FG Declares Wednesday, Thursday As Eid-El-Kabir Holiday

The Federal Government has declared Wednesday, June 28 and Thursday, June 29, 2023 as Eid-El-Kabir holiday.

This was contained in a statement by a Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Oluwatoyin Akinlade.

“The Federal Government has declared Wednesday June 28th and Thursday June 29th 2023 Public Holidays in commemoration of this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebration and heartily felicitates with the Muslim Ummah at home and in the diaspora,” the statement read.

Akinlade enjoined Muslims and all Nigerians “to make sacrifices for the growth and development of our communities and our great country, Nigeria”.

The permanent secretary expressed hope that the prayers and sacrifices of the season will restore the much-desired peace and unity the country desire.

“We are hopeful that the prayers and sacrifices that come with this great celebration as well as the message of Eid-ei-Kabir will bring about peace, unity and progress in Nigeria,” the statement concluded.

Meanwhile, the Osun State government has said its free train service for holidaymakers coming to the state for this year’s Eid-el-Kabir festival has been cancelled due to a train accident around the Abeokuta-Lagos old gauge line, causing a blockage.

A statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Industries, Cooperatives, and Empowerment, Mrs Kehinde Odediran, on Monday, said the accident affected part of the train track, halting any train movement on the Lagos-Abeokuta line.

The statement further noted that a report from the Nigeria Railway Corporation confirmed movement on the train track was currently impossible due to the ongoing repair.

The statement further read, “Osun state government regrets to announce that the annual Imole Free Train service scheduled to convey hundreds of passengers from Lagos state to Osun to mark the Eid-el-Kabir celebration will no longer hold. This unfortunate development is a result of serious technical issues currently experienced by the Nigeria Railway Corporation.

“We wish to state with all sense of responsibility and in line with the ideals of Senator Ademola Adeleke’s annual Imole free train service, that as soon as the technical hitches get rectified, normal services will resume accordingly.”