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The paramount ruler of Egbaland in Ogun State, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, has called on the Federal Government to declare July 13 Wole Soyinka Day.
The monarch said the date should be designated to the literary icon to acknowledge his contribution to humanity in Nigeria and the world.
Oba Gbadebo also said Soyinka deserved the second highest national honour of Grand Commander of Order of Niger.
The traditional ruler made the propositions at his palace on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, during a press conference ahead of the Nobel Laureate’s 90th birthday.
He said in Egbaland, July 13, which is Soyinka’s birthday, had already been designated to celebrate the literary icon.
“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.
“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,” the monarch said.
According to the monarch, Friday, July 12, and Saturday, July 13, had been fixed for art exhibitions by the pupils of St. Peters Primary School, Ake, and Abeokuta Grammar School, Soyinka’s alma maters to celebrate him.
Other events lined up for Soyinka’s 90th birthday include book exhibitions, documentaries on the literary icon, poetry recitation, and a hunting expedition by the hunters in Egbaland.