The Nigerian Government has declared Monday, May 1, as a public holiday to mark this year’s Workers Day celebration.

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government.

Aregbesola, in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Shuaib Belgore, on Friday, commended workers for their hard work, diligence and sacrifice, noting that their efforts are largely responsible for the greatness of the country and the respect Nigeria now commands in the comity of nations.

The minister said, “There is dignity in labour, we have to have dedication and commitment to the work we do because it is vital to nation-building.”

He enjoined workers to imbibe the culture of productivity, saying “The end of work is productivity. It is productivity that leads to satisfactory provision of goods and services and wealth creation.

It is therefore the path to national and individual prosperity.”

The minister urges workers to raise the bar of their trade in line with the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari’s drive to upgrade the vehicle of governance and make all the people of Nigeria derive maximum benefit from the nation.

The minister commended all security agencies for the successes recorded in the fight against criminals across the country, as he encouraged them not to relent but go all out to deter the criminals whenever they raised their heads.