Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai is in the eye of the storm. This time, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi is accusing him of personally supervising the demolition of his property used as the secretariat of a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna.
The APC’s “Restoration” group promoted by the senator last Thursday queried El-Rufai and suspended three of his aides, including Special Adviser on Political Matters Uba Sani and Commissioner for Finance Suleiman Kwaru, for similar offences
The Hunkuyi-led faction suspended El-Rufai for six months, for “failing to reply to the query” three days after it was issued.
Hunkuyi yesterday accused the governor of fighting dirty by demolishing the faction’s secretariat of the APC at 11B Sambo Road, Kaduna.
The fenced duplex was demolished in the early hours at (about 5am) by the agencies of the state government.
The fence was levelled and the building pulled down. The vehicles parked in the compound were unaffected.
Director General of Kaduna Geographic Information System (KADGIS) Ibrahim Husseini, in a statement, said the building was removed by the Kaduna State Urban Planning and Developing Agency (KASAUDA) for flagrant violations of land use and non-payment of ground rent since 2010.
Hunkuyi, reacting to the demolition on his official twitter handle, said:
“In the early hours of today, the @GovKaduna Mallam @elrufai personally drove a bulldozer accompanied by armored tanks to destroy my house at 11B Sambo Road. This is a new low and fighting dirty with such low level of pettiness is indeed unprecedented in Kaduna State.
“It is on record that few months back, @GovKaduna Mallam @elrufai marked another property of mine in Hunkuyi town for demolition but residents of the area prevented the officials from demolishing it. Today, he came well prepared with military men to destroy my house at Sambo Road.
“This is also the same way Mallam @elrufai destroyed the house of the APC Dep National Chairman Northwest, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir months back, which tells you that the governor is reckless, petty & can’t stand political pressure, without resorting to being a ruthless dictator.”
But the KADGIS boss said: “The Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Agency (KAPSUDA) is currently undertaking operations across Kaduna metropolis in partnership with sister agencies. KASUPDA is clearing illegal structures, tackling street hawking and restoring order across Kaduna.
“This morning a building on 11B Sambo Close was removed for flagrant violations of land use and non-payment of ground rent since 2010. This illegal violation of use had begun to distress neighbours who were being forced to endure an influx of thugs and blockage of the road.
“The Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS) issued a revocation notice of statutory right of occupancy No. KD. 16712, that covers 11b Sambo Close in the Ungwan Rimi area. The appropriate notice of revocation was delivered at 28 Inuwa Wada Road, the registered address of the company that held the title to the property.
“The notice was also delivered to the building in question, and sent by post to the registered address of the previous title holder. The land has now been allocated to KASUPDA for the purpose of developing and maintaining a public park that will provide a green area and a serene place for recreation in that residential neighbourhood.
“KADGIS wishes to remind all title owners to be fastidious in complying with the terms of their allocation. The purpose of allocation of land cannot be wilfully altered; neither can title holders lawfully neglect to pay their ground rents.
“Since 2016, the government has been taking action on various land related matters, including revoking all undeveloped land titles in the state and directed that all abandoned buildings be developed within three months of the notice.”
Meanwhile, senators have reacted angrily to the demolition of the property belonging to their colleague Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi.
Senator Shehu Sani told his colleagues that Governor Nasir El-Rufai allegedly led a team of soldiers and policemen to 11, Sambo Road, Kaduna to demolish a house belonging to Hunkuyi.
Sani noted that it had become obvious that members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State “cannot accommodate somebody who has the tendencies of Adolf Hitler, Mobutu Sese Seko and Nebuchadnezzar.”
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who presided, said that Sani’s report was not open to debate.
Ekweremadu said, “This is not open to debate. We need to condemn this action. I send my sympathies to Hukunyi. This democracy has no place for tyranny and impunity. If we decide to go on the road of democracy, we must accept some of the things that come with it. One is the rule of law. If we have any grievances, we should use the courts.
“This is why some Nigerians are opposed to the issue of immunity for public office holders. I think that this is something we need to watch. As we approach 2019 general elections, we must appeal to politicians not to overheat the polity and imperil our democracy. I hope this should be the last. Our courts can be trusted to deliver justice. We hope this will not happen again.”
Sani told the Senate: “I stand to formally report something. As early as 4am on Tuesday, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State led a team of soldiers and policemen to Number 11, Sambo Road in the state. He supervised the demolition of our new APC office. The said property belongs to Senator Suleiman Hukunyi (Kaduna North).
“This is coming one year after the same governor demolished a house belonging to the vice chairman of APC in North West, Abdulkadir. This is a series of brigandage and tyranny carried out by the governor against opposition voices.
“Governor El-Rufai is an affliction on the Kaduna State. He is a curse to us. We want to call on Buhari to caution his son. If this crisis is not nipped in the bud, it will grow into something bigger. We in Kaduna State cannot accommodate somebody who has the tendencies of Adolf Hitler, Mobutu Sese Seko and Nebuchadnezzar.”
Speaking to reporters in Abuja, Sen. Hunkuyi described the demolition as “bizarre, rare and unimaginable decisions”.
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