In honour of Easter celebrations, the Federal Government (FG) has declared Friday and Monday official holidays.
On behalf of the FG, Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola announced the holiday on Tuesday, April 12.
Aregbesola exhorted Christians to emulate the virtues of sacrifice, togetherness, forgiveness, kindness, love, peace, and patience, which were the attributes and practices of Jesus Christ, as exemplified by his ministry on earth, according to Shuaib Belgore, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary.
Mr. Aregbesola also urged Christians and all Nigerians to take advantage of this year’s Easter celebrations to pray for an end to the security concerns plaguing the country.
The minister pledged that the FG will leave no stone unturned to guarantee that recent attacks by unwanted individuals on highways, airports, and railways are put to an end as soon as possible.
“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 at this critical time in the history of our country, by supporting the efforts of all security agencies in bringing peace and security of the lives and property of the citizenry,” the FG statement said.
Meanwhile, if elected president of Nigeria in 2023, Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers has committed to addressing the country’s festering insecurity and poverty.
He made the promise while speaking to delegates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Maiduguri on Monday, April 12.
Wike, who predicted that the PDP will win the presidential election, claimed that the APC had failed to address insecurity and economic security.
Because of the insecurity, he complained, individuals can no longer go to their farms or do genuine business.
“I came here today because there is a problem. And the problem is that Nigeria is dying and we must not allow Nigeria to die. We must rescue this country.
“So I came as a Nigerian, as a Member of People’s Democratic Party. As a party, I have never left from 1998 till now. As a party, I have worked for and will continue to work for, I believe that Nigeria has hope. So I want to run for the presidency of this country under the PDP.
“As a country, we do not have any other country to run to. So I am here to offer myself to solve most of the problems that this APC administration could not solve.
“Before we are only hearing of insecurity in Borno state, but now is all over the country. Hunger doesn’t know Muslims or Christians; insecurity does not know North or South.”
