Eid-el-Fitr: FG Declares Monday, Tuesday Public Holidays

• As Lagos cancels Wednesday holiday

BY EDMOND ODOK – To celebrate this year’s Workers Day and the Muslims’ religious holiday, Eid-el Fitr, the Federal Government has declared Monday and Tuesday as public holidays.

This is as the Lagos State government made a U-turn by canceling the Wednesday holiday that has been widely touted in public space by Nigerians as part of this year’s celebrations

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, said in a statement that labour is the very essence of humanity and that “we are alive because we work and only the dead are incapable of working.”

The statement issued by Shuaib Belgore, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, also quoted Ogbeni Aregbesola also congratulated all Muslims on the successful completion of the holy month of Ramadan.

Aregbesola congratulated workers across the country on this year’s celebration as well as commended them for their hard work, diligence, and sacrifice, noting that their efforts are largely responsible for the greatness of the country and the respect Nigeria now commands in the comity of nations.

The statement partly reads, “Labour is the very essence of humanity. We are alive because we work and only the dead are incapable of working.

“I, therefore, enjoin workers to imbibe the culture of productivity. Workers are also urged to raise the bar of their trade-in line with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retired) led administration’s drive to rev up the vehicle of governance and make all the people of Nigeria derive maximum benefit from the nation.

“The end of work is productivity. It is productivity that leads to the satisfactory provision of goods and services and wealth creation. It is, therefore, the path to national and individual prosperity.’’

Similarly, the Minister also congratulated all Muslims on the successful completion of the holy month of Ramadan and called on them to imbibe and practice the virtues of kindness, love, tolerance, peace, self-denial, sacrifice, and good neighbourliness, as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad.

The statement further said; “The minister expresses confidence that the security challenges in some parts of the country will soon be a thing of the past, noting that the government is putting determined efforts and all necessary measures in place for Nigerians to enjoy unfettered peace all around.

“Aregbesola assured Nigerians that the Buhari’s regime was fully committed to the security of life and property of every citizen and foreigners alike, urging Nigerians to be part of the nation’s security architecture by being vigilant and reporting suspicious individuals and activities to law enforcement agencies.”

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, which is the Muslim holy month of fasting.

In a related development, the Lagos State Government said only May 2nd and 3rd have been approved as public holidays to celebrate the 2022 International Workers’ Day and the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations.

It urged its workforce to ignore an earlier government circular approving three straight days as public holidays.

In a circular to workers dated April 27, 2022, the State Head of Service (HoS), Hakeem Muri-Okunola, had conveyed the approval of May 2nd to 4th as public holidays in the Centre of Excellence.

But following the Interior Ministry’s announcement, the Lagos HoS made a U-turn and adopted the same dates, urging workers to disregard the first circular.