Kano Govt Publicly Destroy 42,000 Bottles Of Liquor.
 
 
THE GUARDIAN
 
From Adamu Abuh, Kano
News - Metro
 
 
Blaming alcohol for crime, immorality, Kano govt officials destroy truckloads of beer, wine, others
 AT the head of the operation was the Kano State Deputy Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who was represented by the Chairman of the House Committee on Religious Affairs, Malam Babalele Musa.

Present at the occasion were traditional rulers like the Hakimin Makoda, Alhaji Wada Waziri, key Islamic clerics, officials of the Kano Sharia and Hisba Board and thousands of Hisba operatives.

Security agencies such as the Immigration Service, the State Security Service, the Nigerian Army and the Police were also at hand on Tuesday, during the destruction of 42, 000 bottles of assorted alcoholic drinks worth millions of naira, along Dambatta Road,

The drinks brought to the location in several trucks, were seized from dealers in Kano metropolis.

Consumption of alcoholic drinks is often blamed as one of the causes of crime and immoral conduct in Kano.

Under Sharia legal code, sales and consumption of alcoholic drinks are prohibited in Kano.

Amidst chants of ‘Allahu Akbar!’ no fewer than 10 of the personalities that graced the occasion made a show of the event.

Among them was the newly appointed Chairman of the Kano Hisba Board, Sheik AmiNooden Ibrahim.

He rose from his seat, strode purposefully to the heaps of alcoholic drinks from where he picked up a bottle and paused a little to pray against the devil.

Then he flung the bottle and it smashed into other bottles of beer, brandy, whisky and other alcoholic drinks stacked nearby for the exercise.

As bottles broke and their contents spilled out, the crowd roared in approval.

Before the remaining truckloads were destroyed, Sheik Ibrahim justified the destruction of the alcoholic drinks, saying it was in line with the dictates of the Islamic religion as well as the extant laws enacted by the Kano state government in the interest of its citizenry.

Noting that consumption of alcoholic drink was harmful to humans, he argued that even other religions such as Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism also frowned at anything not in the interest to the human race.

On his part, Ganduje said the destruction exercise underlined the fact that the Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso-led administration would not toy with Sharia implementation.

He said: “Our own strategy as regard to Sharia implementation is not to introduce elements of politics because Sharia legal system is a law that has been written without influence of a political party but as originated from the Holy Quran and Hadith and the opinions of the Ulema because when the Holy Quran was compiled, there was no political party.

Justifying the measure, the deputy governor further noted: “We are governing people; we are not governing our party members alone.

“We are governing everybody in Kano state.

“We have to ensure the safety, security of lives and property in Kano State without discrimination. That is why you see our style in the implementation of the Sharia would be different from that of the previous government.”

But the president of the Igbo socio- cultural organisation, Ohanaeze, Chief Tobias Michael Idika believes the seizure of alcoholic drinks was a deliberate attempt to undermine the interest of non –Moslems resident in Kano State.

Stating Governor Kwankwaso has breached his electoral promise not to interfere with the lifestyle of non-Moslems resident in Kano, Idika maintained the destruction of alcoholic drinks ran contrary to the   provisions of the constitution.

The Ohaneze leader, who resides in the Sabongari area of the metropolis where the sale and consumption of alcohol still holds sway, noted: “We have always maintained that the entire action of seizing alcoholic drink is completely illegal, going by the provision of our constitution. There is nowhere in the constitution that states that state governments can use its apparatus to destroy alcoholic drinks. This is clearly an affront to the constitution.”

Apparently speaking the minds of liquor dealers that were affected as a result of the measure, he argued: “I don’t have any quarrel with the Sharia, but it shouldn’t be applicable to some of us that are Christians.

“This is the reason why I say the action is targeted at us non-Moslems.

“What is happening is like operating a Republic within a Republic and against the constitution, which we all owe allegiance to and which does not ban the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages.”

Reminded that the Kano State government “is empowered to make laws for the good of the people of the state”, he quipped:  “Any law that runs contrary to the laws of Nigeria is null and void.”

“One reason we voted for him was that Kwankwaso assured us that he would not impose Sharia on us but that is not the case today.

“Why seize and destroy our beer without recourse to   the decisions of the law courts?” he asked.

THE GUARDIAN
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From ATTAHIRU AHMED, Gusau Friday October 28, 2011

No fewer than four people were said to have died following the collapse of a mining pit at the controversial mining site in Dareta Village, Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Close source who was at the scene of the incident, told Daily Sun that the urgly situation occured on Thursday around midnight when the deceased were struggling to get to their daily bread at Dareta Village.

