Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, the Alake of Egba Land, has urged President Bola Tinubu to announce July 13 as the national day to celebrate the works of the first Nobel Laureate in Africa, Professor Wole Soyinka, on humanity, locally and internationally.
The Ogun monarch also called on the federal government to honour Soyinka with the award of the second highest national honour of Grand Commander of Order of Niger as the playwright clocked 90 on July 13.
According to The Punch, Gbadebo declared that the Egba people had already declared that July 13, the professor’s birthday, would be declared as Wole Soyinka Day from then on.
He added that the move was to further promote Soyinka’s ideals and excellent scholarship for the coming generation.
According to the monarch, Soyinka is the first African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. He is an international playwright who is accepted worldwide and deserves to be honoured in his country.
The traditional ruler stated this at a press conference in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, on Tuesday, July 2. He said a series of events were lined up for the Nobel Prize winner’s 90th birthday celebration.
Alake described Soyinka as an icon who is globally accepted as a living legend. He said the playwright, actor, political and human rights activist, hunter, and elder statesman is globally respected, with his roots in Ake, Abeokuta.
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