The Society of Young Nigerian writers whose headquarters resides in Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital has urged the outgoing Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi to honour and immortalize three Yoruba literary legends who all hailed from the pace setter state.
This was contained in a press release made available to newsmen in Ibadan on Monday by the National President of the Society, Mr. Wole Adedoyin who is also the Coordinator of Ibadan Book Club (IBC).
The three literary sage from the state according to SYNW to be honored are; Late Chief Supo Kosemani , anchor of Owe L’esin Oro (an Actor, Yoruba Proverb Expert and Yoruba Culture Advocate), Late Prof. Akinwumi Isola (Yoruba Poet, Actor, Playwright, and Novwelist) and the Late Dr. Adebayo Faleti also (an Actor, Poet and Novelist). These three literary personalities had put Yoruba literature on the World Literature Map before they died and they were all from Oyo State.
Adebayo Faleti (26 December 1921 – 23 July 2017) was Africa’s first newscaster, Africa’s first stage play Director, Africa’s first film editor and librarian with the first television station in Africa (WNTV/WNBS), Nigeria’s first Yoruba presenter on television and radio alike, a Nigerian poet, journalist, writer, Nollywood films director and actor. He was also known as a Yoruba translator, a broadcaster, TV exponent and pioneer of the first television station in Africa, Western Nigeria Television (WNTV), now known as the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
Professor Akinwunmi Isola (24 December 1939 – 17 February 2018) was a Nigerian playwright, novelist, actor, dramatist, culture activist and scholar. He was known for his writing in, and his work in promoting, the Yoruba language.
Chief Supo Kosemani, a former chairman of the Oyo State Council for Arts and Culture.
Adedoyin, finally urged the people of Yoruba speaking state to immortalize the three great sons of Oyo state by registering their works in their minds.
Yoruba language and literature is dying because governors from the Yoruba speaking states are not doing what they supposed to be doing for the writers and readers of the language, Adedoyin concluded.
