The Federal Government has declared Friday, which is Good Friday, and Monday, which is Easter Monday as public holidays to mark this year’s celebrations.
This public holiday was declared by the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, in Abuja on Wednesday.
Aregbesola, in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Shuaib Begore, encouraged 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.
“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”, the statement said.
The minister assured citizens 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, he 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 assured Nigerians that the nation is persistently on the path to greatness and urged all to positively deploy their creative energy for the full realization of the coming prosperity. “There is surely light at the end of the tunnel,” he stated.
