By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Monday, June 26 and Tuesday, June 27, 2017 have been declared as work-free days by the Federal Government to celebrate the end of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr.
A statement issued on Thursday, June 22, 2017, by the Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary (DOOPS), Dr Rufa’i Kawu Attahiru, urged all Muslim faithful and Nigerians in general to use the occasion of the celebration for sober reflection and pray for peace, unity and progress of the nation in its march to nationhood.
The statement said the Minister of Interior, Mr Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, who declared the two days as holiday, appealed to “all Nigerians to shun hate speeches and divisive tendencies and join hands with the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to build a peaceful, strong and united Nigeria, which guarantees fundamental freedoms, including the right of residence in any part of the country, as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The Minister reaffirms the determination of the administration to protect all lives and property of Nigerians, and added that the will of the present administration should not be tested as to its capability to deploy security agencies to deal with any individual or group that may threaten the corporate existence of the nation, as well as the peaceful co-existence of the people.
Mr Dambazau, who wished Nigerians a peaceful and rewarding celebration, further assured them of the government’s resolve to be just and fair to all.
Adedapo Adesanya