Anambra declares Monday public holiday in honour of Zik – TheNigerialawyer

The Government of Anambra State has declared Monday, November
18, 2019 a Public Holiday in honour of the great Owelle of Onitsha,
Right Honourable Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe. Following this declaration,
Monday, November 18, 2019 shall be observed as a work free day in
Anambra State.

The Public Holiday which was declared to mark the birthday of
Nigeria’s only indigenous Governor General and pioneer President
should have held on his actual birthday which is Saturday, November
16, but has to be observed on Monday November 18 for obvious
reasons.

A statement from the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of
Anambra State, Mr James Eze says that the declaration came on the
heels of repeated appeals by the governor of Anambra State, Chief
Willie Obiano to the Federal Government to declare a national
public holiday in honour of the great Zik as has been done for
other illustrious leaders across the continent who led their
respective countries from the shackles of colonial rule to
independence.

According to him, Governor Obiano had used the opportunity of
the commissioning of Zik Mausoleum in January this year to appeal
that Nigeria should set aside a Public Holiday in honour of the
great Zik just as Ghana did for Kwame Nkrumah, as Kenya did for
Jomoh Kenyatta, as Tanzania did for Julius Nyerere and as Angola
did for Agostinho Neto.

He pointed out that the Great Zik of Africa had so much
influence on the nationalist struggles for independence across
Africa and played a unique brand of all inclusive politics that
left no place for ethnicity and religion all of which make the case
for a national day in his honour very compelling.

Therefore, from this year onwards, November 16 has been set
aside in Anambra State to commemorate Right Hon Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe,
celebrate his legacies and reflect on the ideals and values that
the great statesman lived and died for.

It is expected that in blazing the trail by setting a day aside
for Zik, Anambra State Government is making the case for a national
holiday in honour of Zik a compelling one.

It must be remembered that the Great Zik of Africa was one of
the greatest Pan-Africanists who devoted his life and times to the
struggle for the emancipation of Africa and people of African
descent.

Till today, Zik remains the only Nigerian President who spoke
Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba fluently and the only one whose children
bore names that reflect the three major ethnic groups in the
country.

In addition, Zik made great sacrifices and placed his life in so
many grave dangers while leading the struggle for Nigeria’s
independence and he also made so many concessions and compromises
after independence to give Nigeria the chance she deserved.

A national public holiday in his honour is therefore an
equivalent of giving honour to whom it is due.