The Kano State Government has declared Monday as a public holiday to mark the beginning of the new year of the Islamic calendar, 1444 AH.

This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Kano State Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba.

“Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje, therefore, congratulates Muslims in the state on the spiritual significance of the occasion that also calls for self-assessment.

“He also called on them to use the holiday to seek Allah’s forgiveness, and pray for His intervention in salvaging the nation from the lingering security challenges,” Garba quoted Governor Ganduje as saying.

The governor further assured residents of his administration’s readiness to assiduously continue to deliver on its promise to improve their living conditions through the execution of people-oriented programmes, and projects.

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Ganduje also urged those who were yet to obtain their voter card, to do so, to enable them to exercise their franchise in the forthcoming general elections.

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar, also considered as holy month after Ramadan.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, had earlier directed Muslims to start looking out for the new moon of Muharram from Thursday, which is equivalent to Dhul-Hijjah 29, 1443 AH.

The calendar is also called the Hijri calendar.

The Star