, with 2780 injured.
“The analysis showed a three per cent decrease when compared with the previous month but a 10 per cent increase when compared with the figure for October 2021.
“This goes to show that an average of 400 people are lost monthly to road crashes in the country, but I doubt if the insecurity which is always an issue during campaigns is responsible for such a huge loss of lives every month in the country.”
Guest Speaker & former Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN (right) and Chairman of the Occasion & former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anayaoku (left)
Guest Speaker & former Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN (right) delivering his address
L-R: Muhammed Keana Sabo, Mr. Mohammed Mubarak; Guest Speaker & former Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola; Nobel Laureate and Honoree, Prof. Wole Soyinka and one of the winners of the Wole Soyinka Award for Youth, Leadership and Innovation, Blessed Orji.
L-R: Chief Host & NAS CAPN, Mr. Abiola Owoaje, Members of the Tortuga-in- Council (the Board of NAS), Mr Steve Akhigbemidu; Dr. Asani Omozuwa; Nobel Laureate and Honoree, Prof. Wole Soyinka ; Guest Speaker & former Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola.