President Bola Tinubu has renamed the national theatre in Lagos after Wole Soyinka.
Tinubu made the announcement in a birthday message to the
Nobel laureate who turns 90 on July 13.
“It is also fitting we celebrate this national treasure
while he is still with us,” Tinubu said.
“I am, accordingly, delighted to announce the decision of
the Federal Government to rename the National Theatre in Iganmu, Surulere, as
the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts.
“We do not only celebrate Soyinka’s remarkable literary
achievements but also his unwavering dedication to the values of human dignity
and justice.”
The president added that “Professor Soyinka, the first
African to win the Nobel Literature Prize in 1986, deserves all the accolades
as he marks the milestone of 90 years on earth”.
“Having beaten prostate cancer, this milestone is a fitting
testament to his ruggedness as a person and the significance of his work,” he
said.
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In 2005, the professor served on the Encyclopædia Britannica
editorial board of advisors.
Soyinka was also in the proverbial trenches as activists
battled the military to enthrone democracy.
“Beginning from his 20s, he took personal risks for the sake
of our nation,” the president said.
“His courage was evident when he attempted to broker peace
at the start of the civil war in 1967.
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“Despite deprivation and solitary confinement, his resolve
to speak truth to power and fight for the marginalized was further
strengthened.
“His early writing, such as ‘The Lion and the Jewel,’ ’Death
and the King’s Horseman’, not only testified to his mastery of language, his
innovative storytelling, but also his unflinching commitment to enthroning a
fair and just society.
“Our paths crossed during our just struggle for the
enthronement of democracy in Nigeria following the annulment of the June 12,
1993 presidential election.
“When faced with a trial in absentia and death sentence by
the military regime at home, he galvanized opposition in exile through NALICON
and NADECO.
“His global stature
made him the face of our struggle to validate June 12 and restore democracy in
Nigeria.”
Tinubu described Soyinka as a Nigerian whose influence
transcends the country, noting his criticisms of the then-apartheid era in
South Africa and racism in the US.
“I wish Professor
Soyinka an incredibly happy 90th birthday,” Tinubu said.
“May he continue to inspire us all to build a nation where
people are free from oppression and our teeming youths can live up to their
dreams without being a wasted generation.”
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