Sallah: FG declares holidays, Osun cancels free train ride

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Sallah: FG declares holidays, Osun cancels free train ride

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

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

Akinlade urged Nigerians to make sacrifices for the development of the country as done by Prophet Ibraheem.

The statement partly read, “In the spirit of this special occasion, during which we commemorate the great virtues of obedience, sacrifice, and faith as exemplified by Prophet Ibraheem (Peace of Allah be upon him), Muslims, and indeed all Nigerians are enjoined to make sacrifices for the growth and development of our communities and our great country, Nigeria.

“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.”

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.”