What causes delay in reaching out to family of National Flag designer, late Akinkunmi - NOA DG - NEWS FRONTIER DAILY

Breaking

Thursday, January 30, 2025

What causes delay in reaching out to family of National Flag designer, late Akinkunmi - NOA DG




.......as FG donates N30m to the family  



The Federal Government on Thursday donated N30m to the family of renowned National Flag designer, late Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi two years after his death.

The Director-General, National Orientation Agency, NOA, Mallam  Lanre Issa- Onilu accompanied by the Oyo State Director, NOA, Olukemi Afolayan, made the official presentation of the cheque on behalf of the federal government at the Elebu, Ibadan residence on the late national hero. 

Recalled that late Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi died on August 29, 2023 at the age of 87.

On September 4, 2023, President Bola Tinubu sent a federal government delegation led by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Malagi on a condolence visit where it pledged to give the late Nigerian hero a national burial and financial support to the family. 

The NOA DG explained that the delay in reaching out to the family was due to exchange of baton from the immediate-past Director General of the agency to him which slowed the process of finalising arrangements to appreciate the family for Pa Akinkunmi's  contributions to the country. 

"We are here in the home of a great citizen of this country who developed the national flag that we all know as green, white, green that we use up till today."

"Entries were made by several Nigerians and his was considered as most representative of who we are as a people.Sixty four years after, we are still using that flag shows the creativity and ingenuity of this very important Nigerian."

"I am aware, even though I wasn't appointed as Director General of the NOA that time, that the President gave a directive that this place should be visited and that government must commiserate with this great Nigerian and the Minister of Information with the then Director-General of the NOA, and they came to commiserate with the family."

"The transition which led to my appointment and resumption, delayed the process of finalising  the government effort at showing appreciation to the family." 

"Baba had passed, but he left very great Nigerians behind who are his children and other members of his family. We are here to commiserate with them and particularly to celebrate the life of this great Nigerian because it is a privilege to have your name entrenched permanently in the history of your country and this family shall continue to be appreciated and remain forever, a constant and legendary in our history as a country."

"On behalf of the federal government, on the directive of President Bola Tinubu , we wish to present just a token of appreciation to this family. This appreciation will be a continuous thing," he said.

He enjoined the family to keep up the legacy late Pa Akinkunmi left behind. 

Responding, one of the deceased children, Akinwunmi Akinkunmi, expressed gratitude to both the federal and state governments for their support, noting that the gesture was an indication that the nation aknowleged their late farther's contributions to the nation. 

Earlier, the DG had paid a working visit to the Akinyele trailer Park where he enlightened residents of Ibadan against the scooping of petrol from crashed tankers, warning against the inherent dangers.

Mallam  Issa-Onilu noted that Nigerians have lost their lives in many parts of the country while scooping petrol from tankers that involved in crashes.

He said "many Nigerians have lost their lives to fuel tanker explosions with the latest in Enugu State, claiming the lives of no fewer than 18 persons.

"The Enugu incident followed a similar incident in Niger where more than 80 persons reportedly lost their lives while scooping fuel from crashed tanker."

"Scooping petrol was akin to stealing and was fraught with dangers."

He advised Nigerians not to act ignorantly, adding that scooping fuel from fallen tankers is like a death-wish.

"Tanker crisis has been a serious concern to the federal government, most especially the after-effects of it because it not only affects the immediate environment but the entire ecosystem and it has caused damage to the economy of this country, and we don’t want it to continue."

"Some States in the country have experienced these crashes and the experience is not palatable, especially for the men with young wives and children. We want to advise people to stop scooping and stealing what does not belong to them.

He said to this end, the agency has produced jingles in 70 languages, while partnering with Channels Television.

Issa-Onilu said the campaign is on attitudinal change that hopes Nigerians will live up to the moral standards, expected of them.

"We are telling our people that if it ever happens, please don’t go there. Immediately, you see the product flowing from the tanker, run for your dear life," he said.

No comments:

Post a Comment