Thus Counsels ISESE



Thus Counsels ISESE


https://youtu.be/VR-exqkJOwA?si=GvmPEI1CowcBkCjE via @YouTube


Statement presented by Professor Wole Soyinka at his "Public Exchange" on the topic: "ISESE, SAMARKAND AND OTHER MARKETS OF THE MIND," which held (In-Person & Virtual) yesterday September 1, 2023, at Freedom Park Lagos

https://studio.youtube.com/.../UCA5NK24M.../videos/upload...


Full speech:

https://ntm.ng/2023/09/02/thus-counsels-isese/


THUS COUNSELS ISESE (Excerpts)

 

ISESE concerns itself with the fate of every unit that makes up community, and is innately bound to engage in questions such as: “What is a youth, by name MUBARAK BALA doing in prison?  Recall, ISESE upholds the right to believe or not believe, thus the question is not trite, it is not academic, but is instantly catapulted from the particularized to the universal podium of Justice. How does a nation define itself, when a youth can be sentenced to waste his years of mental prowess in prison, for no crime beyond the right to believe or not believe?  ISESE speaks to individual and collective conscience. ISESE calls on those misguided forgers of human chains to respond to a plain question: why is that youth, and undoubtedly numerous others, wasting away in hidden dungeons, for crimes that the very protocols of nation definition, known as the Constitution do not recognize. ISESE asks, WHEN is Justice? And what is that ensign worth, if it fails to fulfill the primary condition of social accreditation which is – Justice!


ISESE insists that godhead is not so inadequate that it requires the inflicted suffering of humans, their abuse, torture, and degradation, their recurrent tribute of tithes and offerings in blood transfusion in order to make the essence of godhead manifest, neither does it decree, as a condition for admission into its manifold, the absolute, uncritical veneration of avatars and prophets on its way to ultimate enlightenment. ISESE declares that any such pronouncement or proceeding serves only to inseminate terror, not piety, and thus, remains an abomination in the very sight of godhead. ISESE preaches mutual respect, but insists on the primal sanctity of human life. ISESE turns its face against murder, such as the brutal ending of the girl student Deborah Samuel. ISESE demands justice for that martyred girl, for her family, for her community and – indisputably, the nation itself. ISESE must not rest until all the perpetrators of that hideous crime are brought to justice, including those purveyors of sectional HATE and DISCORD who applauded the deed, including those who have obstructed the cause of justice. ALL are guilty of instigating others to emulation. Any society that thinks or acts otherwise, even by omission, has chosen the path of disintegration.

ISESE, and its abiding articles of faith. Because its precepts are humanistic and universal, ISESE can never be diminished. It is here for all eternity.

 

Wole SOYINKA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

This weekend, I remember Ijo Dee

Image
As the notable Nigerian band of young dance artists, IJO DEE flags off the second edition of its yearly festival of African dances this weekend, I recall a grand exploit that launched the troupe of youngsters on the world stage. (Stories were first published in 2003) IJODEE, NIGERIAN TROUPE, WOWS THEM AT INTERNATIONAL DANCE MEETS Mihari, the pretty hostess attached to the Nigerian troupe at the on-going Sanga 3, the international festival of choreography and dance, holding in Madagascar, waved excitedly at Dayo and said "no kain". She followed it up with a generous smile, which no doubt suggested she was happy with herself She has caught the bug just like all the rest of her fellow Malagasy and participants at the festival who have since adopted the seven-man Nigerian troupe as some kind of folk heroes. Here in Antananarivo, the Madagascar capital where the festival --the fifth edition of the African and Indian Ocean Choreography Platform -- is
Read more

Sam Loco Efe... Theatre King Of All Time

Image
As had been stated elsewhere, only the Drama king himself could have pulled off the wild, morbid drama that attended the announcement of his own passing last week. Confusion reigned for nearly the whole week about the true state of affairs concerning the status of the evergreen master of the stage and screen; and not even the various clarifications by members of his family and his younger colleagues with whom he had been working when death called, could douse the terrible mix-up about the true state of his passing. Well, Sam Loco Efe, a grandmaster of the Acting vocation, transited to greater service last Sunday.
Read more

CORA holds Publishers’ Forum as part of 12th Lagos Book & Art Festival.

The Committee For Relevant Art (CORA) is hosting decision-making executives of publishing houses to register for the Publishers Forum at the 12th edition of the annual Lagos Book & Art Festival. The Festival runs from the 11th till the 14th of November 2010. The Publishers Forum is the very first programme and the only event for November 11, 2010. The Lagos Book and Art Festival is unique for being an event where the emphasis is as much on insights into the content of books as it is in their promotion and sales. Therefore, for this year’s festival, we have designed what we call the Publishers’ Forum to provide a concentrated space for key publishers in Nigeria to collectively appraise their current operations within the context of the challenges facing their industry, brainstorm on their findings and identify key steps that can be taken as individual businesses or as a collective to improve their bottom line. At CORA, we picture ourselves as midwives to the different facets of th
Read more