As the controversy over the ban on the sales, distribution, and consumption of alcohol in Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State rages on, the Chairman of the Council, Alhaji Ishaku Bawa Naibi has insisted that his administration at the council will continue to enforce the law banning/ prohibiting the sales and consumption of beer and other related beverages in the area, adding that there is an existing law backing his decision.
The Chairman said his Council is merely enforcing an existing law which was in operation before the coming of the incumbent Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago- led administration in the state and thereby vowed to enforce it within the ambit of the existing Liquor law in the state.
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 Abdullahi Abdulkadir Kure, highlighting that “Suleja Local Government Council did not ban the sales of alcohol, the law banning sales of alcohol has been in existence before now”.
The Council Boss said, “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.”
The Chairman’s position is contrary to the directives of the state Governor, Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago who on the heels of the controversy surrounding the council’s position denied authorizing the ban on the sales of alcohol in any parts of the state.
The Governor had through a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Bologi, and made available to Journalists in Minna, made it categorically clear that the government did not order any ban on the sales and consumption of alcohol in the state insisting that, that was not the immediate priority of his administration.
The State Government in a statement in Minna, strongly denied that the Governor has not imposed any ban on alcoholic drinks sales and consumption in any specific areas in the state, especially the Suleja local government area, the swing that such a decision will amount to a distraction to his administration’s renewed hope agenda.
The government however dismissed as baseless such assertions, emphasizing that the Governor never issued any directive nor ordered any of its agencies to enforce the ban on 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, stressing 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 safeguard citizens’ fundamental rights, including freedom of religion, the governor, therefore, assures residents that such misleading information holds no merit in the policies of his government and therefore 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.
But 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 N1 million from beer parlour operators in the Suleja local government area of the state to enable them to 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 clarifications had become imperative following reports that beer parlour operators in Suleja and its environs have been levied N1million each 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 involved 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 to extort money from them.
