***Says, the Council is merely enforcing existing law in the state
As the controversy over the ban of sales and consumption of alcohol in Suleja local government area of Niger State rages on, the Chairman of the council, Alhaji Ishaku Bawa, has reiterated his resolved to continue to enforce the law banning the sales and consumption of beer and other related brewages in the area.
The Chairman said his Council is merely enforcing an existing law which has been in operation before the coming of the present administration in the state as he vowed to enforce it.
According to him, the law banning the sales and consumption of alcohol in the state had been in existence since 2001 during the administration of the late former governor of the state, Engineer Abdulkadir Kure, adding that “Suleja local government did not ban the sales of alcohol, the law banning sales of alcohol has been in existence before now.
“We are therefore only working within the ambit of the law and what we are saying is that, those selling alcohol should operate within the ambit of the law,” he said.
The Chairman’s position is contrary to the directives of the state Governor Umar Mohammed Bago who on the heels of the controversy sorrounding the council’s position denied authorizing the ban on the sales of alcohol in any part of the state.
The Governor had through a statement made it Categorically clear that the government did not order any ban on the sales and consumption of alcohol in the state as that was not the immediate priority of his administration.
The State Government in a statement in Minna denied that the Governor had not imposed any ban on alcoholic sales and consumption in any specific area in the state, especially Suleja local government area as such decision will amount to a distraction to his administration’s renewed hope agenda.
The government dismissed as baseless such assertions, saying that the Governor never issued any directive nor ordered any of its agencies to enforce the ban of alcoholic drinks in any part of the state.
The governor further pointed out that the statement attributed to the Secretary of the Niger State Liquor and Licensing Board, Ibrahim Mohammed, did not emanate from the government, adding that no such board has been formed under his administration.
The Governor had in addition to the denial, instructed security agents to apprehend the author of the statement, Mohammed Ibrahim, the self-appointed Secretary of the non-existent board, to investigate the motives behind the false pronouncement.
while Emphasizing the commitment of his administration to safeguarding citizens’ fundamental rights, including freedom of religion, the governor assuresld residents that such misleading information holds no merit in the policies of his government as he urged citizens to continue their lawful activities without undue concern.
“The public and media are urged to disregard such announcements and seek clarification from authorized government officials for accurate information”, the statement added.
But the Council Chairman while meeting with hotels and beer parlour operators at the council secretariat on Tuesday made it clear that his council was going ahead with the enforcement of the ban on the sales of alcohol in his council.
The Suleja Council Chairman while justifying his actions, argued that the council is guided by law, insisting that “we would continue to operate within the ambit of the law”.
Meanwhile the state liquor and license board, has denied authorizing the collection of N1million from beer parlour operators in Suleja local government area of the state to enable them operate.
The Secretary of the state liquor and license board, Mallam Ibrahim Mohammed in an interview with our correspondent in Minna on Friday said the clarification had become necessary following reports that beer parlour operators in Suleja have been levied N1million each for them to resume the sales and consumption of alcohol in the area.
He pointed out that neither the board nor any of its staff is involved in the illegal N1million levy being imposed on beer parlour operators in the area, adding that “the liquor board is not involve in any collection of N1million levy from beer parlour operators either in Suleja or any part of the state.
“The renewal of liquor license is usually done through payment to designated government banks and receipt issued to the operators. More so license fee is not N1million”.
He therefore urged the public and beer parlour operators in the state to disregard any individual or group parading themselves as the agent of the board with a view to extorting money from them.
