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.
[b]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.[/b]
“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).
0 Comments