Banks, schools and government offices were all shut in Osun State yesterday as workers in the state observed the June 12 public holiday declared by the state government.
The Tide source recalls that June 12 has always been observed as holiday by states in the South West region where Late Chief MKO Abiola came from.
The military government had annulled the June 12, 1993 presidential election believed to have been won by Abiola.
Abiola had contested the election on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) against Alhaji Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC).
The defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC) headed by Prof. Humphrey Nwosu had organised the presumed freest and most credible election.
Following the consistent public demands, President Muhammadu Buhari on June 7 replaced May 29 with June 12 as the country’s new Democracy Day.
Tide source reports that all the commercial banks in Osogbo were closed as no business transaction was carried out on their premises.
The state secretariat and local government secretariat gates were also shut as state civil servants stayed back at home to observe the holiday.
All the schools in the state as well as other state owned businesses and establishments were under lock and key.
Federal establishments, however, were opened for business as staff members of these establishments were at their duty posts, carrying on their daily activities.
Some of the federal workers that spoke with our source about the holiday claimed that the directive was targeted at only state workers for now.
A staff of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), who spoke under the condition of anonymity said: “Federal workers only observe national holidays and not state declared holidays’’.
“Though June 12 has been declared the new Democracy Day, by the Federal Government, which I believe subsequently would be celebrated as national public holiday,’’ the staff said.
Local businesses, markets, motor parks and the likes were all providing services to the people.