FG to sanction companies that fail to observe public holidays

The Federal Government has called on Nigerians to ensure the strict observance of all public holidays according to the provision of the law.

Disclosing this in a statement in Abuja on Friday, the Minister of Interior, Lt Gen. (rtd) Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau stated that the laws establishing public holidays are contained in the Public Holidays Act of 1979, which states that, “The days mentioned in the Schedule to this Act shall be kept as public holidays throughout Nigeria.”

The minister urged all Nigerians irrespective of their Organisations, Institutions or affiliations to ensure they obey and observe all holidays declared by Government, adding that according to the Act, “no person shall be compellable to do any act on a day appointed by or under the provisions of this Act to be kept as a public holiday which he would not be compellable to do on a Sunday”.

He added that Government would not hesitate to sanction any Organization, Institution or affiliation that denies Nigerians the right to observe their holidays as provided in the Act by an “appropriate authority”.