Two
interconnected and successive events in Imo state prompted this piece: the
recent declaration of three weeks public holiday in Imo state and the existing three
day work week policy of the Imo state government. This essay aims to dissect
the effects on productivity, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), socio-economic
activities of a penchant for arbitrary declaration of public holidays in Imo
state in particular and Nigeria in general especially in view of the acute recession
in Nigeria.
I
make quick to say that this write-up is not an onslaught on any individual nor
does it have a political undertone, affiliation whatsoever. As a true son of
Imo state, posterity will not be fair to me if I fail to challenge wishy-washy thinking
and if I shy away from adding value, brainstorming solutions to challenges
bedeviling Imo state and Nigeria. It smacks of
insensitivity and beggars belief that the Imo State government allegedly blew over N600
million on Christmas decorations while
pensioners and possibly civil servants in the State are owed arrears of their
salaries/entitlements?
 |
| Imo State Chistmas Tree in Owerri |
Arbitrary And Unbecoming Declaration
of Public Holidays
Preparatory
to 2016 Christmas festivity and while celebrating the Imo Day thanksgiving
service, Imo State Governor – Chief Rochas reportedly
declared three weeks holiday in the State to last between December 19, 2016 and
January 10, 2017. Recall that prior to this three week Christmas holiday, the
Governor arbitrarily rammed down a three day – Monday to Wednesday work week. The Governor supposed this measure will avail Imo State civil
servants, ‘’the opportunity of engaging in other businesses to earn extra income
to augment their salaries’’. By this three day work week, it pupils, students
attend school three days – Monday to Wednesday in a week?
Nigeria’s Public Holidays
Act
According
to Nigeria’s Public
Holidays Act, enacted on 1st
January 1979 which abolished previous public holidays and set the process for
making public holidays for the nation, states, and local areas, the President
has the power to declare holidays for the entire nation or any state or part of
the country. State Governors have the power to declare public holidays in their
states or for any part of their states. The Minister for Internal Affairs has
powers to change designated holiday dates when he or she determines it
necessary or appropriate. The aforesaid Public Holiday Act also stipulates that,
‘’if any holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, then only that Saturday or
Sunday shall be a public holiday’’. This is far from reality because a typical
holiday that falls on Saturday is moved to Monday and so on and so forth.
Consequences of Protracted
Public Holidays
Nigeria continues to progress in the negative direction and may
continue in that direction for a long time as long as innovative ideas, leaders
are lacking. For a state like Imo struggling
with poor IGR - Internally Generated Revenue, low productivity, and where
pensioners/workers are owed arrears of their entitlements, a money-sapping
carnival cum Christmas decorations which reportedly gulped hundreds of millions
of Naira and a three weeks public holiday, is to say the least, not well
thought out.
Imagine prospective foreign investors, international organizations
amongst others, scheduled to come to Imo state having to reschedule for 3 weeks
because civil servants are on holidays. Also imagine anyone of us urgently needs
an important document (letter of identification or State of Origin etc.) from
the State or Local Government Councils say for enlistment into the Armed
forces, a scholarship, and immigration or for a contract and we have to wait
for three weeks by which time the opportunity may have elapsed. No revenue
generating activity, payment and collection of taxes/levies, amongst others, in
Imo State for the next three weeks? And workers will be paid for sitting at
home for three weeks?
Frivolous Public Holidays in Nigeria
Affect Labour Productivity
Labour productivity is defined as the amount of labour input
required to produce a unit of output. As
we know, the three most important factors of production are labour, capital and
land. We have all of these in Nigeria but the problem is harnessing them for optimal
productivity, competiveness and sustainable economic activity. With 48 working
hours per week, almost 120 days rest days (Saturdays and Sundays inclusive) in
a year, Nigeria is said to have the highest number of public holidays in the world
compared to Malaysia, China and Indonesia which work 52 hours-seven days a
week.
 |
| 2017 Public Holidays in Nigeria |
Abuse of Nigeria’s Public
Holidays Act?
No doubt the public holiday prerogative vested on governors is
been abused. A few examples will suffice. In Abia, ostensibly to foreclose the
swearing in of Dr. Uche Ogah aftermath of an unfavorable gubernatorial court
ruling against Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, the later bandied the death of one
Chief Ojo Maduekwe who died during that period as an alibi for hastily declaring
two
days – Friday and Monday as public holiday.
 |
| 2017 Public Holidays in Nigeria |
To mark the end of the 2016 Ramadan fast, the Nigerian federal
government extended the Eid el Fitr holiday from two to three days because the
moon was not spotted as planned.
In Lagos State, most of the major
markets were unexpectedly shut down for one or two
days sometime in June 2013, in honour of late Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, the
Iyaloja-General of Lagos State. Traders especially those selling perishable
products lost millions of Naira as a result of this.
Conclusion:
Failure to do away with whimsical public holidays, poor work
attitude, malingering, unskilled workforce, nepotism will foist a cycle of low
productivity, poor service delivery, and perennial poverty on Nigeria. Nigeria
cannot be a giant of Africa with its citizens sitting at home for several weeks
in a year in the guise of public holidays. High time
the National Assembly rejigged the moribund National Public Holiday Act and rein
in arbitrary declaration of public holidays in Nigeria.
Written By: © Don Okereke
(Security
Consultant/Analyst, Writer, Change Agent)
Twitter:
@DonOkereke
