President Tinubu renames National Theatre as Wole Soyinka Centre for Arts and Culture, reveals honour in birthday tribute.
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PROFESSOR WOLE SOYINKA AT 90: TRIBUTE TO A NATIONAL TREASURE AND GLOBAL ICON
I am pleased to join admirers around the world in celebrating the 90th birthday of Nigeria's iconic son and the world-renowned Professor Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde, famously known as Wole Soyinka.
Tomorrow the 13th July will be the climax of the series of local and international activities held in his honour. To underscore the global relevance of the literary giant, a symposium, along with poetry reading was held in Rabat Morocco on 9 July. The event was organized by the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA).
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.
It is also fitting we celebrate this national treasure while he is still with us.
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.
When he turned 80, I struggled to find words to encapsulate his achievements because they were simply too vast. Since then, he has added to his corpus with his series of Interventions, which have been published in many volumes.
Professor Soyinka is a colossus, a true Renaissance person blessed with innumerable talents. He is a playwright, actor, poet, human rights and political activist, composer, and singer.
He is a giant, bestriding not just the literary world but our nation, Africa, and the world.
He remains the shining light of our nation, the gadfly that pokes our national soul, decrying tyranny and oppression, urging us to become better as a nation.
He is one Nigerian whose influence transcends the Nigerian space and who inspires people around the world. Since his youth, he has been a vocal critic of oppression and injustice wherever it exists, from apartheid in South Africa to racism in the United States. Soyinka always speaks truth to power.
Beginning in his 20s, he took personal risks for the sake of our nation. His courage was evident when he attempted to broker peace at the start of the civil war in 1967. Detained for two years for his bravery, he narrated his experience in his prison memoir, "The Man Died."
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 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.
Today, I join the world to celebrate his profound influence on generations of writers, scholars, and activists who have been inspired by his work. I celebrate him for giving us the spark to fight and confront military dictators in our country. I celebrate him for his enduring spirit and for teaching us that literature and drama can be used as a powerful tool to challenge the status quo.
I wish Professor Soyinka an incredibly happy 90th birthday.
May he continue in good health to find creative fulfilment in the next decade leading up to his centennial.
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.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria July 12, 2024
TRAFFIC PLANS FOR THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE BY THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF WORKS FOR THE DRAINAGE REHABILITATION FROM JIBOWU TO AGNES JUNCTION ON HERBERT MACAULAY WAY.
With reference to the above subject matter; the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), has strategically initiated plans to address the anticipated increase in traffic congestion in and around the project site with a robust traffic management plans.
1. ALTERNATIVE ROUTES FOR MOTORISTS, INWARD-BOUND YABATECH, SABO ENROUTE HERBERT MACAULAY WAY TO ADEKUNLE/3MB.
i. From Fadeyi-Jibowu-Muritala Mohammed Way-Montgomery Road-to link Harvey Road-to Agnes Junction, motorists will navigate through Sabo, Alagomeji to Third Mainland Bridge.
ii. Obalende bound vehicles, coming from Fadeyi to Jibowu -Muritala Mohammed Way -Yaba to link-Herbert Macaulay from Alagomeji to continue their journey to Adekunle and link Third Mainland Bridge.
For motorists coming from Mushin en-route Empire going to Obalende can use the same route to link UNILAG or Obalende.
2. LASTMA officials have been strategically positioned at various choke points to control movements of traffic and attend to any incident or emergency.
3. Personnel have been mobilized to provide information on emergencies & to give real time traffic updates on all the Agency's Social Media handles.
4. Recovery vehicles have been strategically positioned to attend to any incident real time.
5. Robust collaboration with other law enforcement and security sister Agencies to manage traffic and deal with unforeseen circumstances.
As an Agency, we apologize for any inconveniences that this closure might have caused. It is part of efforts to ensure a serene, weather-unhindered atmosphere in the city of Lagos.
UPDATE ON TRAFFIC DIVERSION AT THE STRETCH OF OSBORNE FORESHORE PHASE 1 TO ADENIJI RAMP
…LASG announces total closure for asphalt laying
The Lagos State Government has announced total closure of the stretch of Osborne Foreshore Estate phase 1 to Adeniji ramp to enable the Federal Ministry of Works lay asphalt on the section.
The closure will commence from 12 midnight on Saturday, 13th to 5am on Monday, 15th July, 2024.
