The federal government on Friday declared December 26 and 27, 2022 and January 2, 2023, as public holidays for the celebration of Christmas and New Year.
The public holidays according to a statement by the permanent secretary of the ministry of interior, Belgore Shuaib, are to mark Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day celebrations respectively.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, in the statement charged Christians to emulate the doctrines of Jesus Christ during the celebration, as “We must imbibe the life of Jesus Christ in His practice and teachings on humility, service, compassion, patience, peace and righteousness.”
He further called on Christians to use the festive period to pray for the total eradication of the insecurity ravaging Nigeria, pointing out that peace and security are two critical conditions for economic development and prosperity.
The minister urged Nigerians not to be swayed by “criminal elements” who intend “to create anarchy in the country.”
“Moderately celebrate the festival, avoid the spread of fake news and be responsible,” Aregbesola said.
He said the federal government has put in place measures to secure lives and property while he encouraged Nigerians to support security agencies by providing useful information.
He also urged Nigerians to be security conscious and advised them to report suspicious activities through the N-Alert application on Android and IOS.
