Lawyer seeks clarification from Kano Hisbah over Ramadan rice allocation

By Maduabuchi Nmeribeh/Kano

A Kano-based human rights advocate and lawyer, Musa Abubakar Tudunwada, has asked the Commander General of the Kano State Hisbah Board, Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, to clarify before the public how bags of rice donated by the state Government for the officers and staff of the Board were distributed.

Bar. Tudunwada in a statement he personally signed, insisted that there were “shoddy dealings” in the distribution of the bags of rice which the state government offered as Ramadan palliatives to officers and staff of the pro-Shariah agency.

According to him, “the rice was provided by the Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, as part of the Ramadan welfare support traditionally extended to ministries, departments, and agencies of the state government.”

Tudunwada, further stated that his decision to seek clarification followed complaints received from some Hisbah personnel who alleged that the distribution was not carried out fairly and that some staff members were denied their entitlements

“We will formally write to Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa to request a detailed explanation of how the rice provided by the government was distributed within the Hisbah Board,” Bar. Tudunwada stated.

He explained that the purpose of the letter is to obtain an official account of the distribution process and identify where any irregularities may have occurred.

Bar. Tudunwada further warned that failure by the Hisbah leadership to provide satisfactory clarification would leave him with no option but to escalate the matter, through legal actions.

“If our request is not addressed or if the Board fails to provide a transparent explanation of the distribution process, we will have no option but to file a petition before the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission to seek justice for affected staff members,” he added.

He emphasized that allegations of unfairness or lack of transparency should not occur within an institution responsible for promoting moral discipline and justice in society.

Meanwhile, a source disclosed that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf allocated 900 bags of rice to the Hisbah Board for distribution to its personnel.

According to the source, the Commander General, Sheikh Daurawa, the Chairman of the Board, and the Deputy Directors General allegedly received 20 bags each, while Assistant Directors General were said to have received 18 bags each.

The source further stated that directors were allocated one bag each, while Assistant Commanders also reportedly received one bag each.

Units at the board’s headquarters were said to have received one bag each, while every Local Government headquarters of the Board reportedly received five bags each.

Bar. Tudunwada maintained that seeking clarification from the Hisbah leadership has become necessary in order to ensure fairness and accountability in the distribution process.

Our Correspondent recalls that Kano State Government under Governor Yusuf recently distributed food items to government agencies, ministries, and members of the public as part of its Ramadan support programme.