Motorists are advised to use the existing alternative routes highlighted as follows;
Scene1:
Motorists from Alexander/Glover are to make use of Oba Adeyinka Oyekan Avenue inwards Ikoyi to connect Obalende/Ring Road and access 3rd Mainland Bridge for their desired destinations.
Scene 2:
Motorists from Victoria Island are expected to go through Falomo Roundabout to link Awolowo Road and access 3rd Mainland Bridge for their desired destinations.
Alternately, Motorists from Victoria Island can also utilize Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue to link Mekunwen Bridge and proceed to CMS/Apongbon Bridge inwards Eko Bridge to access Funsho Williams Avenue for their desired destinations.
For the closure period, Motorists on the other side from Sura Bridge will have seamless traffic flow inbound Osborne Foreshore Estate.
ADVISORY: Motorists are implored to be patient as the closure is part of the traffic management plans for an improved journey experience.
Kano citizens began tagging the government, the governor and other prominent citizens of Kano. They also went to the Wise Nigeria's social media accounts to condemn them.
Wise Nigeria changed its bio and removed the term LGBTQ from them (see third and fourth screenshots).
An alarm was raised about the activities of an NGO in Kano. The NGO is called Wise Nigeria. People flocked to its social media accounts and website where they found an interview with an official of the Kano Hisbah (Hisbah is the morality police that is tasked with the enforcement of Sharia Law). The official seemed to be promoting LGBTQ in the video. He was speaking in the English Language in the video.
…bans all activities of NGO promoting LGBTQ in Kano
By Bashir Bello, KANO
The Commander General of Kano State Hisbah Board, Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, said the board will charge personnel, Idris Ahmed Gama to court in connection with a trending video supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer, LGBTQ.
The Hisbah personnel was said to have been seen in a video going viral on social media where he was supporting LGBTQ after attending a program organized by a Non-Governmental Organization, NGO promoting LGBTQ.
Sheikh Daurawa while speaking with newsmen, said the personnel attached to the board’s clinic will be transferred to the disciplinary section for interrogation and subsequently charged to court.
According to him, “As you have heard from him (Idris). He was invited to the event in his capacity but he got there and introduced himself as Hisbah official. This is our greatest concern as it is a grievous offence. This is against the laid down rules and regulations of Hisbah. So, therefore, we will transfer him to a disciplinary section of the board for interrogation and thereafter be charged to court.
“We call on our personnel across the 44 LGAs to avoid or desist any interaction with NGO promoting activities of LGBT. Whoever is found wanting will be sanction according to rules and regulations guiding operations of Hisbah,” he said.
Sheikh Daurawa continued when he said it has banned all activities of Non Governmental Organization, NGO promoting activities of LGBT in the state while maintaining it stand against the practice which contravenes the Shari’a laws.
The Hisbah boss who said it has clamped down on many NGO promoting LGBTQ hinted that the NGO hide under disguise of empowerment and support to lure people into the ungodly practices.
“They (NGO) are targeting to takeover 12 states that are Shariah compliant including Kano. They are splashing money on women and youth taking advantage of the situation of poverty in the land,” Sheikh Daurawa noted.
When interviewed by newsmen, the Hisbah personnel, Idris Ahmed Gama explained that he was invited via Whatsapp message to attend a workshop on a Women’s Empowerment programme and in another section a paper was presented on human rights.
He explained that, after the programme, he was interviewed where he mentioned the LGBTQ acronym without knowing its full meaning, maintaining that he did not belong to any group or association advocating LGBTQ rights.
“The event took place some two to three years back when I was invited for a two days workshop and after the event I was interviewed on how the police arrested LGBTQ members and I said it was a violation of human rights without knowing the full meaning of LGBTQ,” he said, as he appealed for leniency and promised never to associate with the group anymore.
Jennifer Onyi Echegini (JOE) was the best young player in Serie A last season, despite only arriving at Juventus in January.
Before moving to Juventus, she had won the MAC Hermann Trophy for the best player in the US university system.
There have been rumours for several weeks that she was moving to Juventus and some Juve fans were unhappy that she was moving after only staying at Juve for a short time (some accused her of only being interested in money).
She wrote this letter to Juve fans a few days ago when she announced that she was leaving.
Politics › President Tinubu Renames National Theatre As Wole Soyinka Centre For Arts by naptu2(op): 12:55pm On Jul 12, 2024*. Modified: 1:48pm On Jul 12, 2024
