A bill seeking to amend the public Holiday Act to adopt June 12 as democracy day in Nigeria has passed a second reading at the floor of House of Representatives. The bill, jointly sponsored by Edward Pwajok and Kayode Oladele, seeks to amend the Act to be in tandem with the current realities and exigencies of the modern times.
On Thursday, Mr Pwajok said that before 1979, there were separate Acts regulating public holidays in the country. He lamented that the situation has led to indiscriminate declaration of public holidays with negative consequences.
Mr Pwajok recalled that in 1975, a law was made to repeal all state laws on public holidays and to streamline the process of declaring holidays for the federation.
According to him, by law, the president may declare any day as public holiday through public notice or Act through the Minister of Internal Affairs. He stressed that by the schedule of the Act, some days such as New Year Day, National Day like October 1 and religious festivals are set aside for public holidays.
He recalled that in year 2000, the National Assembly amended the schedule to add May 29 as Democracy Day. He further recalled that in May 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari announced June 12 as the new Democracy Day.
The law maker explained that for the pronouncement to become effective there has to be an amendment on the Public Holidays Act.
Mr Pwajok said if the bill is passed into law, subsequent June 12 will become public holidays to commemorate Democracy Day.
Meanwhile, May 29 would be celebrated every fourth year when there is an inauguration of a new president.
In his ruling, the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara forwarded the bill to the House Committee of the Whole for further legislative action. (NAN)
