• Source: National Association of Seadogs

The National Association of Seadogs, popularly known as the Pyrates Confraternity, is a confraternity organization in Nigeria that is nominally University-based. The group was founded by Professor Wole Soyinka and six students in 1952 to support human rights and social justice in Nigeria.




History


Due to the increase of tribalism among social life of students and the increasing population of "wealthy" students to a relatively few "poorer" students in the University College, Ibadan, the National Association of Seadogs was formed as a body in order to combat these societal ills. It was founded in 1952 by seven friends who adopted the name "Magnificent 7". The Magnificent 7 are:

Ikpehare Aig-Imoukhuede
Olumuyiwa Awe
Sylvanus U. Egbuche
Pius Oleghe
Nathaniel Oyelola
Ralph Opara
Wole Soyinka
The Pyrates Confraternity went on to become the only confraternity on Nigerian campuses for almost twenty years. Membership into the confraternity was open to students who were bright academically regardless of their tribe or religion. To date, over 25,000 people have belonged to the organization at various stages.
The Pyrates Confraternity was registered with the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs under the Land (Perpetual Succession) Act Cap 98 with the name "The National Association of Seadogs". Its headquarters are at Plot 55, Gado Nasko Road in Kubwa, Abuja, FCT, Nigeria.




Symbols


The Pyrates logo is the Skull and Bones in red, black, and yellow. Members are known as Seadogs and Saylors. Its motto is "Against all moribund conventions". The organization has several sayings used as a sign of respect or greeting, including "Odas is Odas" ("Orders is Orders"), "No Friend No Foe", and "Absolutely No Lagging". Members are known as Seadogs and Saylors.




Chapters


Pyrates has branches throughout Nigeria and in Australia, Canada, Japan, Netherlands, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.




Notable members


Wole Soyinka, awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature




Controversies and member misconduct


Some sinister confraternities have been formed to copy the Pyrates confraternity which led the Pyrates confraternity to dissociate itself from these organizations and also operate outside university campuses. The confraternity is also seen as a "political opponent" after several members in Port Harcourt were detained in jail for participating in the disruption of election campaigns in 1997.




References






Further reading


Wole, Soyinka (2005). Interventions III: Cults: a people in denial. Book Craft. ISBN 9789782030559. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
Emma Osonna, Oguala Ugwulebo (1 January 1999). Campus Cults: The Scourge of Our Time. Springfield Publishers. ISBN 9789788001256. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
Osagie, Johnson (2004). Secret cultism in Nigerian school. Hope Development and Resource Centre. p. 16. ISBN 9789783679795. Retrieved 2 August 2015.

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• National Association of Seadogs
• Nas (disambiguation)
• List of confraternities in Nigeria
• Confraternities in Nigeria
• Neo Black Movement of Africa
• Wole Soyinka
• List of human rights organisations
• Pyrates (disambiguation)
• Eghosa Asemota Agbonifo
• Greeks of the Sea