Kano Governor-elect may Revoke Ganduje’s Land Allocations, Warns Against Fresh Construction
By Ozumi Abdul
In what appears to be laying his administrative marker even though he hasn’t officially assumed office till May 29 this year, Kano state Governor-elect, Engr Abba Yusuf, has directed a public advisory to all individuals, groups and organisations to stop ongoing construction in public places immediately.
He also warned that defaulters are at the risk of getting their properties revoked.
According to a press statement issued on Thursday in Kano by his Chief Press Secretary Mallam Sanusi Dawakin-Tofa, people are enjoined to discontinue any construction work on public land within and around all schools in the state, religious and cultural sites,hospitals, graveyards and along the city walls.
The statement also advised the public to discontinue the demolition and construction on all existing public buildings belonging to the state government
“You are advised to discontinue any construction work on public land within and around all schools in the state, religious and cultural sites, hospitals, graveyards and along the city walls of Kano
“This Advisory is issued in the public interest, effective from today, Thursday 30th March, 2023, till further notice.
“Any contravener does so at his/her on risk,” the statement cautioned.
Recall that sometime in 2021,some indigenes of the state alleged that Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has issued out a landed property that belongs to the state government to one of his relations.
This was contained in a petition sent to the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) through the Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Kano Zonal Office.
The petitioners called for a discreet investigation into the case over the land worth N1.2 billion.
They accused the family of the governor of using impunity to convert a state property situated at Dawanau Town Area of Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area to Umar Abdullahi Umar, a public officer working at Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
It was also alleged that a hundred hectares of vast land formerly occupied by the Kano state ministry of works was in a similar manner allocated to a member of the governors family and subsequently sold in units.
The petition reads:
“Request For Discreet Investigation Alleged 1.2 Billion Naira Of Land Corruption Case Contrary To Sec.12 And 53 (3) Of The Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Act (2006).’
“We are the concerned Kano State indigenes with zeal and passion for good governance as well as transparency and accountability in government.
“We write to bring to the attention of this commission of a monumental corruption going on in Kano state.
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“Corruption is taking place on a large scale with impunity and the family of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje are on the forefront.
”There has been an outcry from markets to mosques, public easement is also not spared with the spark of impurity and abuse of office.
“This complaint is on the allegation of corruption where a landed property belonging to the government of Kano State situated at Dawanau Town Area of Dawakin Tofa Local Government, popularly known as ’Gidan kwalta’ along Dawakin Tofa road was corruptly converted to personal property of the member of the governor’s first family.
”The man involved is alleged to have been Umar Abdullahi Umar known as ’Abba’ is a public officer working at Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) whom was according to credible sources seconded himself to serve at the government of Kano state under his father, he has been engaging in corrupt practices of large scale using his position as the member of the governor’s first family as well as a government official.
”The one hundred hectares vast land formerly occupied by the Kano state ministry of works has in a manner to confer corrupt and unfair advantage to the governor’s son, who also doubles as public officer been allocated to him and the land was disposed of through his associate as well as frontier, named Muhammad Magaji LIMAN with contact number 0803 337 3851 via LAMAD NIGERIA LIMITED.
“It was later subdivided and converted to more than 238 plots of land under the said LAMAD Nigeria Limited which was instantaneously sold at an estimated sum of N2m, N5m, N10m and N15m depending on the location, given the approximate total worth of over N1.2bn. It is important at this juncture to draw the attention of the ICPC that this arrangement is not a Public Private Partnership or anything that the government will benefit from in return, it is obviously corruption on a large scale which if allowed to go unchecked, public properties are no longer safe.
“It is, therefore, our hope that an investigation will be conducted and appropriate action should be taken accordingly”, the petition read.
