Anambra State Government has declared November 16 public holiday to honour their first President of Nigeria, late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.
Governor Willie Obiano said it will be right for President Muhammadu Buhari to do the same.
The late Owelle of Onitsha, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, was born in Zungeru, Niger State, on November 16, 1904.
In a statement Monday in Awka, Obiano said it would be a work-free day to honour the man referred to as Zik of Africa
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.”
Obiano reiterated his call on the Federal Government to declare November 16 a national holiday in memory of The Great Zik of Africa.
He 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.
