By Hussaini Ibrahim
A private legal practitioner and human rights advocate, Musa Abubakar Tudunwada, has said he will formally request clarification from the Commander-General of the Kano State Hisbah Board, Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, over the distribution of bags of rice reportedly allocated to the agency’s staff.
Tudunwada disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying the move followed complaints from some personnel of the board who alleged that the distribution was not conducted fairly.
According to him, the rice was part of Ramadan welfare support reportedly provided by the Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, to ministries, departments and agencies of the state government.
“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,” Tudunwada said.
He explained that the letter would seek an official account of the process adopted in sharing the rice among personnel and help identify any possible irregularities.
The lawyer warned that failure by the leadership of the board to provide satisfactory clarification could lead to further legal action.
“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 said.
He added that allegations of unfairness and lack of transparency should not be associated with an institution tasked with promoting moral discipline and justice in society.
Meanwhile, a source familiar with the development alleged that the state government had allocated about 900 bags of rice to the Hisbah Board for distribution among its personnel.
The source claimed that the Commander-General, the chairman of the board and some Deputy Directors-General allegedly received about 20 bags each, while Assistant Directors-General reportedly received 18 bags each.
It was also alleged that directors and assistant commanders received one bag each, while units at the board’s headquarters were allocated one bag each. Local government headquarters of the board were also said to have received five bags each.
Tudunwada said the request for clarification had become necessary to ensure fairness and accountability in the distribution of the items.
The development comes amid the ongoing Ramadan welfare support programme of the Kano State Government, during which food items were distributed to government agencies and members of the public.
