Holiday, according to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary is “a period of time when you are not at work or school, a period of time spent traveling or resting away from home”.
Holidays could be national holidays which the Federal Ministry of Interior is directly responsible for its announcement and state holidays such as commemoration of a state creation or any crucial event that desires such vacation.
Holidays rarely take above three days consecutively, as the case maybe.
Under the Nigeria 1999 Constitution, provisions were made in item 51 Part 1 of the Exclusive List in the Second Schedule of Legislative Powers for a declaration of public holidays by the Federal government while the governors have no powers as to the number of days to observe such holiday even as provided in the Public Holiday acts. Usually holiday takes a day or two depending on its kind.
Penultimate week the economy of Rivers State witnessed a drop as business activities were paralyzed following the sudden declaration of one week holidays by Rivers State Government.
The holidays were declared purportedly to mark the one hundred years of Port Harcourt City of existence.
But the truth is that there was no tangible or better still, activities that would have warranted such holidays in the state.
According to passerby, it was only the health walk which was recorded and attended with low turnout and beauty pageant, held on November 15th that took the entire week.
Frankly speaking, Port Harcourt is the capital city of Rivers State ,but not the only ancient city in Rivers State, think of Buguma, Bori and etc.
Can the Rivers State Government irrespective of who occupies the exalted throne organizes and declares such holidays for any other ancient city in the state when its 100years and above will be celebrated?
While few benefiting individuals applauded the declaration of the holidays, the majority including the civil servants did not only murmur, nag, but expressed dissatisfaction with the action of the State government.
It’s obvious that in every circumstance, there are losers and beneficiaries, but must any right thinking individual applauds this action of our governor, when students of both secondary and tertiary institutions at the period of examinations were roaming the streets?
It would be recalled that, Nigerian students in tertiary institutions are lamenting the over four months out of schools occasioned on the ASUU strike over non-implementation of its agreement with federal government.
While the nation lauds Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) for exempting it self from the ASUU alleged sponsored strike, the Rivers State Government under the watch of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi one of the ring leaders of the G-7 governors had stripped the students of the institution naked of their studies.
However, while some unscrupulous and undesirable elements at the political corridors amass wealth or enrich themselves with the holidays, it should be noted that students of both secondary, tertiary and pupils of both public and private secondary and primary schools across the state are victims of circumstance and at the receiving end. What a misdemeanor!
Apart from students, SME’s and other business enterprises operating in the state also collapsed within the period under review.
The centenary celebration is not yet over as November 30th is slated for banquet/Award night and December 1st through 15th is tagged centenary carnival.
It should be noted that at the end of the Centenary CARNIVAL is the commencement of the annual CANIRIV. It will be only two days to the feast of the commemoration of the birth of our LORD and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST which is a must holiday.
No doubt, Tuesday 24th December, 2013 shall be a half day work all over the world and on Thursday 26th shall be Boxing Day, another holiday.
To this end the entire month of December, 2013 has been occupied with international holidays.
Can the Rivers State government defy these holidays, other than declaring another one month holidays to commemorate these events? It is on record that schools in Rivers State are usually vacated for the Caniriv celebration, could this year celebration takes another dimension without holidays, the time will tell.
With the unfolding and upcoming one month holiday, may I bid all respective civil servants, readers’ and entire citizenry a blissful Xmas celebrations and healthy resumptions of official activities next year 2014.
Bye and remain blessed. ###
With James Mgboineme
Jamesprojectgodwin@yahoo.com.
