The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) has threatened to clamp down on warehouses and stores engaged in hoarding foodstuff and other commodities to compound the current hardship being faced by the people occasioned by high cost of living.
This was made known on Thursday by the chairman of the commission, Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, while addressing journalists at his office on the recent public outcries over growing hardship.
Rimingado said the commission has activated its intelligence mechanism on the matter and will clamp down on the warehouses and stores used for hoarding essential commodities before the Islamic month of Ramadan.
He called on the people to assist the commission with useful information that will lead to identifying the warehouses and stores where commodities were being hoarded.
“With the advent of Ramadan, we are not going to fold our arms as we are going to swing into action. We are not going to watch people take advantage of the situation by engaging in hoarding and compounding the situation.
“We are asking people with useful information to come forward with them to help the commission identify warehouses or stores where hoarding is taking place. The commission will be glad with such genuine information and will protect the identity of such person.
“I believe there is a problem of inflation which is one of the genesis of hardship but hoarding too also contributes, and we will not allow it.
“To even hoard and take advantage of the people is undue and that is part of corruption. We are overwhelmed, this is the most essential part of our job.
“The Kano State government is worried over the situation. The situation is unbearable, people are hungry. A hungry man is an angry man.
“We are appealing to the traders that if they know they hoard the foodstuffs to take advantage of the situation, they should bring them out to the market because we will not allow it.
“And if we find essential commodities that were hoarded, we have three options. One of the options is to lock down the store, seize the property and take the matter to court. And the court in its wisdom will tell us what to do with the property. And that is a setback to the owner because we have confiscated the property and it can get spoilt,” Rimingado stated.
