Over two hundred million naira have been estimated to be going down drain in the Niger State Liquor Licensing Board as funds generated were not been remitted to the State Internal Revenue Service as required through Treasury Single Account policy of the present administration.

It was reliably gathered that several of those money realized from the issuance of licenses and inspection fees allegedly goes into some individual accounts at the detriment of the state government and the citizens.

According to reports, liquor vendors in the state have complained over the way and manner the board operates by extorting millions of naira from them through harassment, imposition, and intimidation despite some of them are been licensed and operating legally.

Some of the liquor vendors who spoke in condition of anornimity disclosed that there is alot of money in liquor business across the world and the Niger state is not exceptional, while calling for transparency and accountability in the system to ensure the proper utilization of the funds generated.

They added that the leadership of the board should be investigated by an independent panel aimed at recouping the already lost money that went in to the wrong hands while measures should be put in place to forestall occurrences.

Responding, the Director General of the Niger State Liquor Licensing Board, Barrister Yahaya Halidu (Pera) in an interview in his office in Minna, said that the board is empowered to regulate, control the sells, distribution and consumption of liquor in the state as stipulated by the law and not a revenue generation organization.

Barrister Halidu Pera insisted that section 31 sub- section 2 of the board law is clear on the board mandates, saying that only licensing money are remitted to the Niger State Internal Revenue Service annually, while the funds acrued to it through inspection fees of N150,000 from each liquor vendors were used for administrative charges and operational activities of the office as required.

He assured to sustain its activities of surveillance by going after the illegal liquor business operators to ensure compliance and sanity in it operations across the state. Hence the board review of the inspection and licensing fees in January 2025 to meet up with you current economic reality.

The Director General explained that the board is not aware of the allegations of funds were remitted into some personal accounts, assuring to carry out an indept investigation to bring perpetuators in to book if anyone is found wanting in the fraud. Just as a Resident Revenue Officer attached to the board works in collaboration with the finance department to remits funds into TSA accordingly.

According to him, chapter 4 of Nigerian Constitution specifically on human rights and any law that contravenes the provision of the chapter is null and void to the extent of its existence. Hence we must allowed sells and consumption of alcohol but under regulation in Niger state.

He further stated that he has mandated the board director of operations to collect and receipt any of the rural liquor vendors who wanted to pay cash and those money are been paid in to the only operating account of the board with the Fidelity Bank.