Their is a debate currently going whether the governemnt and the people of nigeria owe taiwo Akinkumi. The pros argue that the man is suffering in abject poverty, his children unemployed while the govt and the people of nigeria carry his intellectual property around the world. they argue that we should compensate the poor man.

the antis say he was given 100 pounds in 1960. they said any idiot could paint a piece green white green. they think the man is blackmailing the nation and her nationals.

where do you belong? and what do you think we can do for the poor, dying, helpless man?

I was very disturbed the say I saw the old man on NTA. There is no harm in the government helping him and his children. Do not discount or downplay what he did. Like it or not, its Nigeria's flag (as of today).

No We dont! How is he more qualified that those who fought the civil war for the country. Whne the East tried to break away but unsuccessful, the Biafran war was fought by people who lost their lives. Why is he more worthy . He failed to prepare in his life. He has been "dashed" every now and then, hence him coming back for more.

Tell him to move on!

@Poster

I agree with Niyyie. There is no harm in government assisting him. After all he has done a service to the nation. There are many other people who have been in government since Independence to date that are supposed to have served us. Instead of serving us they have looted the treasury.

If government can help him, why not? It is because of such situations that make it difficult for Nigerians to be patriotic.

Its a pity that the man and his children are living in poverty, Nigerian govt can do something to help him

I really do feel for the guy

We don't owe him a dime. British and America flag designers re they millionaires? Taiwo or what his name is, had received his full due 100 pounds in cold cash in the sixties well manged could have made him a billionaire.
I strongly feel his aura on the nation flag should be exorcised. In view of these Nigeria flag should be redesigned for our nation's skirt has been splattered with blood, our innocence is far gone, our green has represented hunger, our horse and eagle has become wolves and jackals.

If you want him to be helped, then go ahead and help him. Why must everything be the duty of "government"?

Seun:

If you want him to be helped, then go ahead and help him. Why must everything be the duty of "government"?

True sha, loadz'a private individual have the resources to give him a better life. If he was paid at the time then he really should not be complaining at this time. I want to believe it was a once-and-for-all payment agreement, not a lifeftime one. If NTA and co feel sorry for his present state, they should do something, not government. Government has adopted his design and paid him already.

hmmm, green white green, wow! rather creative huh? infact the guy is genius, i dont think anyone else could have come up with such colours, not even einstein.


please if the guy needs help, let him say so. do u know how much £100 was worth then. he accepted it, didn't he? i think we should respect him only because those colours are the nigerian brand around the world. but he really shouldnt fuss it. if so, the men who wrote the anthem, the cost of arms and the one who drew the first map of nigeria can come along and get some

the man won contract, and he was paid for the contract . end of story.

This is ridiculous!
He was paid hugely for work in the 60s.
I will advice him to go and rest, after all most families of soldiers and police officer that lost their lives on duty are not even remembered by the government.

Anything d govt or any body does for him is charity, he is owed NOTHING

@ postors,

i feel we (nigerians) owe him alot as long as we carry his "intellectual property" as our national flag. he designed the flag with the creative power of his brain, i will suggest that the man be paid N100 (one hundred naira) on each nigerian flag hoisted per day. .

it seems token ehn? count the number of nigerian flags being hoisted per day around the world and multiply by one hundred naira and see if the guy would still be poor.

Its sad that the way I'll remember the man who designed the national flag is a LAZY MAN, cos thats what he is, unless his poverty was as a result of an inevitable disaster. What were the terms of his contract then? " design the flag and Nigeria will take care of you for the rest of your life"? Its attitudes like this that fosters the militancy mentality in the Niger-Delta, nobody sees his failure as a function of his wrong decisions but of the government. HAS HE BEEN SURVIVING ON THE 100 POUNDS? He was an artist, was Leonardo da Vinci sponsored by the Italian Govt the rest of his life? The bible says a man who cannot take care of his family is worse than an infidel, what legacy is he leaving for his children- poverty? He could have made himself relevant to the nation after the flag but chose irrelevant obscurity, abeg no food for lazyman ojare!