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Demolition: Businessman threatens to sue Kano govt
A businessman in Kano state, Alhaji Ibrahim Mukhtar Muhammad, has threatened to sue the Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority, KNUPDA, for demolishing his property worth N20 million.
KANO FOCUS reports that the said property, situated beside Alhamsad Tower, at Gandu Layout in Kano, was demolished by KNUPDA shortly after completion.
Demolished structure
However, at a press conference at the demolished site on Friday, Muhammad claimed to have followed due process in building the property, worth N20 million.
According to him, he obtained approval from KNUPDA to build the property, which was meant to be an eatery, but it was “arbitrarily” demolished without notice.
“What actually happened as i stand before you with a heavy heart, this is once a beautiful place we constructed, but as i look back you can see what happened as a result of the demolition exercise that was carried out by KNUPDA of Kano State. We were not given any notice prior to this demolition.
“We just woke up one morning, that was the Monday morning and found these rubbles,” he lamented.
According to Mohammed, he decided to develop the property to provide job opportunities for young people and provide security at the area known for crime activities.
Demolished structure
According to him, he went to KNUPDA to obtain all clearance and approvals, adding that the agency had also sent its representatives to supervise the project to ensure it is carried out based on its laws.
“My driving force for constructing this eatery is just to help our younger ones, our brothers, our children to get something, to get employment. I’m not here to make any money because of this thing.
“As you can see, as I can tell you from the stretch of almost 500 feet, I’m the owner of this property. So if there’s anybody that has a stake, I am the one that has a stake. This place that was constructed, it was once you cannot come after eight o’clock, you cannot pass this place.
“The place has become a dumping ground, people urinate, you need to do all sorts of things here. But by our coming, I said no, it has to be stopped. We applied for construction of temporary, which was on the process.
“But unfortunately, without any notice, we finished this building. The only thing that remains is to put furniture inside and to start business and they come and demolish this. Have you gotten approval for it? The government, unfortunately, this government, for the past six months or seven months, they will collect your money, but they will not give you approval.
“You can go and confirm from the KNUPDA, you see heaps of files. So what we know we did was they sent their representatives. They were even the ones telling us what to do.
“Cut here, demolish here before the final structure. This drawing was produced from the architectural department of KNUPDA. And prior before this demolition, when they told me that they are going to demolish this place, i called the MD and he said, okay, I should meet him on Monday, nine o’clock. Later he said, 11 o’clock. That was even after the demolition.
“That was when I know I’ve just been deceived because nothing has been done. And I went to him and I explained to him, this is the situation. He said I should come on Thursday.
“I went there on Thursday. Yesterday I came back from Abuja. I called him several times, no pick” he said.
The businessman said he will take next line of action after due consultation with his legal counsel.
When contacted for comment, the Managing Director of KNUPDA, Arc. Ibrahim Yakubu Adamu claimed that the demolished building was encroached to the main road by about 8 meters.
According to the MD, the agency had never issued approval to Muhammad to erect the demolished structure.
He said after studying the file, he found that though the adjacent land was owned by Muhammad, but the structure was not erected on his property and as such it is illegal.
“We served him first and second notice but no response. We have been following his building right from the beginning.
“We have every evidences to demolish his project. At KNUPDA, we never demolish properties without following due process.
“Let me tell you that by January, we are stopping demolishing. We have designated courts to start sending people to jail based on section 16 of the KNUPDA act .
We are treating his case from the development control unit. He applied for approvals and I agree he paid, you can pay for application and the payment doesn’t guarantee you approval.
“So, we have every evidences that his structure was illegal that is why we demolished it,” he said
The 2023 Presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has debunked reaching a resolution with any individual on the trending defection rumoured to the ruling party or any other political party.
KANO FOCUS reports that Kwankwaso, who considered the recent statement credited to have suggested a particular position as an imagination of falsehood and fragmentation of political mischief against him.
A statement posted on his official X handle @KwankwasoRM, the ex-Governor insisted he has since refrained from commenting on contemporary political events, and will continue to do so for the time being.
In the said false information that went viral, Kwankwaso was quoted to have revealed a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on multiple occasions, urging him to return to the APC fold.
Responding to a statement purportedly signed by one Ibrahim Rabiu, Sen. Kwankwaso insisted he had never signed or authorised any statement to be issued on his behalf.
“My attention has been drawn to a statement purportedly stating my position on the recurring political realignments. I wish to categorically state that such statements are false, unfounded, and products of political mischief.
“I have refrained from commenting on contemporary political events, and I will continue to do so for the time being.”
” I urge the public to only engage statements that come from my public handles and other official sources”. Kwankwaso RM.”
In a releted development, the author of the purported false statement Ibrahim Rabiu has issued a self counter, denouncing the statement as a work of devil.
“I Ibrahim Rabiu, wish to inform the general public that I was never authorised by Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso to issue and release a statement on his belhalf”
“I therefore wish to tender a public apology to his person with a promise that such childish act will never be repeated in the future, please find a space in your heart to forgive me, I was misled by fake news and agents of misinformation”
The Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammad Sunusi II, commended the Adolescent Girls Initiatives for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project for reenrolling over 30,000 adolescent girls and renovating more than 1,300 schools across the state.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Emir made the commendation while reeiving AGILE State Project Implementation Unit (SIPU) who paid him an advocacy visit recently.
Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi ll
He emphasized the Kano Emirate Council’s commitment to advocating for education and pledged continued support to ensure the enrollment, retention, transition, and completion of girls’ education in Kano.
The Emir also emphasized the importance of collaboration and synergy in implementing policies and programs that foster the development of the state and the nation at large.
AGILE Project Coordinator presenting gift to Emir of Kano
He expressed satisfaction with the AGILE project’s strong monitoring and evaluation framework, particularly in tracking the use of grants and conditional cash transfers.
In his remarks, the Kano State AGILE Coordinator, Malam Mujtapha Aminu said more than 100,000 students are currently enrolled in learning centers across 23 local government areas under the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) second chance education in Kano.
AGILE PC and Emir of Kano
He said this initiative provides out-of-school adolescent girls an opportunity to complete their secondary education, gain entrepreneurship and life skills.
According to him, the second chance education students undergo literacy, numeracy, and entrepreneurship training across 5,000 learning centers.
Athletes who participated in AGILE WEEK Games
He further explained that after nine months of instruction, the students sit for examinations and are awarded certificates equivalent to the Junior Secondary School Certificate.
“Those who enroll in the advanced literacy program also have the opportunity to sit for national examinations such as NECO and WAEC,” he added.
He said they visited the Emir’andalace to seek blessings and advocate for support to achieve their goals.
AGILE Communications Officer and games officials
The AGILE Project is a World Bank-assisted initiative implemented through Federal and State Ministries of Education, aimed at improving secondary education opportunities for adolescent girls in Nigeria.
The gale of defection from opposition political parties intensifies as two members of the opposition New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Abdullahi Sani Rogo and Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
KANO FOCUS reports that both lawmakers represent Rano/Bunkure/Kibiya and Karaye/Rogo federal constituency of Kano State.
Both lawmakers announced their defection at plenary presided over by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen.
On hand to witness the defection on the floor of the House was the national chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, accompanied by some members of the national working committee of the party.
However, the Minority Whip, Isa Ali JC, faulted the defection of the lawmakers on the basis that it was against constitutional provisions.
As of Thursday, no fewer than 30 members of opposition political parties have dumped their parties to join the APC.
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