The Kwara state government has
taken over a piece of land occupied by the Saraki family in Ilorin, the state
capital.
Rafiu Ajakaiye, chief press
secretary to governor of the state, announced this on Friday, saying a new
secretariat would be built on the land.
Ajakaiye said the land was
originally meant for government secretariat and parking space of the Civil
Service Clinic, but was unlawfully allocated to a private firm, Asa Investments
Limited, without any record of payment to the state government.
He said no certificate of
occupancy was issued in favour of the firm. Part of the land, situated beside
the Civil Service Clinic, is also right in front of the residence of Olusola
Saraki, father of the former senate president, who built a house there and
named it “Ile Arugbo” (elderly peoples’ home).
The statement explained that the
government has now made provisions for the secretariat in the 2020 budget,
although its construction will spill over to 2021.
“Hundreds of civil servants still
operate from rented apartments at a huge cost to the government.
“The new secretariat, once
completed in 2021, will definitely go a long way to end this unhealthy trend as
well as provide a more conducive and decent working environment for government
workers,” the statement added.
Ajakaiye added that AbdulRahman
AbdulRazaq, the governor, has signed a constitutional instrument withdrawing
the allocation of plots of land 1, 3 and 5 to the firm.
He said that the said land was
unlawfully appropriated contrary to the purpose for which it was meant.
The spokesman added that the
governor’s decision followed a resolution of the State House of Assembly urging
him to reclaim the land because it was arbitrarily taken over in the 1990s
without any evidence of payment by the company, even though the land was meant
for public use.
The governor noted in the
revocation order that the land was originally meant for the construction of
another phase of the Kwara State Civil Service Secretariat and a parking space
for both the civil service clinic and the secretariat.
The revocation order read: “In
exercise of the powers conferred by Section 5 of the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) 1999 and Section 1 and 28 of the Land
Use Act Cap. L.5 of 2004 and all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I,
Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Governor of Kwara State of Nigeria, give the
following notice:
“The Notice may be cited as the
Land Use (Revocation of Right of Occupancy and withdrawal of allocation)
Notice, 2019.
“Allocation of plots of land 1, 3
and 5 TPS/MISC 129 to Asa Investment (Nig) Ltd. which is meant for the Kwara
State Secretariat.
“The land, specifically and more
described in survey No. KwSH 927 and Land/G1071 situated and lying beside Civil
Service Clinic on Ilofa Road Ilorin, Kwara State, is hereby revoked and
withdrawn for overriding public interest for use of the purpose it is
originally meant for:
“The construction of Kwara State
Secretariat; parking space for civil service clinic and the Kwara State
Secretariat and annex to the Civil Service when upgraded to a hospital.
“That the plots allocated are
hereby declared void. Notice is therefore given to you, Asa Investments Nigeria
Limited, that the plots of land 1, 3 and 5 TPS/MISC 129 allocated to you and
any title on the land whatsoever are hereby revoked and the allocation is
withdrawn for overriding public interest.”
The senate president has
forfeited some of his houses in Lagos and Kwara to the federal government as a
result of suits filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC).
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