“ The miners were extracting gold and other mineral deposit on over one hundred metres benearth the earth when the pit collapsed. It occured at about 1. am midnight.” When contacted through his GSM line,the state Commissioner for Enviroment and Solid Mineral Development, Muktar Muhammed Lugga said he was at the scene of the incident,but helpless eight hours after the happening.“We did all what was possible to support the victims in a rescue operation,including provision of excavator,but it was unfortunate the excavator could not get to the scene in time to rescue them.”

According to him,the state government through his ministry has already commenced the reorganisation of the small-scale miners with the hope to protect them in their business, which we hope such incident may not occure again.”
It could be recalled that last year no fewer than 400 people were reported to have died as a result of lead poisoning in some villages of Anka and Bukuyyum Local Government Areas in the state. Following the contamination of the soil in the affected nining areas in the state,non governmental organisations from outside world has assisted the areas with medicine and expertise advice on illegal mining.

via Daily Sun

Senate yesterday estimated that Nigeria’s present external and local debts at N6.02 trillion, but said the country is not in any danger of going broke. Chairman, Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, Senator Ehigie Uzamere, disclosed this during the committee’s inauguration by Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.

Giving a breakdown of the debt profile, Uzamere said the external debt stands at $5.398 billion which translates to 2.76 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while the local debt is N5.210 trillion, representing 17.53 per cent of the GDP. Regardless, Senator Uzamere said compared with other countries; Nigeria is still on safe ground with its present debt profile.

He noted: “The situation does not call for a party but more hard work and a serious approach to translate our debt into asset to accelerate our infrastructural development and boost the economy”. The committee chairman said the total debt of N6.02 trillion “is more than the Federal Government’s annual budget. This amount is unsettling and calls for serious concern.”

He asked rhetorically; “do we have the capacity to repay this money considering our yearly revenue profile?”
Also speaking at the inauguration of the Women Affairs Committee, Senator Helen Esuene, its Chairman, outlined the panel’s agenda to include protection of women’s rights as well as focus on increasing female participation in key public sector positions, increasing female participation in commanding and managerial positions in the private sector.

“It is a known fact that shame and stigmatization have often been the cause of perpetrators of rape and other domestic violence going scot free. The committee will look into how to bridge this gap by strengthening prosecution procedures and creating units for trauma management of such victims.

“We will focus on security and welfare of members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), protection of children born and living in prisons and effective implementation of the Child Rights laws. The committee will give serious attention to issues of widowhood, human trafficking and inheritance. “It is pertinent to state that this committee is not out to witch-hunt but to add value to the activities of various establishments,” she said.

Inaugurating the Senate Committee on National Identity Card and Population, the Deputy Senate President stressed the importance of data gathering and advised Nigerians to place emphasis on registration of births and deaths.
At the inauguration of the Works Committee headed by Senator Ayogu Eze, Senator Ekweremadu cautioned that if the present set of ministers of works fail to fix the deplorable road networks in the country “then, we have failed and we may not get it right anymore.”

He urged the committee to liaise with the various organs of government to begin rehabilitation of roads, adding that Nigerians have waited for too long for dividends of democracy. Responding, Senator Ayogu assured that if after four years the committee, in conjunction with the ministry, fails to fix the roads, “our hopes of industrialisation would be a mirage, adding, “we cannot attract foreign investment when our roads are in deplorable conditions.”

via Daily Sun

Written by Uchechukwu Olisah, Benin City Friday, 28 October 2011

PROMINENT Edo state businessman and politician, Elder Tes Sorae, whose wife, Bridget, was shot dead along with two other persons by kidnappers, has called on governments at all levels and wealthy Nigerians to tackle unemployment problem with a view to combating the high incidence of crime in the country.

Sorae, who was himself abducted by the kidnappers who shot his wife dead before he regained his freedom after about a week in captivity, made the call during the burial of her remains at their residence, on Thursday, in Benin City, Edo State capital.

Mrs Sorae, a driver and police orderly were shot dead on August 28 when armed men who laid ambush for them opened fire on their vehicle in front of their residence as they were returning from church service. Two other persons were also wounded in the attack.

“There s need for government to provide job opportunities for everyone. I have gone to so many nations; I think Nigeria is one of the countries that I have seen that unemployment is very very high. I pray that government should look at this that job opportunities should be provided so that insecurity will be reduced.

