Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, marked his 89th birthday with a call to the Federal Government of Nigeria to declare a national public holiday in recognition of traditionalists across the country.
During his birthday celebration organized over the weekend, Soyinka expressed his belief that traditionalists have been overlooked and neglected for far too long in the nation. He emphasized the need for them to receive the recognition they deserve.
According to Soyinka, traditional religions should be granted annual holidays, similar to those observed by Islam and Christianity. He asserted that it was time for traditionalists to have equal time and equal space in the nation, demanding public holidays as a way to achieve this.
We’ve reached a point where we can no longer accept being treated as second-class citizens in our own nation. It is high time for us to be given the same level of respect and acknowledgment. We demand public holidays to honour our traditional religions,” Soyinka proclaimed.
Soyinka proposed that the national holiday should be observed not only by the Federal Government but also by state governments and local governments across the country. By granting such recognition, traditional religions would be afforded their rightful place in Nigerian society.
