‘Extension of Eid-el-Fitr loss of revenue, man power’ 

A legal practitioner, Barister Lawrence Anyia has said that the extension of Eid-el-Fitr holiday to Thursday proclaimed by the Minister of Interior, Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd), will cost the country loss of huge revenue and man-power.

Anyia stated this in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, saying that it will increase hardship, owing to the current economic effects.

He said the increase in hardship is occasioned because the extension was not planned for.

Also the private business owners who spoke to Daily Times said that the extension was an economic blow since the turnout is expected to be low and financial transactions would be frustrated owing to the closure of the banking services within the period.

However, another legal practitioner who does not want his name in print said that the extension was a clear recognition of the Islamic religion and practices by the Federal Government led by the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari. He argued that the holidays in the country are already documented in the country’s administrative calendar, so, “an alteration must take a process not the autocratic way the extension was simply proclaimed by the FG.

According to him, Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), provides that, “the Government of the Federation or State shall not adopt any religion as State Religion.

“For the President to reconsider the happenings in a religion and condition the life, business and other activities of Nigerians to tailor with it, is simply an act of adoption”.