Niger State govt refutes alcohol ban, abolishes liquor board
By Ralph Tathagata
Following the public outcry provoked by the pronouncement of a ban on sales of alcohol in the state, Mohammed Bago, the Niger State Governor, has reversed the initial order.
Countering the ban issued by Ibrahim Mohammed Bonu, head of the state’s Liquor and Licencing Board, the governor, on Wednesday, stated that the ban would no longer proceed as scheduled for January 1, 2024.
What’s more, the governor, who accused Mr. Bonu of being an imposter, also announced the abolition of the state’s liquor board.
“The so-called official cannot speak on behalf of the state government,” the governor said
“The state government did not authorise the ban on alcohol. I hereby urge the citizenry, irrespective of their religious and ethnic leanings, to go about their businesses without let or hindrances,” he added.
It would be recalled that Mr. Bonu’s earlier directive warned Suleja and eight other local governments of Niger State to brace for a ban.
The directive, however, sparked controversy with netizens arguing that Abuja suburbs like Suleja, Madalla and others should not be subjected to Sharia laws, which have been in place in Niger State since May 4, 2000, despite its large Christian populations.
For long, northern politicians have used stringent and threatening Sharia decrees on alcohol sales and consumption in the region.
Meanwhile, people, especially from the southern part of the country, argue that such edict is an insincere northern religious policy that plays politics with alcohol sales and consumption, but shares in taxes accrued from alcohol sales, marketing and advertising, which constitute a large chunk of disbursement in federal allocations.
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