The Federal Government has declared December 26th and 27th as well as January 2nd, 2023 as public holidays to mark the Christmas and New Year celebrations respectively.
This was confirmed by the Interior Minister, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in a statement released on Friday and signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Belgore Shuaib.
The public holidays, the statement says, is to celebrate Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year.
Ogbeni Aregbesola urged Christians to emulate Jesus and reflect on his teachings as they celebrate.
“We must imbibe the life of Jesus Christ in His practice and teachings on humility, service, compassion, patience, peace, and righteousness, that His birth signifies,” He stated.
The Minister noted that it is the best way to portray Christ and celebrate his birth.
“The Minister also assures that the Government has put in place effective measures for the security of lives and property and expects Nigerians to support the efforts of security agencies by providing useful information that will assist them in the performance of their duties,” the statement further read.
“He wishes all Christians in particular a happy Christmas and all Nigerians a peaceful and prosperous New Year celebration.”
Ogbeni Aregbesola admonishes all citizens to remain focused and expresses confidence that the year 2023 would be a better year for everyone.