“As far back as years ago when we were still talking about colonialism, there was no unemployment of this magnitude. So I think government should seriously look at this and also try as much as possible to work on corruption in our society. God has blessed us in many ways but the problem that is confronting this country is corruption and once they can put that out, I think we will match forward,” he said.

According to Sorae, his late wife had done what was humanly possible to wish her farewell, saying he believed without that she was already in the bosom of the Lord, just as he advised people who did not believe in God to get seriously involved and serve God diligently and faithfully.

Besides, clerics from different Christian denominations also joined Sorae in urging the various governments and rich Nigerians to tackle unemployment so that the teeming and restive youth population would be meaningfully engaged and therefore dissuaded from taking to crime.

The clergymen, who were led by the Bishop of Benin Diocese of the Anglican Communion and state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Bishop Peter Imasuen, who was once a victim of kidnappers and Reverend Felix Omobude, whose wife, Abiola, had once been abducted, testified to the goods works Mrs. Sorae did and the good life she lived.

via Tribune

•Vow not to accept proposal if...

Written by Jacob Segun Olatunji and Kolawole Daniel, Abuja Friday, 28 October 2011

THE House of Representatives on Thursday vowed to boycott the presentation of the 2012 budget proposal should the Minister of Finance, Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala fail to honour its invitation to appraise the 2011 budget performance, just as it resolved that the budget proposal of the Federal Government must now be presented to the National Assembly three months before the commencement of the fiscal year.

The threat by the House to boycott the budget presentation followed the failure of the finance minister who was summoned to appraise the Medium Term Fiscal Framework (MTFF), to appear before the House Committee on Appropriation but rather sent a representative.

At the appropriation committee’s meeting on Thursday, the committee told the finance minister’s representative; the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Yerima Ngana that by Monday, October 31, if the minister failed to appear physically before it to defend the MTFF document, the House would boycott the presentation of the 2012 budget.

The chairman of the committee, Honourable John Enoh, declared that, “except the Minister of Finance, Dr Okonjo-Iweala is here on Monday to defend this year’s Medium Term Fiscal Framework, you should forget about the issue of the president coming to present the 2012 Appropriation bill.”

According to him, “if she refuses to come under any excuse, we will not welcome the president and please, don’t blame us and she should not take it personal.”

Dr Ngana had earlier told the committee that the 2011 budget had scored 57 per cent in terms of implementation, with a total release of N699,459,225,802 from the capital account of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the various MDAs.

He said: “Out of the amount released so far, only N594,154,991,965 was cash backed, while the MDAs only accessed N332,071,481, 525, leaving a balance of N256,301,375.98 in the vault of the CBN”.

The compulsory mandate on the president followed a bill to that effect, sponsored by Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila which scaled through the second reading in the House after overwhelming debate in support of the move by members in order to ensure proper scrutiny and timely passage of the appropriation.

Presenting the bill entitled “a bill to alter the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, Cap. C23 laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004 to provide a definite date for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to present an appropriation bill for the next financial year to the National Assembly, 2011 (HB.114), “Honourable Gbajabiamila condemned the delay of presentation of the appropriation Bill to the National Assembly by the Executive which he said was not in the best interest of thorough legislation.

While pointing out that the late presentation of annual appropriation bill would not allow for thorough examination of the bill as expected, he lamented that, “even as we speak, the budget for 2012 has not been presented before the National Assembly.”

via Tribune

BY NDAHI MARAMA

MAIDUGURI— THREE suspected Boko Haram gunmen, Thursday, shot a police officer (name withheld) at his Bulunkutu residence in Maiduguri, Borno State capital at 12.45pm.

Bulunkutu and Gomari Airport wards of the metropolis have become notorious in the past one week, as three policemen and two civilians had been killed by yet-to-be identified gunmen

An eyewitness, Mallam Haruna Audu, said one of the gunmen pulled out a Kalashnikov rifle from his flowing gown and fired two shots at the police officer, which pierced through one of his arms, after which the gunmen fled into the neighbouring wards of Gomari and Pompomari, few kilometres away from the scene.

Audu said: “As the police officer was coming out of his Bulunkutu Tsaleke residence, we saw three men walking on foot towards the house and thereafter, we heard gun shots; and people started fleeing the areas, before men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) arrived the scene.”

