ELECTION 2023: GOVERNMENT DECLARES HOLIDAY FOR SCHOOLS AND WORK-FREE DAYS FOR PVC COLLECTION

The Borno State Ministry of Education has announced an eight-day holiday for all state-run institutions in preparation for the forthcoming general elections in 2023 just as Lagos State also declares work free day for PVC Collection.

According to a letter written by Mr. Mustapha Umara, Director, Schools Management, Ministry of Education, Borno State, the holiday will allow qualified employees and students to exercise their civic rights.

The letter titled, ‘Addendum to the school calendar 2022/2023 academic session’, read,  “I am directed to release an addendum to the 2022/2023 school calendar by declaring eight day holidays during the forthcoming 2023 general elections to enable staff and eligible students exercise their civic rights and allow for the usage of schools as collation centres.

“The eight days holiday is slated between Thursday, February 23 to Wednesday,  March 1, 2023 for presidential and national assembly elections and Thursday March 9 to Wednesday March 15, 2023 for governorship and state Assembly elections.

“All schools are to strictly comply with this addendum. ”

For public employees in Lagos, the government has declared a four-day work-free period so they can pick up their Permanent Voter Cards at their respective local governments’ or local councils’ development areas in the state.

According to a Wednesday circular from the Head of Service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, kindly granted the public employees’ work-free day.

He said that for different grade levels of employees in the public sector, the work-free day will start on Tuesday, January 24, and end on Friday, January 27, 2023.

Muri-Okunola said, “Consequent upon the extension of the collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards by the Independent National Electoral Commission, it is hereby notified for the general information that all public servants who are yet to collect their Permanent Voters’ Cards from designated INEC Centers are encouraged to do so before Sunday, January 29, 2023, as it is a civic responsibility to vote.

“To this end, Mr Governor has graciously approved a work-free day to enable public servants to collect their PVCs from their respective local government/local council development areas as presented in the table below.”

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The dates include Tuesday, January 24, 2023, for grade levels 01, 03, 07 and 15; Wednesday, January 25, 2023, for grade levels 02, 04, 08 and 13; Thursday, January 26, 2023, for grade levels 05, 09, 12, and 17; and Friday, January 27, 2023, for grade levels 06, 10, 14 and 16.

Muri-Okunola advised accounting officers to excuse their officers in respective grade levels on the stated days.

“Consequently, accounting officers and all public servants are to ensure compliance whilst giving this circular the service-wide publicity it deserves,” he said.