Group seeks national relevance for satire writing

Punocracy, a Nigerian satirical platform, has organised the second edition of its annual award ceremony for satire writing.

The event which was held in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, on Monday, was in commemoration of the ‘World Day of Satire’.

The platform had earlier announced the winners of the prize, which was judged by Elnathan John, a Germany-based Nigerian author of the satirical blockbuster, ‘Be(com)ing Nigerian’; and Chuma Nwokolo, a lawyer, publisher, and author who authored ‘The Ghost of Sani Abacha’.

The trio of Oluwatimilehin Odueso, Favour Olajide, and Solomon Nzere emerged first, second and third respectively.

With support from Goethe Institute, the three winners were respectively awarded cash prizes of N70,000, N50,000, and N30,000, and Light Multifarious Bookstore complemented the awards with book prizes.

Candidates in the honourable mentions, Jummah Mujeeb and Fatimah Otukoya, each got a cash prize of N10,000 and a certificate for their entries in the newly introduced visual art category.

Commenting on the entries, John commended the entrants for their grasp of the use of wit, sarcasm, exaggeration and irony, which are key elements of satire, in telling their stories.

“Good satire not only ridicules our political failures or cultural foibles. It is also a call to action. For satire to be this call to action, it must avoid things which may distract from this engagement,” he said.

“Satire can be subtle or brutal, and can use various styles, but it always has a serious concern. It cannot be flippant. Like a person wielding a weapon, every stroke must be deliberate or one risks harming the wrong person or harming oneself.”

Nwokolo also noted that satire must reflect a distaste for certain societal norms, but first, its delivery must be one to make the public think.

In his opening remark, ‘Kunle Adebajo, the group’s lead, emphasized the need for satire in the contemporary Nigerian society and the world.

He said that the goal of Punocracy is to make satire a widely accepted and understood tool for driving social change, correcting ills, and reducing political apathy, especially among the youth.