Date: 2019-12-30

Recent developments in Kwara state are indicative of a looming political war between the Saraki political dynasty and the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, ABDULLAHI OLESIN reports

Except concerned stakeholders in the affairs of Kwara State, especially Ilorin Emirate act quickly, the state reputed for its peaceful nature may sooner than later embroil in a political turmoil. Though political turmoil with its attendant in wanton destruction of property and lives is not alien to the state, the results had always been catastrophic.

The scars of the damages done to lives and property during the 1983 political crisis between the late strongman of Kwara politics, Dr. Olusola Saraki and the late Governor Adamu Attah/ Akanbi Oniyangi and the one between the late Saraki and the late Governor Mohammed Lawal are still very fresh in the memories of those that witnessed the unfortunate political wars.

The loading political crisis stems from certain actions that the incumbent governor of the state, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had taken against the family of the late Olusola Saraki. Though, the propriety or otherwise of the governor's actions is left for courts to decide as the scion of Saraki's family and immediate past senate president, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki has hinted about plans to seek redress in the courts of law.

AbdulRazaq last Friday stirred the hornet's nest when in a surprise and daring move announced the revocation of plots of lands belonging to the late Olusola Saraki.

The property is located opposite the Ilofa Road, GRA, Ilorin family residence of the Sarakis.

The property houses the popular 'Ile Arugbo (charity home)' and had served as the campaign headquarters of the Saraki political dynasty for decades.

This is where the late Dr. Olusola Saraki and the immediate past senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki used to address their followers on salient political issues and decisions.

It is the same venue where the Sarakis used to distribute gifts to the aged every last Thursday of every month. This is where the name 'Ile Arugbo' emanated.

In fact, the charity home played host to the elaborate 57th birthday of Dr. Bukola Saraki on December 19, 2019 where prominent Ilorin Muslim clerics predicted that he would bounce back to political reckoning.

Before now, the AbdulRazaq-led administration had also recovered a four- bedroom bungalow belonging to Dr. Bukola Saraki. The choice property is located along Alimi Road, GRA, Ilorin.

The revocation of the property sold to Saraki after leaving office as the state governor followed the void of the acquisition, valuation and certification of land title (Right of Occupancy) for non-compliance with the provisions of Pensions Law 2010.

This formed part of the resolutions of the Kwara state House of Assembly, following the presentation of the report of the House Committee on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, by its chairman, Hon. Omotayo Felix Awodiji on the floor of the House on the alleged illegal sale of the property to Saraki.

Reading the resolutions of the House, the speaker, Hon. Yakubu Danladi Salihu said the revocation became expedient to ensure an enduring end to all forms of illegalities and abnormalities and pave the way for meaningful development of the state.

The House then urged the state government to immediately explore every available legal process to recover the chalet from the former senate president.

The chairman, House Committee on Land, Housing and Urban Development, had while presenting his report observed among other things that the Alimi Chalet was purposely built by the state government as a Guest Chalet for the sitting governors and not transferable as exit package for any outgoing governor while the chalet, according to him, does not fit into the recommendations of the pension law of 2010.

The House of Assembly also prepared the ground for the revocation of the late Olusola Saraki's GRA land following a consideration of a report titled, "Illegal Acquisition, Appropriation and Conversion of Government property with Survey No. KWG.927 And LAN/G. 1071 situated at Iloffa Road by Civil Service Clinic, GRA Ilorin, by private individual presented by the committee's chairman, Hon. Felix Awodiji, at the floor of the House.

The speaker, Hon. Yakubu Salihu while reading the resolutions of the House, explained that the need to take over the land became expedient to ensure that the land is used for the purpose for which it was originally meant.

The House also unanimously called on the state governor to declare the allocation of the property to Asa Investment Limited void for non-compliance with due process.

Armed with the house resolution, Governor AbdulRazaq on Friday, December 27, 2019 ordered the revocation of the Saraki's land located along Ilofa road, GRA, Ilorin.

The chief press secretary to governor, Rafiu Ajakaye announced the government's recovery of the land in a statement.

