Honour at long last for designer of Nigerian flag

President Goodluck Jonathan has honoured Pa Taiwo Akinkumi, the designer of the Nigerian national flag.

Akinkunmi’s design in 1960 was adjudged the best among more than 2000 entries for the prestigious national flag design competition, which held at Norwich Technical College in 1958.

Although he received a reward of £100 for the feat, the 81-year-old has lived the last few decades in penury in Ibadan, capital of Oyo state for several years.

In a 2006 interview, Akinkumi said he was looking forward to being acknowledged by the government.

“I was in London when I received the prize of £100 and I’ve not received any award or national honour since the time I came back to the country,” he said.

“Although I received a lot of congratulatory messages from different set of people, I’m still expecting the government of Nigeria to honour me with any national honor.”

However, on Monday, Jonathan conferred on him the honour of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) and directed his chief of staff to place him “forever” on a salary equivalent to that of a special assistant to the president.

The president showered encomiums on Akinkunmi and other awardees, emphasising the importance of rewarding acts that place the country in good light.

“Today, I am glad to perform the duty of honouring our deserved citizens for 2013 and 2014,” he said.

“The national honour ceremony is undertaken yearly in conformity with our laws. It’s an annual ritual of renewal in which our society constantly connects with its higher value. A nation is void if it does not have those sacred values it holds dear and individuals who project them.”

Jonathan challenged the committee that organised the programme to ensure that outstanding citizens deserving of the awards across different sectors are not left out.

He also encouraged members of the public to be involved in the process of nominating Nigerians deserving the award.

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