Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and former presidential candidate, Kingsley Moghalu, has described Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka as a national treasure and global icon, saying Nigeria should accord him greater national recognition in line with the treatment reserved for distinguished personalities in other countries.
Moghalu stated this in a statement issued on Tuesday to celebrate Soyinka’s 92nd birthday, praising the literary giant’s enduring contributions to Nigeria, Africa and the global intellectual community.
Soyinka, who became the first African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986, is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost playwrights, authors, poets and public intellectuals. Beyond his literary accomplishments, he has remained a prominent voice on democracy, human rights and good governance for decades.
Paying tribute to the Nobel laureate, Moghalu stated, “Wole Soyinka is a national treasure and a global titan of immense dimensions and proportions. In certain countries, individuals who achieve what he has are greatly honoured in many formal ways, including diplomatic passports (I hope he holds, at the very least, a Nigerian diplomatic passport), honorary citizenship and so on.”
Drawing comparisons with international practice, he noted that countries often provide lasting recognition for Nobel laureates.
He continued, “In Argentina, national legislation provides any Argentinian Nobel Laureate with a lifetime pension equivalent to that of a Supreme Court Justice. I remember that, in 1986, when he won the Nobel Prize for Literature, the Military President Ibrahim Babangida fittingly sent a high-powered delegation of the Federal Government to support WS as he received his prize in Stockholm, an event that was highly covered on national television.”
Moghalu also welcomed the recent conferment of one of Nigeria’s highest national honours on Soyinka. He stated, “The national Honor of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) recently awarded to him was fitting, even if long overdue.”
Reflecting on his personal relationship with the literary icon, Moghalu expressed gratitude for Soyinka’s continued vitality and influence. The former presidential candidate also recalled Soyinka’s support for his 2019 presidential ambition.
“I am honoured to count Wole Soyinka as a senior friend, and thank God for giving him a long life, even as we pray for many more years to him. His travel and activity schedule at 92 will put many much younger people to shame! Few things have honoured me in my life as his detailed, explicit and well-argued endorsement of my presidential candidacy in Nigeria in 2019. I thank him – again,” he added.
Soyinka celebrated his 92nd birthday on Monday, July 13, drawing tributes from political leaders, academics, civil society groups and admirers across Nigeria and beyond.
Widely regarded as one of Africa’s most influential literary figures, he has authored numerous acclaimed works and continues to engage in national and international discourse on democracy, justice and human rights.
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