Rabiu Kwankwaso, the leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), said his meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Friday was to address the continuing destruction of several properties that the Kano State Government alleged were unlawfully sold by the state’s immediate prior administration.
According to Express Radio in Kano, Mr. Kwankwaso stated that the president asked him to discuss numerous concerns, including the current destruction.
Kwankwaso stated that, contrary to certain accounts, the destruction was not targeted at specific individuals, but that it was part of the NNPP’s campaign pledges.
“The demolition we are doing is part of our campaign promises, and it’s what we are delivering. The Kano State Government set up a committee to investigate the sales of government properties that were improperly sold, and people complained about it.
“Five major places are considered for demolition because we believe that the former governor sold them to his son. The shops at Race Course Road and the Daula Hotel were annexes of the State University of Science and Technology, Wudil. Go and search for the Corporate Affairs Commission. It belongs to Ganduje’s son.
“Hajj Camp was also improperly sold to developers, and one of them met me and admitted that there was a mistake in the dealings,” Kwankwaso claimed.
“The Eid prayer is only meant for prayer, yearly hosting the emir of Kano and other dignitaries, but the prayer ground was circled by shops after it was sold, and that is not security-wise because a sniper can hide in any of the shops and fire a dignitary during prayer. I noticed that earlier, which is why I ordered bulletproof glass to cover the elite section of the praying ground.
“We have also warned people not to buy the land there and build shops, but they refused. Places like Triumph Publishing Company are part of the government properties we promised to demolish,” Kwankwaso said.
Reacting to the allegation by the APC that he also sold some government properties to his cronies during the twilight of his second term as governor, he said two wrongs cannot make a right. He then called on the Kano State Government to demolish any place it found its administration had sold illegally.
Meanwhile, the immediate past governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has denied that he sold the properties to himself. He said his administration resorted to the law while selling the properties. He said those against the sale of part of the Eid prayer ground for commercial activities have lost touch with modern development.
“Even in Saudi Arabia, the Holy Site was surrounded by shops. People complaining about the Kano case are ignorant of modernity,” Ganduje said.
