Mr Abiola Owoaje, the Capoon, National Association of Seadogs (NAS) also known as Pyrates Confraternity have called on influential Nigerians to use their wealth to serve humanity by lifting the less-privileged.
Owoaje made the call at the Annual Feast of Barracuda/ Public Lecture, tagged: “Entrenching Democracy and Good Governance in Nigeria” held in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo, on Sunday.
Owoaje stressed the need for Nigerians to be humane in delivering services for the development of the society.
According to him, service to humanity is service to oneself, insisting that the society would be better if wealthy and influential Nigerians consider it pertinent to serve and lift the less-privileged people in the society.
“What has been happening is that with the feast of Barracuda is something that has been established for many decades.
“And we use it to interact with the community and what we do is also to use the opportunity to let the community know our organisation itself and the advocacy work we do and their services to humanity,” he said.
The NAS capoon commended the Edo North Branch of the organisation for rendering services to humanity and urged members to continue to cater for the needy in their various communities.
“The branch has been doing tremendously well, the members here have shown real example of what we do as an organisation.
“The way we give back to the communities and with the orphanage we visited today shows the selflessness we have as an organisation,
“The branches are doing well to establish their own what we call anchor point wish is the club house, they have already got the land and ready to develop it wish is a good achievement.
“That is what most of the branches are doing and our own headquarters which is in Abuja, we are developing as well.
“So the key thing here is that whatever we do when we find ourselves as a National Association of Seadogs, we always try to look at the communities around us to see what we can do to uplift the community which is part of what we have done today at the orphanage,” he said.
In their remarks, the Benbow Capoon, Benin Metropolis, Dr Chris Ekiyor and San Tytanik Edo Central Deck, Dr Jude Obasanmi said believing in humanity is believing in God.
They urged the rich and privileged persons in the society to support the indigents and provide care to the disadvantaged communities.
Earlier, Dirisu Odion, the Capoon Hybrid Deck, (Edo North), said the Feast of Barracuda is an annual event celebrated across the flagship of the Pyrates Confraternity with a view to interacting and feasting with families and non-members.
“The Pyrates Confraternity as you are all aware was founded in 1952 by Prof. Wole Soyinka and six others (The original seven) with the primary aim of upholding human dignity and the promotion of a just and egalitarian society where no one is a victim of colour, sex race, beliefs and tribe.
“The Feast of Barracuda Lecture is an annual series designed to identify and discuss some of the contemporary social-political or economic issues militating against the attainment of a just and egalitarian society with a view to proffering practicable solutions” he said.
Odion also said the organisation is committed to fight against injustice in the society.
“Seadogs aka Pyrates Confraternity is an international charitable and humanitarian organisation comprising of like minded, disciplined and intellectual men who are committed to fighting ills in our society,”he said.
The Edo North Capoon, who described Barracuda as a predatory marine with an elongated body and a projecting lower jaw with fangl-ike teeth, said the fish strike with its sharp teeth and it is a terror to all fisherman and seafarers.
“The fish wrecks havoc on anything that crosses its path and would not hesitate to spill blood.
“It is a thing of great joy whenever fishermen and seafarers succeed in killing the Barracuda fish.
“In the symbolic language Pyrates Confraternity, the Barracuda is metaphorical of all the constraints, challenges and ills in the society, the seadogs El-Dorado, the treasure island,” Odion said.
Highpoint of the event was the feasting of the Barracuda fish by members and non-members.
The organisation earlier visited the Itsoghena Orphanage Home where food items, educational and clothing materials were donated to the children.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria