Nigerian youths have been urged to make use of their youthful age to guide the advocacy in direction of bringing about a greater Nigeria of their dream.
Former Particular Adviser to the President on Political Issues, Senator Babafemi Ojudu who gave the cost, additionally counselled the younger folks to emulate the zeal and dedication of Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka in preventing for good governance as a youthful citizen.
Senator Ojudu who as soon as represented Ekiti Central on the Nationwide Meeting, stated younger folks shouldn’t be ready for leaders to guide them within the demand for social justice, however ought to arise and demand good governance from their leaders because the literary icon did throughout his youthful days.
Ojudu spoke in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital on the weekend when he hosted an occasion to have fun the ninetieth birthday anniversary of Soyinka alongside different literary students and lovers.
The occasion tagged: “Ekiti Celebrates Turning Pages @ 90. A Tribute to WS’ Arts/Legacies” was organised in collaboration with Ekiti E-book Membership, Affiliation of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Ekiti chapter; Ekiti State Tourism Company, and the Ekiti State Affiliation of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria, that includes presentation of assorted literary and inventive shows in honour of the celebrated nonagenarian.
The famend journalist who counseled President Bola Tinubu for honouring Soyinka by renaming the Nationwide Theater in Lagos after him, stated, “These are the folks we needs to be honouring. The individuals who have given a lot to this nation; the people who find themselves good examples and function mannequin to our kids, not people who find themselves wealthy and their cash will simply be for some time.”
Ojudu described Soyinka as a hero who deserved to be celebrated each day for his contributions not solely to the literary house, however for his efforts at entrenching democracy and its values within the nation and past.
Noting that Soyinka may not have seen a rustic he wished for when it comes to social, financial and political developments, that former presidential aide stated he has performed his greatest for Nigeria, “and let our younger ones begin advocating for a greater Nigeria and never watch for a 90-year-old man to guide protest for them.”
He added, “He (Soyinka) by no means gave up even on the face of persecution and arrest, he continued to battle for a greater Nigeria. He fought for the democracy we’re having fun with immediately and I don’t assume there’s every other Nigerian like him when it comes to the duties he has given himself to delivery a greater nation.
“He’s 90 however Nigeria isn’t but a rustic he wished however he has performed his personal. After I noticed some younger males condemning him of not preventing the current authorities and I requested them when you’ve got a grandfather who’s 90. Will you need him within the streets carrying placards?
“I inform them to go and battle for a greater Nigeria; Soyinka began concerning the age of 20. You don’t must name an outdated man to battle your battle for you. He has performed his personal for us as a rustic. Let our younger ones take over in direction of attaining a higher nation.
“Soyinka battle for the folks, he battle towards oppression, injustices. All of these issues are nonetheless in our society. So Soyinka will develop into an emblem for preventing all of these ills within the society. It’s a journey, it’s not a vacation spot, we should proceed to refine our system, we should proceed to intention and construct a greater society and that’s what immediately stands for.”
Talking on celebration of the nonagenarian within the state, Ojudu stated, “To start with, let me say I handed by way of Soyinka as a pupil of College of Ife, I’ve additionally been concerned with him within the wrestle for a greater Nigeria. Past that’s the truth that he belongs to humanity, to the Africa, to the world and to Nigeria, and Ekiti is a part of the world. Ekiti is a state that is called fountain of data and Soyinka symbolises information. So, we imagine that If he’s being celebrated in all a part of the world, he needs to be celebrated right here as nicely.
“Aside from the truth that his conglobe is ‘Eni Ogun’ and ‘Ogun’ is from right here, so we imagine that there’s a place which we undertake him as our personal in continuation of the custom of Ogun. And I hope you recognize what Ogun symbolises, it symbolises creativity, braveness, revolution and people are the qualities we admired in him and that’s the reason he’s being celebrated.”
Of their separate remarks, the president of Ekiti E-book Membership, Adesina Adetola; chairman tourism practitioners, Dr Abigail Olagbaye; chairman of ANA, Dr Olugbenga Daramola and the DG of state Bureau of tourism growth, Wale Ojo-Lanre counseled Senator Ojudu for internet hosting the occasion, noting that Soyinka remained Africa’s well-known literary icon who deserved to be celebrated by the folks.
