Flashback Fridays: Before Naija Frats Were Bastardized [Photo]


The genesis of secret cults on Nigerian campuses today had always been with good intentions; it was all for a noble cause, one of which was predominantly to eradicate tribalism. 

The University College, Ibadan (which later became University of Ibadan), was at a time a breeding ground for the worst kind of tribal thinking clubs; the Students' Representative Council, all forms of student activity, including sports, became mere expressions of tribal pettiness.

It was against this background and to combat these negative tendencies that seven students founded the Pyrates Confraternity (PC) in 1952. Their original scroll written and signed by those founding fathers, listed below, remains a most valued item in the Pyrates Treasure Chest.

According to the Pyrates, the “Magnificent Seven”, as they called themselves, observed that the university was populated with wealthy students associated with the colonial powers and a few poorer students striving in manner and dress to be accepted by the more advantaged students, while social life was dictated by tribal affiliation.

These men known as the Original Seven are:

1. Wole Soyinka
2. Ralph Okpara
3. Pius Oleghe
4. Ikpehare Aig-Imoukhuede
5. Nathaniel Oyelola
6. Olumuyiwa Awe
7. Sylvanus U. Egbuche

The original seven at Tedder Hall Quandrangle, University College Ibadan.
From left: Wole Soyinka, Ikpehare Aig-Imoukhuede, Sylvanus Egbuche,
Pius Oleghe, Nathaniel Oyelola, Muyiwa Awe, Palph Pkpara
Soon their rank increased to fifteen to become the "fifteen men on a dead man's chest". To combat tribalism within their ranks, they adopted pyratical names, different from their "lubbish" names, with no trace to any tribe or origin. Thus was born the Jolly Rogers l (JR1) deck which for a long time remained the mothership of the pyrates Confraternity.

However, as new confraternities were formed, they became increasingly violent through the 1970s and 1980s. By the 1990s, many confraternities largely operated as criminal gangs, called “campus cults” in Nigeria. Besides normal criminal activity, confraternities have been linked to political violence, as well as the conflict in the Niger Delta.



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Photo of The Day: Tyre Furniture



This goes to show that there's nothing that can't be recycled.
I'd seriously love to have a set of these in my living room! Come to think of it...it shouldn't be hard to make these...if  I can just visit a vulganizer to collect some discarded tyres and also pay Bamboo cane village under Ojota bridge a visit, then I should be able to do stuff like this right?


Still trying to figure how they managed to join all those elements together to make furniture though...




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This Blog Aint Dead Yet...


And I doubt it will ever be.

Okay, I've been MIA on a large scale and been off for like...4 months? Hmmm....I actually stayed away because of so many things keeping me seriously busy like never before. Now its beginning to look like I need someone to help me upload my stuff while I get busy with other projects.

But who can really do it the way I'd like it?

I was on holiday last year December at my Uncle's and my cousin was talking about how RICH my blog was and how WELL I disect issues on here and open up people's minds. She sis it so well I started feeling guilty playing truancy on the site.

Also my absence on Naija Stories got some folks wondering where I was at as I was seriously missed. Somebody came up with the idea of a final effort to bring me back online by offering to make me judge a competition.

I guess that worked.

Searching through my 'cobwebbed' emails, I came across the mail
It seems like it has been forever and ages past that I saw you on NS. What happened? Are you well? Is it work, family, kids, wife or wives that’s kept you away? or did you simply got bored with us?
I still have you to thank for how well I have made it so far in my writing since I joined NS.
I have gained an approval from NS to host a competition. This completion will be for the writers who are ranked as newbies and beginners.
I know for a fact that even a glimpse of your presence back on NS will bring positive result so I am asking that you be one of the judges to pick out the finalist.
I honestly hope you can take up this offer. If yes, reply me back.
Thank you Mr Afronuts.
I think that was what finally woke me out of my Cyber-slumber....that along with the Naija music video I came across yesterday and discovered was another copycat video! Will blog about that soon,

Oh...and also, I've been getting mails of articles wanting to feature on the blog...those also got me awake.

Now let's get this blog, NS and twitter cracking for the new year!

Oh...and about that pix up there, it doesn't stand for anything actually, its just a funny looking pix of an igbo man I'm currently using on my Blackberry messenger dp!

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