The Anambra state government has declared Tuesday as a work-free day in honour of first Nigeria’s indigenous Governor General and President, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.
The state governor, Chief Willie Obiano, who disclosed this in a statement signed by the commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr C. Don. Adinuba, said the public holiday was to commemorate the late Azikiwe’s birthday.
Azikiwe was born on November 16, 1904 but died on May 11, 1996.
“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 farsighted achievements,” Obiano added.
He reiterated his calls on the Federal Government to declare November 16 a national holiday in memory of Azikiwe, arguing that 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.
