Reasons Oyo Didn’t Declare Hijrah Holiday-Makinde’s CPS
The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Oyo State Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, on Saturday, gave reasons why the state government decided not to declare a public holiday for Hijrah 1442 AH, which was observed in the state on Friday August 21.
MAKIN government after a discussion on the matter.
He warned politicians with interests in 2023, whom he said are masquerading and using religious leaders to push sentiments that border on religion to desist from such a path, adding that the people of the state will always see through their shenanigans.
He added such people will not succeed in derailing the government of Engr. Makinde, which according to him, has so far shown that it means well for the people of the state through several policies and programmes.
Adisa, while appearing as a guest the programme anchored by Anu Omorinde, declared that apart from the Hijrah Day not being gazetted by the immediate past administration as a public holiday, there was nothing that stopped Islamic faithful from celebrating the Day even when the holiday was not declared.
Makinde’s spokesman also maintained that the state had issues with the particular date the Hijrah fell on as according to him, while some sources quoted Thursday August 20, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, approved Friday, 21 August, 2020.
The governor’s aide added that when the matter came up for discussion at the level of the state government, there was also the position that “Isese Day”(for traditionalists) fell on the same Thursday and that the government, after careful deliberations agreed that declaring a public holiday would send the wrong signals to the public.
The Chief Press Secretary, who noted that the governor did not cancel any holiday properly gazetted, added that some interests were attempting to create bad blood between Makinde and the Muslim Ummah in the state.
He said that the governor has, however, continued to hold Islamic clerics and other leaders in the state in high regard.
He said: “The person that they quoted to have spoken on behalf of Engr. Seyi Makinde as candidate, was Prince Dotun Oyelade. His statement was a reference to another statement credited to the camp of the candidate of APC in the 2019, Bayo Adelabu, in the build-up to the gubernatorial election. They (Adelabu’s camp) issued a statement that Muslims should not vote for Seyi Makinde because, according to them, Makinde as governor would cancel public holiday for Hijrah. This prompted Prince Dotun Oyelade, who was Engr. Makinde’s spokesperson then, to refute that claim where he said if elected as governor, Engr. Makinde would not cancel any holiday that is properly gazetted.
“There are many issues surrounding the Hijrah holiday. First, the particular date the Hijrah falls on became a problem, because some people claimed it was 20th August, 2020, but the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs headed by the Sultan of Sokoto actually approved that 21st August, 2020 should be observed as Hijrah day. Even if any government in power wanted to go about to declare holiday, which one would be declared?
“Then, in the case of Oyo State, somebody raised the issue and informed the government that Hijrah day was on the 20th and Isese Day (Traditional Worshippers’ Day) was also on the 20th. The individual said Isese day and Hijrah day clashed on August 20th and asked which one will the government declare as holiday. He advised that the government should declare a work-free day. But the others, especially lawyers at the meeting, said there is nothing like a work-free day, a public holiday is a public holiday. But do you declare holiday at such a date and say half of today is for the traditionalists and the other half is for Hijrah or you will be totally silent on one event and there won’t be issues?
“Somebody said the previous government declared a holiday and they looked at the papers and said they didn’t see any Gazette to show that the government actually instituted that holiday. So, if you’re a lover of your religion, quote and unquote, and you want a particular holiday to be institutionalised, how do you do that? Do you just do that at the whims and caprices of your thinking? No, you do it according to law.”
The governor’s aide warned religious leaders in the state not to allow themselves to be used by politicians with eyes on 2023, stating that some individuals had vowed that they would derail the Makinde government using the weapon of religion and that they would use the same means to get power in 2023.
He added that the narrative that Governor Makinde is against Islam or that his administration has been marginalizing Muslims is pure lie from the camps of detractors and that the government will continue to be fair to all religions and to promote religious harmony.
