The National Association of Seadogs, (NAS) has said that the confraternity was not a secret cult as erroneously believed.
It said the association did not fall within the cultism category, but an organization set up for humanistic ideals and defend the right of the less privileged in the country.
Its ‘Deck Capoon’ Shina Oguntomi who is in charge of Ondo and Ekiti States Chapter of the association pointed this out during its annual Feast of Barracuda, FoB, in Akure, the Ondo State capital
According to Oguntomi during the meeting attended by the Akogbe of Ajue Kingdom, Oba Bamidele, officers of the Nigerian Police, NSCDC, FRSC, journalists led by the Ondo State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Adetona Aderoboye among others, due to misconception, the public is yet to differentiate between the association and secret cult groups.
While narrating that NAS came into existence in 1952 at the then University College now University of Ibadan, (UI) he emphasized that its mission was in response to the notion of class privilege and elitism on campus at that time and as well to fight against ills in just society.
The original founding fathers of the Pyrates Confraternity who were students at the University then included a Nobel Laureate, Prof Sole Soyinka, Ralph Opara, Pius Oleghe, Ikpehare Aig-Imoukhuede, Nathaniel Oyelola, Olumuyiwa Awe and Sylvanus U. Egbuche.
His words: “This meeting is called Feast of Barracuda (FoB) . It is an annual event that is being hosted by the National Association of Seadogs (NAS) where by we celebrate with the people by identifying a ill that is militating against a just society.
Oguntomi said, “NAS is now a registered Association with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), is the only association that existed in the then University College now University of Ibadan. It used to be the military arm of the Students’ Union to fight against any ills within the students environment.
“But due to the standardization and transparency nature of the organization, those who went below the discipline level where expelled and those are the people that formed the secret cults we have on the campuses. Nobody knows them on the campuses, they are not registered with the school authority. Only pyrate is being known.”
“NAS used to be the spoke mouth for most students on campus then. So, anytime the cult groups perpetrate evil acts, attention is always shifted to pirates because they are the only visible group on campus”.
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