By Emeka Okafor
The Federal Government has announced May 2 and 3 as public holidays to mark this year’s Workers Day and Eld-el-Fitr celebrations.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who made the declaration on behalf of the Government, felicitated with Nigerian workers and Muslims on the successful completion of the holy month of Ramadan.
Aregbesola, in a statement by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Shuaib Belgore, on Thursday, stated that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government is committed to welfare of workers across the country.
The Government commended workers for their diligence, hard work and sacrifice, which, he claimed were responsible for the progress and development that have been recorded by the current administration.
“Labour is the very essence of humanity. We are alive because we work and only the dead are incapable of working.
“I, therefore, enjoin workers to imbibe the culture of productivity. Workers are also urged to raise the bar of their trade in line with the President, Muhammadu Buhari-led administration’s drive to rev up the vehicle of governance and make all the people of Nigeria derive maximum benefit from the nation.
“The end of work is productivity. It is productivity that leads to the satisfactory provision of goods and services and wealth creation. It is therefore the path to national and individual prosperity”, the statement read.
The statement, while similarly felicitating with Muslims on the successful completion of the holy month of Ramadan, urged Islamic faithful to imbibe the virtue of the Holy Prophet Muhammad even after the period of the fasting.
Aregbesola said, “The minister expresses confidence that the security challenges in some parts of the country will soon be a thing of the past, noting that the government is putting determined efforts and all necessary measures in place for Nigerians to enjoy unfettered peace all round.
“Aregbesola assured Nigerians that the Buhari regime was fully committed to the security of life and property of every citizen and foreigners alike, urging Nigerians to be part of the nation’s security architecture by being vigilant and reporting suspicious individuals and activities to law enforcement agencies.”