Nigeria: A country of public holiday nationalism
By SHU’AIBU MUSA UMAR
truth is bitter they say. But the late poet, journalist, community health worker and nationalist, Malam Sa’adu Zungur of blessed memory, corroborated this saying by further emphasizing that one should, “Tell the truth and be damned.” As such, one should learn to call a spade a spade, no matter the consequences. The above statements are cited in order to demonstrate the extent to which Nigerians perceive Nigeria as a country, not only of wonders, but that of making possible what other countries found impossible to make.
Nigeria is a country that one can rightly say, is in fondof celebrating or commemorating one event or the other, be it social or political. At the same time, it will be correct for one to also say, without fear of being contradicted, that there is no country, developed or developing in the past or in the present, in the whole world today, where so many week days are officially declared by government, federal or state, as public holidays, like Nigeria.
I strongly guess that readers will agree with the above assertion if they will go through the catalogue of days that are officially set aside as public holidays in commemoration of one event or the other in Nigeria. To start with, every year we enjoy the October 1 as a work-free day, in commemoration of our independence from the former British colonial administration in 1960.
Again, every year we enjoy January 1 as a work-free day, in commemoration of the eve of the Gregorian calendar. Yet, every year we enjoy May 1 as a work-free day, in commemoration of the international Workers Day as preached by the United Nation Ornanization. Of recent, every year, we enjoy May 29 as a work-free day, in commemoration of the so-called Democracy Day.
Also on one hand, every first of the month of Muharram of the Islamic calendar is observed as a work-free day in the Sharia state in Nigeria. When it comes to religious events, two days are usually set-aside in December of every year as work-free days, in commemoration of Christmas and boxing days. In addition, a day is declared as a public holiday in commemoration of the Christmas Good Friday.
On the other hand two days are officially set-aside as public holidays to commemorate the Muslim Eid-el-Kabir. So also two days are normally declared as work-free day in commemoration of the Muslim Eid-el-fitr. If one were to quantify in concrete Naira terms, the loss Nigeria incurs every year economically as a consequence of these public holidays the amount will be enough to solve at least one major problem contronting Nigeria, for instance, resuscitation of all our oil refineries.
It is on record that the developed countries have gone so far away from us today that they did not only have nuclear technology, but have also gone to the moon and yet are not in fond of declaring public holidays. Ironically, the less-developed countries, as backward as they are, enjoy declaring public holiday in commemoration of one-event or the other. Cities such as New York, London, Paris, Berlin and so on serve as magnet that pull/draw our skilled and experienced people of the third world so as to give their best and leave behind the lazy, unskilled and inexperienced ones to our disadvantage.
Both the first and the second worlds are every now and then demonstrating and exhibiting their ability to jealously guard their economies against those of others by making sound socio-economic policies that will guarantee good working atmosphere and conditions of service.
Unfortunately, third world countries generally and Nigeria particularly demonstrate the capacities to sentimentally make socio-economic policies that promote leisure at the expense of economic nationalism.
It is highly unfortunate and regrettable that Nigeria, at its 83 years of birthday and 46 years of independence, is still like a food or jester in a comity of nations today. This is because despite all the blessings endowed therein, human, material, sound policies and so on, Nigeria, it seems, has chosen leisure and pleasure in public holidays than hard work and patriotism toward true development.
Well since we prefer maintaining the ''status—quo'' rather than change, then I strongly suggest that we add more days of public holidays, such as commemorating the days of the AMALGAMATION of Northern and Southern protectorates along with the Lagos colony in January 1914. A fool at 40 is always a fool, they say. It is thus true that Nigeria is ''jaga jaga, everything is scatter-scatter'', a Nigerian artist affirms.

Shu’aibu Musa Umar lectures at Department of Social Sciences, Kano State College of Arts, Science and Remedial Studies, Kano.