Ilorin land ‘spuriously allocated’ to Saraki, says Kwara govt

* Retrace your steps, Saraki’s kinsmen urge governor

Kwara State government has said some plots of land allocated to the late politician, Dr Olusola Saraki, were spuriously done.

It defended its decision to revoke the Ilofa Road, GRA, Ilorin plots of land allegedly acquired illegally by the late Dr. Saraki.

The government gave details on the Civil Service Clinic land and its adjourning plots in Ilorin, the state capital, amid public enquiry.

In a statement by the Director General of the Bureau of Lands, Ibrahim Salman, the government said: “The entire land was acquired in the 1970s for Overriding Public Interest and same was initially designed to host the Phase II of the state secretariat. The construction of the said state secretariat Phase II was actually commenced and it was at superstructure level before same was abandoned.

“The entire land was later redesigned in the 1980s for the construction of a Civil Service Clinic, state secretariat, and a parking lot for both the clinic and the state secretariat.

“The clinic was subsequently constructed in 1982, while the remaining plots of land were conceived for the expansion of the clinic into a full-fledged hospital.

“The dream of the state government was stalled when part of the land slated for the parking lot was spuriously allocated in principle to Asa Investment for commercial purposes.

“From available records, the allocation was not based on a formal application, nor application forms filled; there was no evidence of payment for the said allocation, as stipulated in the letter of allocation in principle, and consequently, no right of occupancy was ever issued to the company.

“Furthermore, in flagrant abuse of the allocation terms, the company took possession of the land and constructed what is today known as ‘Ile Arugbo’ on a part of the land that was designed as parking lot and later conceived to host the expansion of the Civil Service Clinic into a full-fledged hospital.

“Following a resolution of the Kwara State House of Assembly mandating him to revoke/withdraw the spurious allocation, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq recently signed an instrument to reclaim the land on the ground that same was unlawfully allocated to a private company, contrary to the public purpose of its acquisition and occupied in breach of the terms of allocation.

“This statement is intended to state the facts on the land recently revoked/withdrawn by the state government, as contained in our records.”

Also, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has received plaudits from a group, Kwara Progressives Group (KPG), for the recovery of a choice property belonging to the state but allegedly appropriated by former Senate President Bukola Saraki and his father, the late Dr Saraki.

The former Senate President had accused AbdulRahman of seizing his late father’s property and renaming the state university, hitherto named after the deceased Second Republic Senate Leader.

But the group said the former Kwara State governor hurled vituperations at the incumbent governor.

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Sulyman, the KPG backed Governor AbdulRahman’s action and urged him to pursue the matter to a logical conclusion.

It said Saraki, on moral ground, was unfit to raise any eyebrow about the governor’s decision to recover the property.

The group noted that no step was too big to right the wrongs allegedly perpetrated during the 16 years of misrule of the Sarakis.

But Saraki’s kinsmen, under the aegis of Agbaji Development Association (ADA), urged Governor AbdulRazaq to have a rethink on the revocation of the land said to belong to the late politician.

ADA argued that the action of the government was borne out of the age-long rivalry between the Sarakis and AbdulRazaq.

Addressing reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, ADA National President Musa Olanrewaju said: “The action of the state government to revoke the said property is a plan to erase the legacy of the political history of father of Kwara politics.

“The land in question has never been in contention with any government prior to coming of Mallam AbdulRazaq. The recent action of the government has made the Agbaji community to know the intention of Governor AbdulRazaq of his vengeance and way of settling scores with then Saraki family.

“Evidently, the property in question was being used by Dr Saraki to care for the aged, widows, the less privileged and students who lacked resources to face the challenges of life.

“The Agbaji community, therefore, speaks to the state government to have a rethink and tow the harmonious path of this state, particularly Ilorin, being home of peace.

“The community implores the stakeholders to wade into the matter and find a lasting solution to the long-term rivalry between the two families. This is important not to disrupt the peaceful coexistence of the people of Ilorin Emirate and Kwara State at large.”

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