By Suleiman Adamu, Sokoto
IN its renewed measures to sanitize activities and operations of Lottery business in the state, the Government of Sokoto state has vowed to sanction any company that fails to obtain permit or certificate of operation in the state.
Also affected are football viewing centres in the state while liquefied and cooking gas retail sales outlets must operate at safe and hazardous free public points.
It also warned that operators of such lottery centers must act according to the laws governing their activities.
The development was disclosed during an exclusive chat with Procyonnews Online in Sokoto by the state Commissioner for Home Affairs , Abdullahi Yusuf Hausawa.
According to Hausawa who noted that the state had over time been denied huge sum of income that ought to have been realised as revenue from them, said ” this is as a result of their continued operation in the state without following due process to obtain permit or certificate to enable required revenue generation.
” These Lottery houses operating in the state are taking undue advantage of possessing of their approval certificate by the National Commission for lottery, not minding register with the state”, he pointed out.
Accordingly, the Commissioner said owners of such businesses must not operate in residential areas , close schools or places of worship.
” The state will not hesitate to close indefinitely or asked to relocate to outskirts of the urban centres any Lottery house found to be dealing with minors and underaged “, Hausawa vowed.
Hitherto, the Commissioner who identified some of the lottery houses operating in the state as Premier lotto, Bet 9ja, Abbas/Wasco lotto, Kings lotto and Daby lotto, said they had been given two weeks grace to legalize their operations or face imminent sanction.
In the same vein, Hausawa said football viewing centers were also implored to register and make proper documentation of their operation while warning that officials of the Ministry would henceforth monitor activities of such centers for compliance.
Meanwhile, the Ministry also warned retailers of liquefied natural gas or cooking gas desist from selling the products in over crowded areas, markets, shopping malls and places considered hazardous to the publics.
