Newsone reports that the Anambra State Government on Monday, November 15, declared Tuesday November 16 public holiday to honour their first President of Nigeria, late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.
This online news platform understands that Governor Willie Obiano said the Tuesday November 16 public holiday declaration made by his administration will be right for Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari to do the same.
Newsone Nigeria recalls that the late Owelle of Onitsha, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, was born in Zungeru, Niger State, on November 16, 1904.
Governor Obiano in a statement Monday in Awka, the Anambra State capital, said it would be a work-free day to honour the man referred to as Zik of Africa.
Nnam.di Azikiwe
The statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C Don Adinuba, reads: “Tuesday, November 16, 2021, has been declared a work-free day in Anambra in honour of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s first president who was born on November 16, 1904.
“This is the third consecutive year Anambra State is observing the birthday anniversary of the man who led Nigeria to independence on October 1, 1960, and is popularly known as The Great Zik of Africa because of his extraordinary Pan-African vision and commitment.
“It was the Great Zik of Africa who inspired such outstanding Pan-African leaders as Dr Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana who led his country to freedom from colonial rule on March 6, 1957
“Zik, who was born in Zungeru in Niger State and grew up in Calabar and Lagos, studied various disciplines in the United States and remains the most urbane, cosmopolitan and intellectually engaging of all Nigerian leaders.
“He remains an unrivalled trailblazer, having established Nigeria’s first indigenous bank, African Continental Bank and Nigeria’s first indigenous university, University of Nigeria at Nsukka, among other monumental and far-sighted achievements.”
Governor Obiano reiterated his call on the Federal Government to declare November 16 a national holiday in memory of The Great Zik of Africa.
The Anambra State Governor argued that the Ghanaians observe the birthday of Dr Nkrumah as a national holiday like Tanzanians observe President Julius Nyerere’s birthday as a national holiday.
“It is a huge national embarrassment that Nigeria has yet to declare November 16 a national holiday,” Obiano said on the Tuesday November 16 public holiday declaration made by his administration.