The Niger State Liquor and Licensing Board (NSLB), has vowed to rid the State of the menace of liquor sales and prostitution.
Chairman of the board, Ayuba Usman Katako in an interview with CAPITAL POST in Minna, expressed serious concern at the high rate of prostitution and alcohol consumption, noting that the development was an affront on Sharia’ah law that exist in the State.
“The increasing proportion of immorality and other social vices could be attributed to the prevailing security challenges facing the state”, stressing that the board will make the state free from the sales and consumption of liquor.
According to the chairman, the board has embarked on agressive re-organisation towards ensuring total enforcement of the law banning the sales of alcohol within the prohibited places in the state adding that the present leadership of the board is committed to revamping the lost glory of the board.
Usman Katako, explained that the Liquor Board will engage the service of critical stakeholders such as religious leaders and community leaders as well as relevant security agencies in actualising the total onslaught against the illegal operators of liquor within the designated operational area of sales and consumption of alcohol, stating that with the collective support and cooperation of the relevant stakeholders, the board will curtail the sales and consumption of liquor in the state.
He recalled how late Engr. Abdulkadir Abdullahi Kure, in the early part of his first tenure in office, established the State Liquor and Licensing Board to rid the entire state of sales and consumption of alcohol.
The establishment of the board was in line with the implementation of sharia’ah legal system put in place in some core northern states.
As a result of the introduction of the Sharia’ah legal system in Niger state, the late Kure, put in place embargo on sales and consumption of liquor as well as ban on prostitution in the state.
Which informed the establishment of the Niger State Liquor and Licensing Board through the enabling legislation by the state House of assembly to enforce and prosecute the offenders.
During the establishment of the board and its subsequent operation in the early part of the year, 2001, the board launched a total onslaught on beer palours and brothels which hitherto spread all nook and cranies of Minna the state capital and its environs.
Large number of operators of beer palours and brothel owners were arrested and prosecuted in courts of competent jurisdiction.
The new chairman of the board has assured that his tenure in the board will bring back the already lost glory of the state liquor and Licensing Board with the collective support of all stakeholders in the fight against social vices which has hitherto taken over the state.
“The board under my watch will clamp down on ilegal operators of brothels and beer palours in Niger State.
“Those with genuine license of operations should endeavour to renew their license to enable them operate in a designated areas or they should be prepared to invite the wrath of the board”, Katako insisted.
He warned the staff of the board that are in the habit of working against the board by extorting money from ilegal operators of the liquor to desist or the full wrath of the board will be visited on them.
He appealed to well meaning stakeholders in the state to join hands with his team to rid the state of sales and consumption of alcohol and prostitution.
