Two Nigerian States Declare Tomorrow Public Holidays To Celebrate The Islamic New Year

Kano and Jigawa states in northern Nigeria have declared tomorrow (October 14) as a public holiday to mark the islamic new year. Both states, in the official statements released to the press, called on their respective citizens to continue to pray for the peace and prosperity of the states.
These two states require their candidates for the entrance examinations into federal government colleges in Nigeria to score 67 and 44 respectively, out of 200, while their counterparts from Anambra state in the south eastern part of Nigeria have to score 139 to gain admission into the same secondary schools. It is clear where their priorities lie. They are more interested in sending pilgrims to Mecca than investing in education. There was not even a word for their muslim brethren who, last month, perished in the twin tragedies that took nearly a thousand lives, including those of Nigerian pilgrims during the hajj in Saudi Arabia.

Kano state used to be renowned for its towering groundnut pyramids, that was until they realized easy money could be made from the oil that flows from the bowels of the Niger Delta in the southern part of the country. Today all the 19 northern Nigerian states generate no income, relying instead on monthly subventions from the federal government, at least 80% of which is oil money from the south. It is from this monthly 'allowance' that the northern states are able to send pilgrims to Mecca yearly, and pay the salaries of the civil servants they have asked to take a holiday tomorrow. The rest is simply stolen. Little wonder they have nothing left to invest in education.