Tunji Wusu –
Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the New Nigeria Peoples’ Party’s (NNPP) presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections, has backed Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf in his decision to demolish structures and monuments in the state capital.
He said that the state was trying to speed up construction and restore the city’s master plan by demolishing homes near mosques, schools, and other important buildings.
“Instead of what many refer to as devastation, what we have planned is progress. And these demolitions have been going on for a while; we’ve been mentioning it in our advertising since 2019. We have stated that any governor who builds unauthorized structures near mosques or in schools will lose their position.
“Check, there are five places where there are demolitions,” he remarked. There is no legal requirement to destroy a university and construct stores.
People are just wasting their time; what the poor want is to see things on the ground, he stated in response to rumors that he is the new governor’s controller. Whether it is you or someone else who is doing it.
We work as a unit. All of these concerns are brought up as a result of the opposition’s jealously and animosity, many of whom have made the error of departing from us. Has Ganduje been successful? He asked after Ganduje had left.
In response to inquiries about whether the destruction will solely affect the lands designated by the state’s most recent governor, Abdullahi Ganduje:
I completed eight years of service. In no secondary or primary school have I ever given anyone of this sort land.
“We exclusively distributed land for the construction of cities like Ibrahim Kunya, Bandirawo, and Kwankwasiyya. Cities were formed when layouts were discovered.
“During my tenure, we paid compensation, and many people were thrilled as we doubled the amount ten times.”
In response to the claim that he gave various pieces of land near Kofar Famfo to people, Kwankwaso stated: “I have never given anyone land in those locations. Which answer will you tolerate? Mine or what they claim?
“There are records. None of the buildings around the city wall, the hospital, or the school were ever given any of my land.
Governor Kabir Yusuf has declared he doesn’t regret demolishing some structures and public monuments, despite the outcry from the populace.
In honor of Eid Kabir, Yusuf spoke in the Government House over the weekend while the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, and other members of the Emirate Council were in attendance.
The governor claimed that it was in the best interests of the Kano people to demolish and reclaim some public buildings that had been illegally purchased and given to “sacred cows” by the previous administration.
The governor stated, “Your highness, it is important that the Emirate Council understand that we started the demolition to bring back public properties that were illegally acquired and we will ensure that all such properties are restored back in the interest of the people of Kano.”
Yusuf commended the Emir and the Emirate Council members on the trip, which was their first since the Emir took office on May 29. He listed his administration’s accomplishments as paying the NECO tuition for 55,000 secondary school students, totaling N1.5 billion, restoring street lighting, and reducing phone snatching incidents in Kano city.
In a statement released by Hisham Habib, Yusuf’s spokesperson, cited a number of further accomplishments. These included the quick payment of salaries and pensions, the removal of thousands of tons of trash from the city, and the resumed screening for the awarding of international scholarships to Kano natives with first-class degrees.
