29th September, 2010
The Federal Government has declared tomorrow half working day for Nigerian workers in commemoration of Nigeria’s 50th Independence Anniversary. Friday, 1 October is a public holiday.
This was announced at the Federal Executive Council meeting this morning by President Goodluck Jonathan who also ordered the Minister of Interior, Captain Iheanacho to make a formal announcement of the holiday to Nigerians. This was one of the highlights of today’s FEC meeting which lasted only 48 minutes.
Also, specially redesigned N50 note and 22 carat non circulating coins to commemorate Nigeria’s golden jubilee independence anniversary were launched during the brief ceremony.
Lamido Sanusi, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, who presented the notes and the coins to President Jonathan for launching, said the redesigned N50 note will circulate along the existing one.
The redesigned note has the anniversary logo, a strip of gold band and a varnished message that reads: 1960-2010, 50th Independence, which can be seen when the currency is tilted.
Meanwhile, President Jonathan departed Abuja for Lagos to review the fleet of the Nigerian Navy immediately after the FEC meeting which started promptly at 10am.
October 1, the date Nigeria got its independence from Britain, will be heralded with fireworks, Yayale Ahmed, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF announced at the FEC meeting this morning while outlining some of the programmes scheduled to mark Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary.
The President will host a banquet for distinguished Nigerians in Abuja tomorrow where 50 important personalities, including a number of deceased and living Nigeria’s founding fathers will be honoured with medal. The President is also scheduled to hold another banquet in Lagos on 2 October.
The grand finale of the event will be the parade at Eagle Square on Friday which will feature military parade, parade of Nigeria’s military hardware, callisthenic displays and maneuvers by jets of the Air Force which will be flown direct into Abuja from Makurdi on that day.
Meanwhile, the city of Abuja is already agog for the celebration of the independence anniversary as the roads are being decorated while rehearsals have continued at the Eagle Square for the Friday grand event.
—Oluokun Ayorinde/Abuja