The Alake and Paramount ruler of Egba Land, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare July 13 a national day to honor Prof. Wole Soyinka’s contributions to humanity.
He also suggested that Soyinka be awarded the second highest national honor, Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, as the Nobel Laureate celebrates his 90th birthday.
Oba Gbadebo made this appeal on Tuesday during a press conference to announce events marking Soyinka’s milestone birthday.
The royal father proclaimed July 13th as ‘Wole Soyinka Day’, to be celebrated by the sons and daughters of Egba land both at home and abroad.
The two-day celebration, scheduled for Friday, July 12th and Saturday, July 13th, is themed “Defiance and Creativity: A Celebration of Soyinka’s Artistic Ingenuity and Impact on Nigeria, Africa and The Entire World.”
The event will feature art exhibitions by students from St. Peter’s Primary School, Abeokuta Grammar School, and the Ogun State Chapter of the Society of Nigerian Artists.
Oba Gbadebo stated, “It will be appropriate for the Federal Government to adopt July 13 as a national day to celebrate Prof. Wole Soyinka, given his contributions to literature and humanity globally.
New Orleans in the United States of America has already adopted a day to celebrate him, so why can’t we do so to honor our own too?”
Other programs planned for the celebration include cultural performances, book exhibitions, documentaries on Wole Soyinka, poetry recitals, and a hunting expedition by Egbaland hunters, among others.
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate