The Flag Foundation of Nigeria, FFN, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Director General of National Orientation Agency, NOA, for donating N30 million to support the family of late Taiwo Akinkunmi, the Nigerian flag designer.
Chris Agiri, the Director General and founder of FFN made the commendation in a statement reacting to presentation of N30 million by Lanre Issa-Onilu, the director-general of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) on behalf of the federal government to Akinkunmi’s family in Ibadan on Thursday.
Issa-Onilu said the donation was to support Akinkunmi’s family and appreciate him for his contribution to the country.
Agiri, in his statement released of Friday, said the presentation of N30 million to the family of Akinkunmi who died on August 30, 2023 was another demonstration by the Tinubu’s administration of its commitment to ensure that the labour of our past heroes are not in vain.
Agiri recalled that President Tinubu had also on September 4, 2023, sent a delegation led by Mohammed Idris, the minister of information and national orientation, on a condolence visit to the late Akinkunmi’s family in Ibadan, Oyo state capital.
Agiri, who recalled that the FFN had been at the vanguard of efforts to give national recognition and succour to the late flag designer many years before his death said though the Federal Government may have delayed in fulfilling its promise of assisting the family of Akinkunmi after his death, it is better late than never.
“Issa-Onilu was emphatic that the N30 million donation was not to pay for the services of Akinkunmi, but to support his family in appreciation of his contributions to the country.
“As an institution devoted to reawakening and instilling the essence of patriotism in Nigerians by singling out the Green-White-Green flag as the singular most powerful symbol of our national status as one strong and united people, we commended this gesture by the Tinubu’s administration.
“We also commend the Director General of NOA for his efforts to ensure that the Federal Government fulfilled its promise to the Akinkunmi’s family. This is in line with what we have worked and clamored for over the years. Thank you, President Tinubu. As FFN, we assure Nigerians of our commitment to reigniting and promoting ideals of patriotism and national pride in Nigerians,” Agiri said.