Kwara Govt, Elders Disagree over Disputed Park

Date: 2013-02-13

The Kwara State government has cleared Mrs. Toyin Saraki, wife of the immediate past governor, of any involvement in the lease of the Ilorin Amusement Park to the Artee Group, operators of Park n Shop and Spar Supermarket brands in Nigeria.

The clarification followed a reported lawsuit by an Ilorin-based group linking her to the lease.

Making the clarification in a statement issued in Ilorin, the state capital, Information and Communications Commissioner Tunji Moronfoye, dismissed the group's claim as a politically-motivated disinformation, stressing that neither Mrs. Saraki nor anyone associated with her was involved in the lease of the park.

Moronfoye, who emphasised that she only renovated the park in 2004 as a philanthropic gesture, further described the listing of former governor, Bukola Saraki's wife, as a defendant in an alleged suit as a futile campaign orchestrated by the opposition and targeted at the senator's family.

However, following the government's admission that it leased out the controversial Ilorin Old (Yidi) Praying Ground, the Ilorin Elders' group raised fresh posers for Abdulfatah Ahmed's administration.

The elders, who have challenged the transaction in court, tasked the government to tell the public whether a lessee was entitled to Certificate of Occupancy of a property being leased out.

"If it is a lease, how come Kwara State government is issuing Artee with a Certificate of Occupancy? Is a lessee entitled, in law, to C of O or title document of a leased property?" the elders asked in a statement issued in Ilorin and signed by all the litigants, Dr. Saliu Ajibola Ajia, Dr. Sa'ad Omoiya and Alhaji Saleh Duro Garba.

The statement added: "We are not surprised at the government and its hirelings trying to out-do one another in defence of Mrs. Saraki. Gladly too, Kwara State government finally admitted it has indeed 'leased out' the Old Yidi (Praying Ground), contrary to the earlier denials. We are not bothered at this unusual sycophancy and the double speak in the statement issued by Moronfoye.

"So we ask, assuming without conceding that the land was merely 'leased out', the lease is for how many years and for how much? Why using public fund to defend an individual? Why is the government more concerned about the image of an individual, a non-government official, who is a co-defendant than in defending the government which is also a defendant in the case?"

Meanwhile, the Judicial Commission of Enquiry into Erin-Ile/Offa communal crisis has begun sitting at the Conference Room of the Governor's Office in Ilorin.

Speaking at the inaugural sitting, the commission's chairman, Justice Adeyinka Sikiru Oyinloye, said its assignment was fact-finding and advised counsel to avoid unnecessary technicalities that can cause delay, as it has six weeks to submit its report.

In their responses, counsel to Offa and Erin-Ile communities, Bello Shittu and Muyideen Adekoyejo Bello, commended the state government for setting up the commission.

Dr. Saraki had said all Kwarans should be blamed for the clashes between the people of Offa and Erin-Ile.

Speaking during separate condolence visits to the people of the two communities on Monday, Senator Saraki said he believed that justice and fairness should be the watchword of the panel of enquiry into the crisis towards putting an end to the age-long feud.

Source

 


Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Fulani     UNILORIN Alumni Association     TESCOM 2025     Mashood Dauda     Alfa Belgore     Kayode Oyin-Zubair     Ashiru     Segun Ogunsola     Michael Nzwekwe     Sheriff Olanrewaju     Shettima     Abdulrazaq Akorede     Universal Basic Education Commission     Waheed Ibrahim     Aro Yahaya     Vasolar Consultoria     Mohammed Khadijat Kubura     Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone     Rachael Obisesan     Muhammed Akanbi     Trade Lenda SME Fair     Umar Danladi Shero     Kulende-UITH     Obayomi Azeez     Mohammed Lawal     Mohammed Tunde-Jimoh     Kwara South     NITDA     Hydro-electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission     Charles Ibitoye     John Dara     Aisha Gobir     Saidu Yaro Musa     Ilorin West     Folajimi Aleshinloye     Abdulsalam Firdaous Amosa     Bankole Omisore     Quareeb     Admiralty Villa     Awoye     Ahmad Belgore     Moses Salami     IHS     LAK Jimoh     Rueben Parejo     Jalala     Kwara State University Of Education     Fatimoh Lawal     Afolayan     Yahaya Seriki     Alumni Association Of The Federal Polytechnic Offa     Ahman Pategi University     Olaitan Buraimoh     Obuh     Abdulrauf Aliyu     Muhammadu Buhari     Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency     Egbewole     Ibrahim Mashood     Sun Qing Rong     Bayer Nigeria Limited     Shaaba Lafiagi     AbdulRazaq Jiddah     Abdulrahman Abdulrazak     Muideen Olaniyi Alalade     Kunle Suleiman     Sulyman Buhari     Ganiyu Abolarin     Pius Abioje     Ijagbo     General Hospital, Offa     Ridwan Agboola     Idowu Aremu     Omotoso Musa     Khairat Gwadabe     Offa Poly     Idofin    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Awodun     Umar Gunu     Sidikat Alaya     A.O. Belgore     Lateef Fagbemi     Sulyman Abdulkareem     Risikat Lawal     Haliru Yahaya     Ola Falade     Gbenga Olawepo     SSUCOEN     Alaro     Dapo Teni Nig Enterprise     Adesina Simon Sodiya     Kwabes     Matthew Okedare     Elerinjare     Kassim Babamale     Valsolar Consultoria     Amos Sayo     Kwara State Governor     Quareeb Islamic Association     Iyabo Dupe Adekeye     Eleja Taiwo Banu     Oke-opin     Issa Memunat Moyosore     Amos Justus Sayo     Adesoye     Ademola Kiyesola     Olatunji Bamgbola     Tunde Akanbi     Muslim Stakeholders Of Kwara State     Ahmed Alhasssan     ITEM 7     Ayeyemi Sulaiman     Illyasu Abdullahi     Bamikole Omishore     Akom Construction And Engineering Synergy Ltd     Kwara State Television (KWTV)     Erin-ile     Col. Adedipe     Tosin Saraki     Ibrahim Issa Jetti     Kayode Zubair     Buari Edun     Saka Keji     Islamic Development Bank     Olaiya Victor Mobolaji     Aliyu Kora Sabi     Sarkin Malamai     A.G.F Abdulrasaq     CUTI     Olaitan Adefila     Agboola Babatunde     Apaokagi     Ajeigbe     Ramadhan     NIPOGA     Shuaibu Yaman Abdullahi     TIIDELab     Eleja     Shuaib Olarongbe     Chief Imam Of Ilorin     Bilikis Oladimeji     Young Progressives Party     Jare Olatundun     Shettima     Muhammad Ghali Alaaya     Kwara South     Saad Omo Iya     Kisira     Sunday Fagbemi     Minister     Ramat Oganija     Coronavirus     Javed Khan     Olatunde Oyeyiola