On the 4th of March 2019, Governor Seyi Makinde promised the people of Oyo state that if elected, he would not stop hijrah holiday in the state.
The governor made this announcement in a statement signed by his (now erstwhile) spokesman, Dotun Oyelade, while reacting to accusations from the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bayo Adelabu that Makinde, if elected, will among other things, cancel hijrah holiday in the state.
Even though Makinde, in his reaction described the accusations as “unfounded and despicable lies”, for the second time since he was elected, the governor has again failed to fulfill his campaign promise.
OYOINSIGHT.COM recalls that in 2019, Governor Makinde did not declare any public holiday in the state in respect of the 1441 A.H. new Islamic calendar which officially commenced on Saturday, August 31, 2019.
While speaking at the 1441 Hijrah grand rally organised by the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations, NACOMYO, Oyo State chapter, Makinde, represented by his deputy, Engineer Rauf Olaniyan, stated that the 2019 Hijrah holiday was not declared because it fell on weekend.
However, despite the fact that the hijrah calendar in 2019 officially started on a weekend, some Nigerian states including neighboring, Osun declared Friday, August 30 as a public holiday.
Olaniyan, at the lecture, also revealed that the government will declare public holiday to mark Hijrah, the new Islamic year in the state, provided the day falls on week days.
Despite the renewal of his promise in 2019, Makinde has again failed to declare a public holiday in respect of the 1442 A.H. new Islamic calendar which officially commences today, August 20, 2020.
