 The federal government has declared Friday, October 1 as a public holiday to mark the nation's 61st Independence anniversary celebration. Minister of Interior Raouf Aribushala made a declaration on behalf of the federal government. In a statement issued on his behalf by Dr. Shuaib Balgore, the permanent secretary of the ministry, the minister congratulated all Nigerians on this year's celebration and assured of the government's commitment to tackle and eradicate all forms of challenges. The minister said though celebrating Nigeria's 61st Independence Anniversary is necessary, the safety of the citizenry was a person's huge concern, especially with COVID-19 3rd Delta variant.