States Celebrate 50th Anniversary in Grand Style

To celebrate fifty years of creation, Lagos, Kano, Cross River, and other states including Kwara and Rivers yesterday marked their creation in May 27, 1967 in various grand styles and displays.

While the Lagos State Government has concluded plans to climax the Lagos@50 celebrations with a spectacular display of fireworks on Sunday (today), both Kano and Rivers states honoured some of their past and present leaders with various awards in different categories.

Cross River state, led by Governor Ben Ayade chose to mark the anniversary with the release of five inmates who were on death row, among other activities.

To mark the historical event, Kano state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, bestowed special awards on 82 prominent Nigerians and expatriates, for their exceptional contribution towards the development of the state, as part of its golden jubilee celebration.

The honourees include former Heads of State, Gen. Murtala Muhammed and Gen. Sani Abacha, all past military and civilian governors of the state, the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, his maternal uncle Alhaji Aminu Dantata and Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state.

Other award recipients include Islamic religious leaders, public officials, traditional leaders, politicians, businessmen and so forth, who helped relentlessly in building Kano.

In his remarks, Governor Ganduje stated that individual and collective efforts of citizens, especially the founding fathers of the state and other patriotic people, had resulted in landmarks, by which Kano stands tall among its peers.

While rejoicing with recipients of the state honours, he said the awards would stimulate people to contribute towards development of the state, announcing that his administration would forward a bill to the state legislature to make the Kano Merit Awards a permanent affair in the scheme of things.