BEVERLY HILLS, July 5, (THEWILL) – As The Federal Government has extended the Eid-il-Fitr holiday to Thursday, “following the directive by the President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, to the effect that the Ramadan fast continues today (Tuesday) as a result of the non-sighting of the moon.”
This was contained in a statement issued by the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, in Abuja, which quoted the Sultan as saying the Ramadan fast continues on Tuesday due to the “non-sighting of the moon” heralding the month of Shawwal in the Muslim calendar. Sultan Abubakar is the President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.
The government had earlier declared Tuesday and Wednesday as public holiday to mark the Eid-il- Fitr. But Dambazau noted in the statement on today that the federal government has now declared Wednesday and Thursday as public holiday.
The statement signed by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Bassey Akpanyung, reads; “In making the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government, the Honourable Minister of Interior, Lt Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (rtd), urges Nigerians to use this period of sober reflections to ensure harmony, unity and peaceful co-existence, while giving full support to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in his sustained effort to pursue socio-economic and political growth of the nation.”
