‘How Can A Governor Demolish N206 Billion Property Without Compensation?’- Group Warns Kano Governor Against Demolition ‘Madness’

A Civil Society Group, the Coalition of Good Governance and Change Initiative, has warned Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, against further demolition of infrastructure built by the previous government of Abdullahi Ganduje.

The group handed down the warning on Tuesday during a press conference in Abuja, where it warned that further demolition may escalate into a bigger crisis that could engulf the whole country.

Yusuf who won election on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, was inaugurated on the 29th of May, 2023, but has been demolishing public properties his predecessor built.

The demolition exercise has reportedly affected businesses and some have been rendered homeless.

The governor has come under criticism and condemnation with accusation that he’s on a victimisation mission as a result of the political disagreement between the leader of the NNPP, Musa Kwankwaso and Ganduje.

Both Kwankwaso and Ganduje had formed a strong political association before the latter emerged governor. They soon became political enemies.

Critics say Kwankwaso is behind the demolition exercise being embarked on by the new government.

The group noted that Kwankwaso has not condemned or said anything about the exercise, warning of grave consequences if Yusuf continues to destroy public structures.

“It is a sad era in the history of Kano State where a government saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives and property is the one demolishing structures legally built by citizens and investors with their hard-earned resources thereby inflicting pains on the people,” the group said.

Speaking during the press conference, the National Coordinator, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi, pointed out that, “The government demolished a three storey Plaza consisting of ninety shops, the five star Daula Hotel almost completed with ninety rooms worth over 10 billion Naira.

“As a result of this inhuman activity, thousands of people have been displaced with the government paying no attention to the suffering of the people. In fact, the government has vowed to cause more harm to the people by continuing the demolition exercise.

“We have watched with keen interest, the level of destruction done in Kano metropolis including the loss of over twenty lives of innocent Nigerians who died during the process of the unlawful demolition of property in the state.

“The government claimed that two persons died but our team members who were in Kano said over twenty persons have died which is a serious concern for the human rights community.”

Ogenyi lamented that, “More worrisome is the trend of successive governors destroying legacies of the previous administration in a quest to slight the out-gone Governor either based on hatred or fear of popularity among others.

“The last three weeks have become hell in Kano State with a cry in almost every home within the metropolis.

“Governor Abba Yusuf has become a shadow of good governance, even his supporters are no longer proud of him because of his inhuman action against the people of Kano State.

“How can a Governor of less than a week old demolished property worth over two hundred and six billion naira without studying the process and talk more about compensation of the property owners.

“The Government claimed that the previous administration allocated government lands to individuals and corporate bodies, is it not the responsibility of the government to allocate lands?

“The land use act says individuals own no land, all land belongs to the government. What is the offence of the citizens who genuinely acquired land from the government.”

He added that, “If it is true that the previous administration of Kano State illegally allocated these plots, why not call the immediate past Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje to answer questions and if possible charge him to Court instead of destroying property built by innocent Nigerians who applied for land and were allocated the same by the state government.

“Is the government no longer a continuous process? Most of these individuals got loans and invested it in Kano only to face this kind of devastating situation. How do you expect them to survive?

“We believe that the situation in Kano, if not called to order, is capable of causing unrest which may affect the whole Country. Something must be done urgently to stop this madness.”

The group called on President Bola Tinubu to quickly intervene and call Yusuf to “stop further illegal demolition of property leading to loss of lives in the State.

“We also call on the International Community to come to the aid of the people and investors in Kano State by prevailing on Governor Abba Yusuf to stop the demolition forthwith.

“Kwankwaso who is the leader of the Governor is silent over the inhuman activities currently ongoing in Kano State, a bad signal that he is also part of the demolition plot, if he is not, we call on him to exonerate himself by joining religious leaders and other prominent Nigerians in condemning the evil act.

“We are making this appeal in the National Interest because we know the implications of any possible crisis in Kano state being the most populous state in Nigeria.

“If misgovernance of Governor Abba Yusuf leads to a crisis in Kano state (God forbid) it will negatively affect the whole of Nigeria.

“That’s why we are calling for voices of reasoning now, not only to call Governor Abba Yusuf to order but to prevail on him to quickly reverse his actions by calling all the affected persons to a roundtable for amicable resolutions.

“We hereby give Governor Yusuf seventy-two hours ultimatum to retract himself and stop the ongoing demolition, call the affected persons and group for proper compensation or face legal action.”