The government of Anambra State led by has declared Tuesday, November 16 as a public holiday.
A statement on Monday by the State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr C. Don Adinuba said the public holiday is in honour of the birthdate of Nigeria’s first president, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe.
Azikwe was born on Novermber 16, 1904.
The statement also called on the federal government of Nigeria to declare every November 16 as a national public holiday.
It added that countries such as Ghana and Tanzania observe the birthdays of their national leaders who made huge contributions in freeing them from colonial rule and making them what they are today as national holidays.
The Anambra government statement reads in part: ”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.”
“After all, the Ghanaians observe the birthday of Dr Nkrumah as a national holiday, just the way 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,” it added.
