Governor Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto State has directed local government chairs and Local Government Education Authority officials who tampered with the N30,000 sallah gifts to return the money.

“Those who diverted those funds must return them immediately, or else we will take serious punitive measures against them,” the governor said in a statement by his chief press secretary, Abubakar Bawa.

He added, ”We will ensure that the culprits reap what they sowed to serve as a deterrent to others.”

Mr Aliyu decried that the officials diverted the funds provided as stipends to the state workers during the Sallah holidays.

“The money was given to the workers in the state, and some unscrupulous staff diverted the funds and they have been directed to return it immediately or face serious consequences,” he said.

Meanwhile, the state government declared Monday as a public holiday in recognition of the Islamic New Year of Hijrah calendar.

Mr Bawa announced that Monday would be observed as a public holiday throughout the state to enable people to celebrate the new Islamic year 1446AH.

He further stressed the need for the Muslim Ummah to use the new Islamic calendar for a sober reflection and to carry out a self-assessment to see where they have gone wrong with a view to making corrections in this new year.

(NAN)