By Uche Amunike
The Federal government has declared Tuesday July 20th and Wednesday July 21st as public holidays to mark the Eid-el-Kabir celebration of the year 2021.
This was made known to the general public by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on behalf of the Federal government as he congratulated all Muslim faithful and Nigerians both at home and in the diaspora on this.
Speaking in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, Aregbesola said, ‘I call on Muslims to continue to imbibe the spirit of love, peace, kindness and sacrifice, as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) and to also use the period to pray for peace, unity, prosperity and the stability of the country, considering the challenges of insecurity we face at the moment. These mainly are bandits in the North West and North Central, insurgents in the North East, kidnappers, armed robbers, ethnic agitators and sundry criminals in other parts of the country,’ Aregbesola added.
The Minister assured that’s Gen Muhammadu Buhari’s government remained ‘committed to the security of lives and property of every Nigerian, empowering the citizens for successful living, the provisions of social investments programmes and adequate security in the schools, especially with the spate of innocent school children being targets of kidnapping.’
He wished all Muslim faithful a happy Eid-el-Kabir celebration and advised Nigerians to do well to report any suspicious individual and criminal activity to law enforcement agencies even during the festival.
He further called on Nigerians to remember the need to observe all COVID-19 protocols, especially the non-pharmaceutical measures like wearing face masks, regular washing of hands and social distancing, which is designed to keep transmission of the disease controlled.
He reiterated that everyone must take responsibility for the containment of the pandemic during this year’s festival.
He however sympathized with the families of school children who had been kidnapped or suffered one mishap or the other saying, ‘our hearts and prayers of comfort are with you’.
Still on Eid-el-Kabir, the Kebbi State governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu has approved the payment of July salary to the entire civil servants of the state.
The approval was announced by the Finance Commissioner, Ibrahim Muhammed Augie, in a statement released to Newmen.
He explained that this rare gesture of the governor was to make it possible for the civil servants to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir with ease and happiness with their families.
His words: ‘His Excellency, the Governor, has graciously approved the payment of salaries for state and Local Govt Councils today 15th July, 2021’.
‘ Already, the Ministry of Finance has concluded arrangements to henceforth pay all salaries through the Nigeria Inter Bank Settlement System window to avoid delays experienced in using commercial banks.’
‘Every worker shall be credited his emoluments immediately it is released. His Excellency wishes all workers happy celebrations’.
While thanking the governor for his kind gesture towards ensuring the welfare of civil servants in the state, he also wished all Muslim faithful, a joyous and peaceful Sallah.
