Earlier in the week, the media was awash with reports that the Niger State Liquor and Licensing Board had announced plans to implement a total ban on the sales and consumption of alcohol in Suleja Local Government Area of the state and its environs by January 1, 2024.
The Secretary of the board, Mohammed Ibrahim, was quoted to have dropped the hint during an interactive session with journalists in Minna, the state capital, during the Christmas festivities.
Ibrahim was also quoted to have stated that some bars within Minna metropolis would be served with relocation letters to move outside the city to about eight kilometres radius from the Post Office premises.
He further added that the law establishing the board has the mandate to control the activities of all liquor vendors in the state, stressing that nine LGAs of the State were on the first schedule of the prohibited areas.
Reacting to the report on Wednesday , Bago, in a statement he personally signed, described the story as false, noting that a Liquor and Licensing Board is currently not in existence in the state.
The statement read, “The attention of the Niger State Government has been drawn to a report making the rounds of some blogs claiming that the Niger State Government, through the state’s Liquor and Licensing Board, has prohibited the sale of alcohol in nine local government areas of the state, including Suleja.
“We wish to state categorically that His Excellency, Governor Bago, who has been busy initiating and overseeing many people-centered projects across the state, never issued such a directive.
“The liquor and licensing board is yet to be constituted by the governor; as such, no directive of this kind can come from a board yet to be formed.
“In light of the above, the governor has directed security agents to arrest the self-appointed secretary of the board and to understand the motives of the imposter and the reasons behind the pronouncement.
“We invite the good public and our friends in the media to ignore any such pronouncements and to, henceforth, seek clarification from known government officials who are authorised to speak for the state and government.”
