From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
The Federal Government has declared Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 December, 2022, as public holidays to mark the Christmas and Boxing days.
Also, Monday, January 2, 2023, has been declared a public holiday to mark the New Year’s Day.
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who made the declaration, also rejoiced with Christians and all Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora on these Christmas and New Year celebrations. He enjoined Christians to emulate Jesus Christ in deeds and follow his teachings, especially on faith, hope and love.
He emphasised that peace and security were two critical conditions for economic development and prosperity, urging Christians and Nigerians to make the best use of this festive period to pray for the total eradication of any vestige of insecurity in our dear nation.
He reminded Nigerians that the coming year, 2023, was an election and political transition year, noting that Nigerians should prepare to make it a huge success by voting peacefully and avoiding anything capable of marring the exercise in any way.
The minister also assured that the government had put in place effective measures for the security of lives and property, even as he urged Nigerians to support the efforts of security agencies by providing useful information that would assist them in the performance of their duties. He asked citizens to report any suspicious persons or activities to the nearest security agency and through the N-Alert application on Android and IOS.