Saki, one of the communities in the Oke-Ogun region of Oyo State has announced the death of a Professor and Princess of the Kingdom; Professor Dns Felicia Adebola Adedoyin who wrote the National pledge.
The statement reads, ” This is to announce the glorious home call of our Golden daughter, Professor Dns Felicia Adebola Adedoyin, the illustrious daughter of Saki, from the Ọ̀KẸ̀RẸ̀ – IJILATUBI Royal Family and the one who wrote the Nigerian Pledge- which occurred on Saturday, 1st May, 2021 . She was aged 82 years. Nigeria lost a legend; we joined SAKITES to morn and commiserate with the family.”
The Nigerian National Pledge was created by an eminent Nigeria; Prof (Mrs.) Felicia Adebola Adedoyin in 1976. Professor Adedoyin who was born on the 6th of November 1938 is the 2nd of 6 Children and a princes from the Iji ruling house of Shaki in Shaki West LG, Oke Ogun area of Oyo State.
Her children were already acquainted with reciting the Oath of Allegiance in their school in New York, USA and also the State Pledge(Which was introduced on 1 June, 1976) in Achimotu School in Accra Ghana. Instinctively, out of childhood inquisitiveness and assertiveness, they sought to know why they didn’t recite any Pledge while they were in Nigeria. Of course their mother told them the home truth; their fatherland had no National Pledge. They eventually provided the necessary challenge that propelled their mother to conceive and originate a National Pledge for Nigeria, which she achieved in June 1976. Her creative work while aged 38, was featured in the Daily Times of July 15, 1976 in an article titled “Loyalty to the Nation, Pledge”.
Barrister Adewusi who was a mutual friend of the Adedoyins and Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, read the Daily Times article and eventually presented it to Obasanjo in August 1976. Gen. Obasanjo, who was then Head of State, accepted the work and modified it.
In September 1976, he decreed that all school children should recite the Pledge in their assemblies daily. Gen. Obasanjo acknowledged this rare feat in his book “Not My Will” (1990 at pg. 118).
The Pledge
“I pledge to Nigeria my country,
to be faithful, loyal and honest.
To serve Nigeria will all my strength,
to defend her unity,
uphold her honour and glory,
so help me God.”
Nigeria would forever be grateful to the ingenuity of this illustrious daughter of Saki kingdom who registered her name in the historical book of the country.
