Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State government on Monday declared Tuesday, November 16, 2021, as a public holiday in honour of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, who was born on November 16, 1904.
This was announced on Monday in a statement signed by Mr C. Don Adinuba, the state commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment.
The statement reads, “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,” he said.
The Governor who had in previous years called on the Federal Government further reiterated his call for the FG to declare November 16 a national holiday in memory of The Great Zik of Africa.
Governor Obiano noted, ” 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,” he said.
This year, however makes it the third year the Anambra State government would be observing the birthday anniversary.
