We, the undersigned members of the Board of Trustees and Tortuga-in-Council of the National Association of Seadogs, a.k.a. The Pyrates Confraternity, having watched a video purportedly made by a group self-styled the Association of Humble and Obedient Youths (AHOY) in which the individuals who made the video seek, forlornly and incompetently, to associate their origins and continued existence with our organisation especially with our Seven Founding Fathers, hereby place on record the following statement in denunciation of those claims.

The said video constitutes the most impudent, brazen episode of piracy on the high seas – the real thing – yet to be acknowledged in seafaring lore. It is more comical than Baba Sala in cross- dressing, more improbable than a Mr Bean cartoon, more puerile than the petulant antics of an infant denied a lick from an ice cream cone. As an attempt to legitimize a dubious provenance by an unsustainable link to our organisation, it is a pathetic and abject failure. The overwhelming inaccuracies in their accounts confirm that their objectives were disingenuously criminal. Many of the statements are serious, untrue and highly inflammatory. Indeed, some of them are outrightly incontrovertible malicious falsehoods. Some of the statements carry serious and continuing threats to our reputation and, specifically, our organisation’s collective and individual memberships’ personal integrity. These circumstances lead to the inescapable conclusion that they have pursued this course not only with the specific intent of undeservedly elevating their dubious existence but, in doing so, to damage our reputation. All claims made by the authors of the video or that organisation that seek this linkage are HEREBY DENIED AND REJECTED. There is no truth whatsoever in the assertions that they have sought to disseminate.

The implications are indeed sinister. We believe no one attempts such a monstrous corporate heist in the face of living witnesses and authentic stakeholders without the assurance of protection in high places. We are speaking here of a legal, registered association involving tens of thousands of members all over the globe. It is common knowledge that Professor Wole Soyinka and six eminent Nigerians founded the Pyrates Confraternity in the 1952 Academic Session at the University College Ibadan. In 1980, the Association was formally registered with the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs under the Land (Perpetual Succession) Act Cap. 98 (now in Part F of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020) with the name “The National Association of Seadogs” with Certificate of Incorporation No. 1592 dated 31 October, 1980, which Certificate has most recently been re-issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission dated 17 September 2020 to reflect changes in the composition of our Trustees. The United Nations’ Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on NGOs, granted NAS Special Consultative Status on November 1, 2021. In the last year, we celebrated 70 years of the organisation’s existence.

We view this video and any related actions of the perpetrators as a brazen attempt to tarnish the hard- won image and reputation of our organisation, an action aimed at diminishing our significant positive contributions to the development of the Nigerian and Global society over the past 70 years. To ignore this impudence would be a gross abdication of the considerable responsibility that we have come to accept as one of the barometers of the social conscience of the communities within which we operate. We will fail ourselves and squander legitimacy if we fail to alert all relevant security agencies, and the public, of the grave potential of this act of open criminality tied to political interests. Their satanic ploy is aimed at compromising publicly exposed members of our association. We do not rule out plans to eliminate some who, with one word, can dismantle this glossy tumour of lies which, one must concede, has most seductively been packaged in hi- tech designs. It is now imperative that we deal with this with pyratical swiftness within the parameters of all the legal options open to the organisation. In that respect, our legal resources are now fully engaged.

Many are called, but few are chosen. Frustration feeds illusions and eventually slithers into impersonation. All members of the authentic body, the public, and security agencies world-wide are hereby put on the alert. We live in weird, brutish and dangerous times.

For the record, the group to which this disclaimer relates call themselves the Association of Humble and Obedient Youths. They have registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission in this name with RC No 16241 with a certificate issued on 2 August 2021. Their trustees, namely those who appear to be responsible for that entity’s activities include the following: ENITAN AFINUOMO, JOHN KESTER, OLUWADAMILARE OBAYEMI, LAWAL EINWUNMI, TIMOTHY ADEGUNLE, DAVID NOWOOLA, AYOOLA OLUSADA,UZOMA OKOLI, AYODELE SOETAN, SUNDAY AKOWE and OLATILEWA OLUWAYEMI.
Clearly, these individuals, by themselves and others, remain foolheartedly oblivious of the considerable responsibilities that the trusteeship of any organisation registered within the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria confer, hence their persistence with these intemperate, felonious, recklessness. The video in question is a pathetic illustration of this unbridled brigandage.

For the avoidance of any doubt whatsoever, the association, whatever their agenda is, is NOT an entity recognized by, connected with or associated in any way with the Pyrates Confraternity, founded in 1952 by a group known as The Magnificent Seven (Original Seven). Imitation is said to be flattery, but IDENTITY THEFT is a revelation of a barren imagination and descent into sheer CRIMINALITY.

For what it is worth, given that the video is already in circulation, we require the authors and collaborators, whether by themselves or by others, howsoever acting, to CEASE and DESIST, forthwith, any and all actions that seek or purport to continue the dissemination of any further accounts associating themselves with our organisation or any members.

A word is enough for the Wise! Those who do not heed wisdom must contemplate the cost of foolishness.

SIGNED: TORTUGA-IN-COUNCIL / NAS BOARD OF TRUSTEES
1. Professor Wole Soyinka Member, Tortuga-in-Council, Matelot Emeritus
2. Chief Bassey Edem Chairman, Tortuga-in-Council & Member, Board of Trustees
3. Dr. Asani Omozuwa Member, Tortuga-in-Council & Board of Trustees
4. Engr. Oladipo Ashafa Member, Tortuga-in-Council
5. Professor Olatunde Makanju Member Tortuga-in-Council & Chairman, Board of Trustees
6. Dr. Odili Ojukwu Member, Tortuga-in-Council
7. Otunba Ben Oguntuase Member, Tortuga-in-Council & Board of Trustees
8. Mr. Tim Akpareva Member, Tortuga-in-Council & Board of Trustees
9. Andrew Obinna Onyearu Esq. Member, Tortuga-in-Council
10. Mr. Tola Obembe Member, Tortuga-in-Council
11. Nze Oscar Egwuonwu Member, Tortuga-in-Council
12. Obong Ide Owodiong-Idemeko Member, Tortuga-in-Council
13. Mr. Steve Akhigbemidu Member, Tortuga-in-Council
14. Mr. Ifeanyi Onochie Member, Tortuga-in-Council
15. Mr. Abiola Owoaje Member, Tortuga-in-Council
16. Chyke Umezurike Esq. Member, Tortuga-in-Council
17. Professor Temi Akporhonor Member, Board of Trustees
18. Engr. (Chief) Tokunbo Odebunmi, mni Member, Board of Trustees