The remains of Taiwo Akinkunmi, the designer of Nigeria’s national flag, were interred on Friday at a funeral service held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The service, which was attended by dignitaries including members of the Oyo State cabinet, former lawmakers, and security personnel, marked the final farewell to the octogenarian who passed away a year ago.
In his remarks, Acting Governor of Oyo State, Bayo Lawal, described Akinkunmi as a national figure, saying that his burial should have been a Federal Government affair. “Pa Akinkunmi represented a classic example of a national icon, and the Federal Government should not abdicate its duty to give him the deserved respect and honour, whether alive or dead,” Lawal said.
The Oyo State Government, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, noted that the commemoration of Akinkunmi’s death should be treated as a national festival. “The fact that Pa Akinkunmi hailed from this part of the country does not diminish his status as a national hero,” Oyelade said.
In his sermon, the General Secretary of GOFAMINT, Pastor Femi Omowumi, said Akinkunmi had demonstrated that one could contribute to national development without holding a political office. “His design of the national flag at the age of 23 is a testament to his patriotism and creativity,” Omowumi said.
Akinkunmi’s son, Akinwumi, expressed the family’s openness to any manner the Federal Government deemed fit to immortalize their father. The family’s gesture is seen as a call to action for the Federal Government to recognize and honor Akinkunmi’s contributions to Nigeria’s history.
The burial of Akinkunmi marks the end of an era, but his legacy lives on through the national flag, a symbol of Nigeria’s unity and identity.
