By Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

A group under the auspices of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje for permitting the destruction of Beer products worth N200 million in Kano in the guise of implementation of Shariah law in Kano State.

HURIWA said the consistent flouting of section 10 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999 as amended which prohibits absolutely the recognition of a particular religion as State Religion and Section 42 of the same Constitution which absolutely prohibits discrimination on the basis of Religion and Ethnicity in the implementation of public policies by elected government as clearly manifest in the: “Unrepentant application of religious laws that offends the Grundnorm of Nigeria will spell doom for a United Nigeria”.

The group said President Muhammadu Buhari has also manifested his: “partiality for his Religion and Ethnicity in such massive dimensions that he has rubbished Section 14(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999 as amended on the imperative essence of enforcement of the Principle of Federal Character in appointments because the President has the proclivity of appointing only Hausa/Fulani/Kanuri Northern Moslems in strategic military and internal security Architectures of Nigeria.”

HURIWA said the total disregard of the Constitution of the country by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje: “shows that there is indeed a grand conspiracy to Islamise Nigeria”.

The group in statement jointly signed by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf said: “We absolutely condemn as despicable, provocative, vexatious and primitive, the destruction of the alcoholic beverages by the Kano state governor in the name of his personal Religion even against the clear provisions of Sections 10 and 42 of the Nigerian Constitution just as the rapid ISLAMISATOON of Kano state is totally unacceptable going by the fact that within Kano state there are indigenous non-Muslims living and doing their legitimate businesses in that part of Nigeria reputed to be one of the biggest commercial centres of Nigeria.

“Besides, Kano state government shares from the internally generated revenues harnessed by the Federal Inland revenue services which goes into the Federation Accounts and Beer manufacturing industry pay a lot of taxes into the central Treasury of government from where Kano state draws her Monthly allocations. Why destroy these economic derivatives from whose source some of the Monthly allocations Kano collects emanate? This is hypocrisy and this is offensive to all good thinking and against the Nigerian Constitution.”

HURIWA recalled that the Kano State Hisbah Board had reportedly destroyed 1, 970, 000 bottles of beer worth N200 million confiscated within Kano metropolis.

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HURIWA recalled that the governor was represented by his deputy, Dr. Nasiru Gawuna, just as he said the Hisbah Board was established with the aim of preventing evil social acts in society.

He explained that as part of his administration’s effort of enhancing the welfare of the Hisbah, before this the year 2020 runs out; there would be a salary increase and new uniform for them.

HURIWA quoted the Kano state governor as stating as follows: “My administration is proud of the way you discharge your duties, therefore, I wish to urge all stakeholders to continue to give you all the support you need to succeed,” he said.

HURIWA warned that: “if the President Muhammadu Buhari continues to encourage the abuses of the Nigerian Constitution then before long other States dominated by Christians may promulgate Christian doctrines and Canon laws as applicable in their State which inevitably would have resulted from the tacit approval of Shariah laws that President Muhammadu Buhari has permitted in Kano State just as the Rights Advocacy group HURIWA said if action is not adopted quickly, the illegality in Kano state would lead to the destabilization of Nigeria.”