The Kano State Hisbah Board has warned prospective beneficiaries of the state’s mass wedding programme not to pay money to anyone claiming to facilitate their registration or inclusion in the scheme.
The board issued the warning following reports that some individuals were allegedly demanding payments from people seeking to participate in the forthcoming programme.
Deputy Commander-General of the Hisbah Board, Dr Mujahideen Aminuddeen, said no official of the board or representative of the Kano State Government had been authorised to collect money from applicants.
According to him, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has approved full government sponsorship of the programme, making participation free for eligible beneficiaries.
Aminuddeen explained that the approved support covers wedding attire, furniture, transportation of the furniture and start-up capital intended to assist the couples after the ceremony.
He urged prospective participants to reject any request for payment, warning that anyone demanding money was acting without the approval of the government or the Hisbah Board.
“The governor has paid for everything. Nobody should pay for anything because the entire programme is completely free,” he said.
The deputy commander-general advised members of the public to report anyone attempting to collect money in connection with the programme to the Hisbah Board or the appropriate security agencies.
He said such reports would be investigated and appropriate action taken against anyone found to be exploiting prospective beneficiaries.
The board reiterated that registration and participation in the mass wedding programme carry no fee and urged applicants to obtain information only through authorised government channels.