To commemorate the 2021 Eid-el-Kabir celebration, Nigeria’s federal government has proclaimed Tuesday, July 20, and Wednesday, July 21 as public holidays.

The proclamation was made by the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, on behalf of the federal government, in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, on Thursday.

He congratulated all Muslim faithful and Nigerians at home and abroad on the occasion, urging them to incorporate the celebration’s lessons into their daily lives.

“I call on Muslims to continue to imbibe the spirit of love, peace, kindness and sacrifice, as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) and to also use the period to pray for peace, unity, prosperity and the stability of the country, considering the challenges of insecurity we face at the moment. These mainly are bandits in the North West and North Central, insurgents in the North East, kidnappers, armed robbers, ethnic agitators, and sundry criminals in other parts of the country,”Aregbesola said.

He added that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is “committed to the security of lives and property of every Nigerian, and empowering the citizens for successful living, the provisions of social investments programmes and adequate security in the schools, especially with the spate of innocent school children being targets of kidnapping.”

While wishing the Muslim faithful a joyous Eid-el Kabir, Aregbesola urged all Nigerians to take responsibility by reporting any suspicious individuals or illegal activity to law enforcement agencies, particularly during this festival.

He also urged all Nigerians to follow the Covid-19 guidelines, particularly the non-pharmaceutical measures like as facemasks, hand washing, and social separation, which are intended to prevent the disease from spreading.

“We must all take responsibility for containment of the pandemic during this year’s festival,” he said.