Fadlullah Sulaimon
Alake of Egbaland
“It will be appropriate for the Federal Government to adopt July 13 as a national day to celebrate Professor Wole Soyinka, given his contributions to literature and humanity globally.
Alake, the paramount ruler of Egba land of Ogun State, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, called on the Federal Government to declare July 13 Wole Soyinka Day to celebrate the invaluable contributions of the Nobel laureate to humanity both in Nigeria and globally.
Oba Gbadebo added that the renowned playwright and social justice activist deserved the second highest national honour of Grand Commander of Order of Niger.
The revered monarch made the propositions during a press conference at his palace to herald a series of events lined up to mark Soyinka’s 90th birthday.
Oba Gbadebo said already Egba land had designated July 13, which is Soyinka’s birthday, to celebrate the literary icon.
“It will be good to henceforth adopt his birthday, which is July 13, as Wole Soyinka Day. In fact, New Orleans in the United States of America has already adopted a day to celebrate him, so why can’t we do so to honour our own too?
“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 contributions, to register our dear nation on the global map,”Alake said.
Speaking at the press briefing, Oba Gbadebo described Soyinka as a global icon, a living legend, a playwright, actor, human rights and political activist, hunter and a globally respected elder statesman with roots in Ake, Abeokuta, saying that this is why the Egbaland is rolling out drums to celebrate the unquantifiable honour and glamour the famous poet has brought to his kith and kins in Ogun State.
He said that the theme for the 90th celebration of the Nobel Laureate fondly called, Kongi is “Defiance and Creativity: A Celebration of Soyinka’s Artistic Ingenuity and Impact on Nigeria, Africa and The Entire World”.
The royal father said as way to further honour the playwright, he is declaring July 13th Wole Soyinka Day and this will be celebrated by all sons and daughters of Egbaland, both at home and in diaspora.
Oba Gbadebo said, the two days celebration fixed for Friday 12th and Saturday 13th of July would feature series of events such as art exhibitions by the pupils of the primary school attended by Prof Soyinka, St Peters Primary School, Ake, Abeokuta Grammer School as well as Ogun State Chapter of Society of Nigerian Artistes.
Other programmes lined up for the celebration are cultural performances, books exhibition, documentaries on Wole Soyinka, poetry recitals as well as hunting expedition by the hunters in Egbaland among others.
The convener of the 90th birthday celebration of Wole Soyinka, Dr Paul Bankole said the essence of the celebration was to acknowledge the great contributions of the Nobel Laureate to both academically and to humanity as a whole.
Dr Bankole said he met Prof. Soyinka in 1964 in Ibadan as a young boy and that his literary journey started as a result of his encounter with him.
He said that the declaration of July 13th as Wole Soyinka Day in Egbaland by the Alake is a welcoming development and in line with the declaration of November 1st as Wole Soyinka Day in New Orleans, USA
Bankole said “I believe that people like Prof Soyinka should be celebrated while they are alive, we must not wait till they are gone before we begin to pour the accolades on them.
“Let them understand that we value them and acknowledge their unique contribution towards having a better world”.