Confirming the attacks and shooting, Borno State Police Commissioner, Simeone Midenda, said: “I was holding a conference with the Divisional Police Officers at the Police Force Headquarters in Maiduguri, when we received a distress call that one of our officers was shot in the arm by members of the Boko Haram sect about 1pm.

He was coming out from his house, when the gunmen attacked and shot him in the arm. Fortunately, the policeman did not die and was rushed to University of Maiduguri Teaching,UMTH, by JTF for treatment.”

On the attacks and shooting, Midenda said the police officer had earlier been warned in a letter addressed to him to leave Bulunkutu without delay, but the policeman refused to heed the warnings, until he was shot in the arm at his residence.

He said no arrest had been made over the attack.

via Vanguard

BY Festus Ahon

UGHELLI—ANGRY commercial motorcyclists (Okada), Thursday, brutalised national youth coordinators of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Johnson Obah, in Ughelli, Delta State, for allegedly knocking down one of them.

The Okada riders, numbering over 40, did not spare Obah’s green Honda Accord car when they caught up with him at a police check-point at Oviri-Ogor Junction on the East-West Road.

Vanguard gathered that trouble started at about 10.30am when Obah, who was traveling from Kwale to Port-Harcourt, allegedly ran into the Okada man. The Okada man was said to be in a convoy taking the corpse of a deceased motorcyclist for burial in a nearby community.

Perceiving danger after the alleged collision, Obah drove off to the police check-point with a view to taking refuge. He was, however, disappointed as he was beaten up and his car vandalised while the policemen looked on.

Speaking with newsmen at the scene of the incident, Obah expressed shock at the action of the mob, adding that he was mostly disappointed with the policemen who could not come to his rescue.

via Vanguard

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja will on November 18 begin the trial of six alleged members of an Islamic sect; Boko Haram.
Shuaibu Abubakar, Salisu Ahmed, Umar Babagana, Mohammed Ali, Musa Adam and Umar Ibrahim have pleaded not guilty to a five-count charge, which includes criminal conspiracy and voluntarily causing grievous harm, slammed against them by the State Security Service (SSS).
The alleged offences are contrary to and punishable under Sections, 97 and 248(1) of the Penal Code Law, and section 15 (2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Establishment Act 2004.
According to the charge, the accused allegedly, at various times within the Federal Capital Territory and Niger State prepared, planted and detonated Improvised Explosive Devices (IED).
They are believed to be the brains behind the April bombing at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Suleja, Niger State, where 16 persons, including serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members died on the eve of the rescheduled National Assembly elections.
The accused persons also allegedly conspired with others at large to cause grievous bodily harm by unlawfully planting deadly substances which led to the death of three persons at a political rally in Suleja.
They also allegedly detonated explosives which killed three peace officers in Dakna village, Bwari.
The alleged offences are contrary to and punishable under sections 97 and 248(1) of the Penal Code Law.
When the matter came up yesterday, counsel to the six accused persons asked the court to grant them time to look into the proof of evidence served on them on Tuesday by the prosecution.
Justice Bilkisu Aliyu, after listening to the submissions, adjourned the case till November 18, for trial and ordered that the accused persons be remanded in the custody of the State Security Service.

via The Nation

October 27, 2011 12:16PM

The Jigawa Police Command said that it had arrested the Jigawa Action Congress of
Nigeria (ACN), Chairman,Alhaji Hassan Fulata, for allegedly defaming the character of Gov. Sule Lamido.

Malam Abdu Jinjiri, (ASP), the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), disclosed this in Dutse on Wednesday while briefing newsmen.

He said that the ACN chieftain's arrest was based on the complaint by Alhaji Yakubu Ruba, the state
Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, who alleged defamed the governor's character.

Jinjiri stated that the police command also received a warrant of arrest from a court that Fulata
should be arrested for the same offence.

"The reason for his arrest was on the allegation from the Office of the Attorney General that he defamed the
character of the Governor; we will take his statement in that respect.

"Additionally, a warrant arrest was also received from a court for his arrest, I don't know the name of the court
precisely.

"As l am talking to you now, he is with us here, we are taking his statement, after that we shall charge him to
court as soon as possible," the PPRO said.

The ACN had on May 17, 2011 petitioned the tribunal that Gov.Lamido did not graduate from Barewa College, Zaria, and that he was parading a forged WAEC certificate.

The tribunal on October 24, had dismissed the petition and validated the governor's WAEC certificate.

It will be recalled that Lamido had on Monday, after his victory at the tribunal, promised to sue ACN chairman
to Sharia Court for questioning his credentials.

via Next