A group, the Yoruba World Congress Worldwide (YWC), has petitioned President Bola Tinubu over the delayed burial of Nigeria's national flag designer, the late Taiwo Akinkunmi.
In an open letter to the President, the group, led by Vice President Adekunle Ogundana, urged Tinubu to intervene and enable the burial of the late icon without further delay. Akinkunmi, a native of Abeokuta in Ogun State, designed the Nigerian national flag while studying in the United Kingdom in 1958, with his design selected as the best among all submissions for the competition to create a new flag for the country ahead of its independence from colonial rule.
However, despite promises made by the federal and Oyo State governments, Akinkunmi's body has not been buried. The YWC revealed that the family of the deceased has been paying a daily mortuary bill of N2,000 without any support from the government.
The group has appealed to President Tinubu to personally intervene in the matter as a matter of urgency, so that the family can finally bury their patriarch.
In a separate statement, veteran broadcaster and former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr. Yemi Farounbi, described the situation as "tragic and unfortunate," lamenting that the government has abandoned the late flag designer even in death. Farounbi called on the government to apologize to the Akinkunmi family and ensure the late icon receives a befitting burial, noting that such neglect will not encourage patriotism and creativity among younger Nigerians.