Category: Kwara Update

*Dep Gov to lead task force to filling stations
•Govt to revoke CoO of erring filling stations

Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has cautioned oil marketers to avoid imposing needless hardship on the citizens through creation of artificial fuel scarcity in the state and beyond.

“The Governor is seriously concerned about reports of sudden fuel scarcity in different parts of the state. This is totally uncalled for. He asks fuel marketers to immediately discharge fuel to the public under the normal pricing system since they had bought what they currently have at subsidised rates,” according to a Government House statement on Tuesday morning.

“Creating artificial scarcity amounts to intentional misrepresentation of the statement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on the question of fuel subsidy. The people should not be made to undergo any hardship.

“The Governor urges the marketers to desist from anything that qualifies as economic sabotage of the people. Hoarding fuel bought at subsidised price and creating panic in the state is opportunistic and will not be condoned.

*His Excellency the Deputy Governor Mr. Kayode Alabi will be leading a task force to ensure that no fuel marketer causes undue hardship to the citizens in Kwara State.

“Fuel stations are to note that the Task Force will dip into their pits. Any filling stations found to be hoarding fuel will have their Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) revoked, among other penalties.”

The Kwara Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has said the first batch of intending pilgrims from the state will be airlifted to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on May 26.

The Executive Secretary of the board, Alhaji Abdulsalam Abdukadri, announced this while speaking during the enlightenment programme for intending pilgrims held at Gerewu in Adewole Area, Ilorin.

He said that the distribution of bags and uniforms would begin on May 24.

The executive scribe added that the pilgrims would be vaccinated on May 23.

Abdulkadri advised the intending pilgrims to be law-abiding and have good intentions of going there to serve God.

He however warned them against engaging in acts capable of tarnishing Nigeria’s image.

“We enjoin you to avoid fighting with anybody, avoid indecent dressing and avoid the use of abusive words in the holy land,” he said.

Dr Abdulkadir Sambaki also advised intending pilgrims to be law-abiding and conscious of Allah in all their undertakings while in Nigeria and the holy land.

“They should abide by the law of Nigeria and Saudi Arabia authorities because there is no room for disobedience for all intending pilgrims,” he said.

He said that 3,740 pilgrims would perform this year’s Hajj from the state.

The Officer in-charge of the state National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Ilorin airport, Hajia Abibat Babaita, also cautioned them not to go to Saudi Arabia with illicit drugs.

She urged them not to go to Saudi Arabia with contraband drugs like cocaine, lexotan and tramadol, among others.

Babaita said that any intending pilgrim on recommended drugs should come with a doctor’s prescription and not go with a commercial quantity.

In his lecture, the Grand Khadi of Kwara, Justice Abdullateef Kamaldeen, advised all intending pilgrims to return any property kept in their care before going to Saudi Arabia, saying that returning from the journey is in the hands of God.

Kamaldeen also urged them to pay off their debts or put them on record for their families to see before leaving for the holy land in case of any incident so that the family will repay the debt.

The Grand Khadi also enjoined them to settle any misunderstanding they have with anybody before going to perform the Hajj.