The Federal Government has declared Friday 7 and Monday 10, April 2023, as public holidays to mark this year’s Easter celebration.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, made the declaration in Abuja in a statement signed by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Shuaib Begore, on Wednesday.
Aregbesola urged Christians to emulate the virtues of sacrifice, togetherness, forgiveness, kindness, love, peace and patience which were attributes and practices of Jesus Christ, as exemplified by His ministry on the earth.
The minister called on Christians and all Nigerians to use the occasion of this year’s Easter celebration to pray for an end to the security challenges in parts of the country.
Aregbesola assured that the Federal Government is doing all that is necessary to ensure a peaceful transition of government following the peaceful conduct of elections.
While wishing Christians at home and in the diaspora a happy and peaceful Easter celebration, the minister also enjoined them to love their neighbours through acts of kindness and generosity of spirit, with the well-to-do sharing their substance with the less privileged around them.
Aregbesola once more assures Nigerians that the nation is persistently on the path to greatness and urges all to positively deploy their creative energy for the full realisation of the coming prosperity.
He added: “Security is everybody’s business. I, therefore, urge Nigerians and foreigners resident in our country to display a high sense of citizenship and public spiritedness by supporting the efforts of all security agencies in bringing peace and security of lives and property of the citizenry”.