Kebbi: Police Arrest Six Transporting Over 6,000 Mosquito Nets To Jigawa, Kano States

• APC Guber Aspirant Promises Open-door Policy

THE Police in Kebbi State have arrested six staff of the state Ministries of Health and Local Government Health for diverting two trucks of mosquito nets meant to be distributed to the masses during the anti-malaria programme in four councils of the state. The suspects were arrested in Jega area of the state while trying to transport the over 6,000 pieces of mosquito nets to Jigawa and Kano states with aimed of selling them to a businessman.

Confirming the incident to Theguardian on phone, a representative of one of the donor agencies, the World Health Organisation (WHO), Sam Olaremu, expressed dismay over the act. Olaremu said the incident is a slap to the state government for allowing such a thing to happen, saying if there were checks and balances, such things would not happen.

In his response, Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Umar Usman Kambaza, confirmed the incident, saying since the case was under investigation, the ministry has nothing to say until after the completion of investigation. While confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Mustapha Suleiman, disclosed that the six suspects were arrested at the motor park as they were about moving the vehicle.

He disclosed that the case has been transferred to the Criminal investigation Department (CID) at the Command headquarters for further investigation. Meanwhile, a governorship aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kebbi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Muhammed Mera, has unveiled his plans, which includes, amongst other things, to run an opendoor policy and empower youths to be self-reliant if elected into office. Mera, who made this known while speaking to some journalists at his country home in Argungu, explained that the major problem hindering development is the centralisation of power by the chief executives, with no division of labour in governance.