He disclosed that a new secretariat complex would be erected on the land next year.

He further explained that 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.

"No certificate of occupancy was ever issued in favour of the firm," he added.

The state government, according to Ajakaye had bought the land to house the civil service clinic, its parking space, and a secretariat.

He said 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.

"Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has signed a constitutional instrument withdrawing the allocation of plots of land 1, 3 and 5 to the firm, asserting that the said land was unlawfully appropriated contrary to the purpose for which it was meant.

The governor's decision followed 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 Asa Investment Limited, even though the land was meant for public use.

"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," he added.

The revocation order reads: "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 along 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.

"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."

But in a swift reaction, former senate president, Saraki, in a statement he personally signed on Saturday, stated that Kwara State governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has crossed the line of decency with his recent efforts to erase the legacies of his late father, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki.

Saraki, stated that, "the war of attrition waged against the legacy of my father and everything that belongs to the late politician simply portrayed the governor as a man who lacks the sense of history and set out only to fight the Saraki family but not to serve the interest of Kwarans"

He added, "Yesterday night, the Kwara State governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq finally showed his true colour when he announced his decision to revoke the ownership of a property rightfully held by my late father, Dr. Olusola Abubakar Saraki on Plots 1, 3 and 5 Ilofa Road, GRA, Ilorin popularly known as Ile Arugbo, (Old People's home) which has for over two decades been used to host the weekly gathering of a multitude of aged people in the society who are provided food, money and health services, as part of the social welfare programme sponsored by the late politician. The tradition has since been maintained.

"Before now, this same governor had invited all the members of the House of Assembly and directed them to commence the process of amending the law to change the name of the state's university which the last administration renamed after my late father, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki. He then followed up on this act of vengeance by initiating a bill to rename the University and expunge the name of the late Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki. Now, he has decided to also revoke the titles of the landed property which belongs to the late politician. May be, Abdulrazaq thinks his will be the last administration in Kwara State but definitely, this is self-delusion

"The property was allocated to my late father under the name of one of his companies, Asa Investment Limited, and contrary to the claim of the governor, the land was properly allocated and a Right of Occupancy title issued on it. It should be noted that the excuse given by Abdulrazaq in his revocation order holds no water since it is clear that this is the height of his vengeance against my father, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki and I.

"Till today, many Kwarans have been wondering what problem the governor has with the late Oloye Abubakar Olusola Saraki or what the late politician did to offend him. It is surprising that of all vacant plots of land in strategic places across Ilorin township, the one that Abdulrahman found useful for his vengeful plan is the one owned by late Dr. Saraki. It is beyond comprehension why a governor would set as his main agenda the objective of undermining and waging a war of attrition against a man who is no longer around.

"This action is clearly a manifestation of vengeance and it shows that this governor is not out to serve any public purpose or pursue any development agenda. In his narrow-mindedness, he believes his victory at the polls is an empowerment, entitlement and enablement to settle scores, provoke and pursue inter-family rivalry. They expected development and fulfillment of promises.

"If the governor believes people are not taking stock of his misguided and deceptive actions and that because he is in power, he could do whatever he likes, he must be a joker. Also, this war against the Sarakis will not successfully veil his unpreparedness for governance and divert people’s attention from the glaring lack of visionary, clear-cut plan to deliver on his empty promises to the people. He definitely cannot get away with all the atrocities he has been committing.

"Since the outcome of the elections in March, despite the fact that there are clear grounds to challenge the results in court, I have decided to demonstrate maturity, statesmanship and sportsmanship. I have chosen not to make comment on the policies, programmes and actions of the administration in Kwara State or that of its head. Also, I deliberately stayed away from the state to avoid creating any distraction for the administration. My decision is borne out of a genuine restraint to enable the administration settle down and fulfill its numerous promises to the people of our state.

"However, seven months down the line, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has shown that its cardinal programme is to wage war against my late father and I. He has demonstrated that his only competence and astuteness is in the area of viciously assailing the late Oloye Saraki and I. Definitely, he is a man with no sense of history. Enough is enough. Now, he has crossed the line.

