Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has reaffirmed that the National Association of Seadogs (NAS), also known as the Pyrates Confraternity, is not a secret cult, insisting that public misconceptions have unfairly overshadowed the organisation’s record of humanitarian service and advocacy.

Soyinka made the clarification at the weekend in Abuja during the foundation-laying ceremony for the association’s new national secretariat, held at the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry complex. He is one of the founding members of NAS.

He said persistent negative stereotypes had continued to distort public perception of the group despite its consistent engagement in humanitarian work, civic advocacy, and intellectual discourse.

“The larger society still finds it difficult to accept the obvious, that this is not a secret cult,” Soyinka said.

He expressed concern that sensational narratives had long taken precedence over the organisation’s transparent activities, particularly its contributions to justice, human rights, and public enlightenment.

“Once they get hold of a negative idea, it is very difficult to wean them away from that idea,” he added.

Soyinka questioned the selective labelling of NAS, arguing that violent clandestine groups often escape similar scrutiny.

“When did we ever even smell the goings-on in the genuine, secret, diabolical cults of this country?” he asked.

He also recalled instances where even senior public officials, including a state governor, had misinterpreted the association’s identity, underscoring what he described as widespread misinformation.

According to him, the new national secretariat would strengthen NAS’s coordination of humanitarian interventions and advocacy programmes nationwide, while urging members to remain committed to its founding principles of justice, discipline, integrity, and service.

NAS Capoon, Dr. Joseph Oteri, described the project as the physical realisation of a long-held vision, noting that it would serve as a national hub for reflection, coordination, and renewed commitment to the group’s ideals of fearless advocacy and human dignity.

Chairdawg of Tortuga-in-Council, Chief Bassey Edem, said the secretariat represents a historic affirmation of NAS’s long-standing role as a defender of liberty and justice since 1952, describing it as “a house of ideas and a citadel of advocacy.”

President of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chief Emeka Obegolu, commended the association’s humanitarian interventions, including medical outreach and social justice campaigns, saying they complement government development efforts.

Chairman of the NAS Board of Trustees, Prof. Olatunde Makanju, described the ceremony as a major milestone and praised Soyinka’s longstanding support for the organisation’s growth and institutional development.

He also lauded Prof. Adesoji Adesugba for donating the land for the project, urging members to accelerate the completion of a befitting headquarters.

Adesugba said the donation was a personal commitment to an organisation that shaped his values and worldview, challenging members to deliver the national secretariat within seven months, given the association’s capacity and numerical strength. (The Nation)

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