Tension heightens in Kwara as Gov Abdulrazaq intensifies war against Saraki dynasty, threatens more demolition

Tension appears to be increasing in Kwara State over the seeming war against the Saraki dynasty declared by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara who ordered the demolition of Oloye Olusola Saraki’s property in Ilorin last week. The demolition of the Saraki property known as Ile Arugbo generated apprehension and political frictions in the state, precipitating the Minister of State for Transportation, Gbemi Saraki, rising against her party government, the All Progressives Congress (APC). The state government had no apology for the action and insisted that the demolished property did not have any documents.

While that controversy persists, the Kwara State Government at the weekend threatened that it will soon revoke more properties that are found to be illegally acquired. The threat sent dangerous signal to the Saraki family whose father’s property was demolished on claims of illegality. There seems to be no end to the assault on the Saraki dynasty by Governor Abdulrazaq.

The chairman of the committee on the review of the sales of government properties, Senator Suleiman Ajadi, disclosed that the committee which was established to look into the sales of government properties from 1999 to date has recommended some properties to be taken over by the government. He maintained that contrary to the belief in some quarters, the Saraki property known as Ile Arugbo, did not have any documents.

Ajadi, a former governorship candidate on the platform of the defuncted Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2007, revealed that the committee which submitted its report four months ago discovered that no application nor payment was made in respect of the land acquired by the elder Saraki.

Meanwhile, the former President of the senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has filed a suit in court challenging the demolition and demanding compensation.

In the demolition carried out in the dark hours of the day, about 50 policemen were said to have swung into action at about 3.00 am on January 2 but were resisted by some the old women who were receiving welfare support from the building. The police were said to have, probably reiterated to reinforce, then, later came back to enforce the demolition at about 4.30 am.

Gbemisola Saraki, Minister of State for Transportation, an APC member, condemned the demolition, describing it as politics taken too far. She had advocated party members should “to stand up against vindictive politics, driven by envy, motivated by jealousy and practiced without integrity.”