"Perhaps, I should let it be known that if Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq thinks he is taking all these actions to get at me, he is only deceiving himself. There is no basis for competition between us. Our paths cannot cross because the status that he is struggling to attain, Almighty Allah has given it to me many years before now. I became governor 16 years before him and served out my constitutional limit of eight years. Within the period, I was chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum. I have moved on to serve in the federal legislature and by the grace of God, I headed the National Assembly as the number three man in the country. No matter, how well he tried to rewrite history, it is on record that I left Kwara State a lot better than I met it. In fact, the university that he is struggling to rename was established by my administration as just one out of many legacies we left behind. This governor needs a lot more efforts, years, intelligence and resources to attain the level Allah has taken me, not to talk of my late father, Dr. Olusola Abubakar Saraki, the senate leader in the Second Republic. As governor, I used the position to serve the people and during the period I did not dishonour his own father or anybody’s father for that matter.

"Just as I did after the election, my advise to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is that he should devote his time and energy to providing good governance and genuine development of the state.

"It is well known to the governor that I fear nobody, except Almighty Allah, the ultimate owner of all powers. With all his subterranean and open moves against my family, person and property, I remain unmoved. However, his open antagonism against my late father and his legacies is unwarranted and will not be tolerated. He has definitely gone beyond bounds as he cannot be allowed to ride roughshod on the deceased. In this war against my late father, he will not win.

"This governor has shown that he is not a man who wants peace, co-operation and development. He believes that a constant attack on my family and I is all that he needs to win the hearts of Kwara people. The need to provide good governance is secondary to him.

"However, it should be made clear to Abdulrazaq and his administration that their attack on my late father cannot erase the legacies of Oloye. No evil design, negative plot or propaganda can successfully rewrite the history of Kwara State. This plot against my late father will not stand. And I will like to make it clear that we will contest this petty, malicious, dubious and bias action of a parochial, vicious and vindictive administration through all legal means. We are sure this is not an action taken in public interest. Rather, it is done in pursuit of a selfish and devious objective".

In its reaction, a non-governmental organization, the Kwara Legacy Network, condemned the revocation of Olusola Saraki's land.

The group, in a statement described the development as a threat to the peaceful co- existence of Ilorin community and the entire state.

In the statement signed by its coordinator, Mallam Isola Bello, Kwara Legacy Network advised Governor AbdulRahman to avoid acts capable of heating up the polity and create tension in the state.

It further advised him to squarely face the task of governance and implement policies that would make life bearable for the residents instead of indulging in any act that would set the people against each other.

It added that, "the state government should have looked elsewhere if it wants to construct a new state secretariat rather than acquiring the late Olusola Saraki's land at this time.

"There is no doubt that late Olusola Saraki contributed his quota to the development and growth of Ilorin and Kwara in general. The administration ought to have looked elsewhere in Ilorin to build its new state secretariat. The acquisition of late Olusola Saraki's land at Ilofa GRA, Ilorin is not good for a healthy political environment as it will create tension among the residents of Ilorin community and the entire state in general, "it stated.

While some people may hold the view that political vindictiveness is not new to Kwara politics, it must be pointed out that the monster is largely responsible for the state's underdevelopment.

It was the pursuit of political vindictiveness that led to the stoppage of the late governor, Mohammed Lawal's laudable water project as well as abandonment of the construction of a hostel accommodation project at one of the state's tertiary institution. The monster also claimed the gigantic head office of The Herald newspapers located along the New Yidi road, Ilorin built by the administration of the late governor, Lawal.

Up till now, water supply remains a problem in Ilorin metropolis, though the new administration of AbdulRazaq is addressing it with vigor. Students of the higher institution in question are also residing outside the campus due to lack of hostel accommodation in the institution while The famous Herald newspapers still squat in the Government Printing Press building.

In order to avoid a recurrence of the above listed consequences of needless political crises the state had witnessed on two occasions, there is the greater need for the stakeholders in the state's affairs to do the needful. This is not the time to fold arms and display of 'siddon look' attitude.