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Anambra Government Honours Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Declares Tuesday Public Holiday

Published

2 years ago

November 15, 2021

Anambra State government has declared Tuesday, November 16, 2021, as a public holiday in honour of the birthday of the first president of Nigeria, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.
Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, who was born on November 16, 1904 in Niger State and he went on to achieve great things for the people of his state in becoming the first president..

The state commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr C. Don Adinuba issued a statement that gave credence to the fact that Azikiwe ought to be celebrated like a national hero.

Some of the achievements of Azikiwe include, establishing Nigeria’s first indigenous bank, African Continental Bank and Nigeria’s first indigenous university, University of Nigeria at Nsukka, among others.

The statement read: “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”, Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State declared in a statement signed on his behalf by the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba.

“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.”

“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.”