Daily Monitor reports that the Niger state government has declared Monday to Friday next week, March 18 to 22, as a public holiday.
The public holiday, according to a statement by the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Binta Mamman on Monday is to enable civil servants and political officeholders to participate in the distribution and monitoring of the palliatives and Ramandan feeding in their various local government areas.
The government enjoined the people of the state to seize the opportunity to pray for the peace and tranquility of the state and the nation as a whole.
Mamman appealed to civil servants and political officeholders to see the task as a call for service to humanity.
She also urged the people to cooperate with the officials and be orderly at all distribution and feeding points for smooth and successful exercise.
Mamman commended the state governor, Mohammed Umar Bago for making funds available and prayed to Allah (SWT) to guide him in running the affairs of the State.
Niger is a state in the North Central region of Nigeria and the largest state in the country by area. Niger State has three political zones, zone A, B and C. The state’s capital is at Minna. Other major cities are Bida, Kontagora, and Suleja. It was formed in 1976 when the then North-Western State was divided into Niger State and Sokoto State. It is home to Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar, two of Nigeria’s former military rulers. The Nupe, Gbagyi, Kamuku, Kambari, Gungawa, Hun-Saare, Hausa, and Koro form the majority of numerous indigenous tribes of Niger State.
The state is named after the River Niger. Two of Nigeria’s major hydroelectric power stations, the Kanji Dam and Shiroro Dam, are located in Niger State, along with the new Zungeru Dam. The Jebba Dam straddles the border of Niger state and Kwara State. The famous Gurara Falls is in Niger State, and Gurara Local Government Area is named after the Gurara River, on whose course the fall is situated. Also situated there is Kainji National Park, the largest National Park in Nigeria, which contains Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve, and the Zuguma Game Reserve.
