[BREAKING] Eid-el-Fitri: FG declares Monday, Tuesday public holidays.

The Federal Government has declared Monday and Tuesday – May 25 and 26, 2020 – as public holidays to mark Eid-el-Fitri celebration.

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, made the announcement on behalf of the Federal Government.

This was contained in a press statement by the Director of Press in the Ministry, Mohammed Manga, on Thursday.

In a copy of the statement obtained by The PUNCH, Aregbesola expressed concern over the spate of ethnic conflicts that has resurfaced in some parts of Northern Nigeria in recent times.

He advised “Nigerians to see themselves as a single entity and learn to tolerate one another despite their ethnic and religious differences”.

Aregbesola further assured Nigerians that the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), was fully committed to battling COVID-19.

He called on Muslim faithful “to replicate the life of kindness, love, tolerance, peace and good neighbourliness as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW)”.

The minister also advised Nigerians to take responsibility against the spread of the COVID-19.

Nigeria coronavirus: 6,677 cases; northern governors express concerns

The Northern Governors Forum, NGF, has expressed concern over the infection rates of COVID-19 across the region. That 54% of national tally and 70% of new infections are in the region was a cause for concern during their virtual meeting on Wednesday.

The issue is further exacerbated by incidents

of violent and deadly crime across some states including terrorist violence in Borno, banditry in Katsina and other areas.

“The NGF has acknowledged and appreciated the intervention of the federal government following their request to President Muhammadu Buhari for the deployment of more security personnel to the region to tackle banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, and other crimes which are threatening livelihoods and preventing farmers from going to their farms,” chairman and Plateau State governor Simon Lalong said.

Touching on the issue of young boys sent across states to unregulated Islamic upbringing centers, the governors agreed that all instances of sending such kids to home states should be done following laid down protocols from profiling through testing till responsible handover.

The almajiris have become a hotspot for infection after a number of them tested positive in recent weeks. NGF also agreed to purchase of mobile testing vans to boost testing especially in rural areas.