Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, the Alake of Egba Land, has urged President Bola Tinubu to declare July 13 a national day to honor Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka’s contributions to mankind on a national and worldwide scale.

Gbadebo also urged that the Federal Government should present Soyinka with the second highest national honour of Grand Commander of the Order of Niger as the Nobel laureate celebrates his 90th birthday.

The Traditional Rulers stated that Egba land has already determined that the Nobel laureate’s birthday, July 13, will be honored as Wole Soyinka Day from now on. This, he stated, was to foster his principles and high scholarship disposition in the coming generation.

The monarch also added that Soyinka, as the first African Nobel Prize winner in Literature and a renowned dramatist sought after all over the world, deserved to be honored in his home country. Gbadebo made the call on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 at a news conference in Abeokuta, Capital of Ogun State, to kick off a series of festivities commemorating the 90th birthday of the first African Nobel Prize recipient in Literature.

He referred to Soyinka as a global icon, a living legend, a playwright, actor, human rights and political activist, a hunter, and a globally known elder statesman with origins in Ake, Abeokuta. This, he said, is why the Egba people are playing drums to commemorate the honor and splendor that the famous poet has given to his family and friends in Ogun State.

He also said that the subject for the Nobel Laureate’s 90th birthday, known as Kongi, is “Defiance and Creativity: A Celebration of Soyinka’s Artistic Ingenuity and Impact on Nigeria, Africa, and the Entire World”. The King stated, “It will be suitable for the Federal Government to mark July 13 as a national day to commemorate Prof Wole Soyinka’s contributions to literature and humanity worldwide.

“In fact, New Orleans in the United States of America has already designated a day to honor him, so why can’t we do the same for our own? The Federal Government should also in addition to this confer on Wole Soyinka the second highest national honour of Grand Commander of Order of Niger because of his contribution to register our dear nation on the global map.”

Paul Bankole, the organizer of Soyinka’s 90th birthday celebration, stated that the purpose of the event was to recognize Soyinka’s achievements to academia and mankind in general. Bankole stated, “I believe that people like Professor Soyinka should be appreciated while they are still alive. We must not wait till they are gone before we begin to pour accolades on them. Let them understand that we value them and acknowledge their unique contribution towards having a better world,”

Read Also: Kogi State Confirms Two Cholera Cases, Sets Up Response Team