By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Friday, April 21 and Monday, April 24, 2023, have been declared as public holidays for the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the one-month-long Ramadan.
The Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, who announced the work-free days on behalf of the federal government on Wednesday via a statement, congratulated all Muslims on the successful completion of the holy month of Ramadan.
While wishing them a happy Eid al-Fitr celebration, he charged all Muslims to imbibe and practice the virtues of kindness, love, tolerance, peace, self-denial, sacrifice and good neighbourliness, as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him).
He also used the occasion to pray for peace, blessings and favour of Allah to be with all, but stressed that, “The self-restraint, self-denial, sacrifice and deep spiritual consciousness that accompanied the fasting period should not end but be maintained and improved upon, in order to be a better person and true worshipper.”
Mr Aregbesola assured that President Muhammadu Buhari was fully committed to a peaceful transition of government following successful elections.
He further assured of the government’s commitment to the provision of security for the life and property of every citizen and foreigner in the country.
The Minister commended all security agencies for the successes recorded in the fight against criminals across the country, urging Nigerians to be part of the nation’s security architecture by being vigilant and reporting suspicious individuals and activities to law enforcement agencies nearest to them.
While noting that security is everybody’s responsibility, Mr Aregbesola admonished Nigerians also to report suspicious activities and persons to the N-Alert application.
Adedapo Adesanya