Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki has broken his silence following the demolition of Crystal Place Mall in Ilorin, the capital city of Kwara State.
The building owned by a former House of Representatives member, Moshood Mustapha was demolished by the government of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s government last weekend.
The development has sparked controversy in Kwara State and further exacerbated the tensions between Governor AbdulRazaq and Mustapha despite the duo’s affiliation with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It was gathered that the Crystal Place Mall was demolished on Sunday night with security operatives present.
Saraki slammed the governor, accusing him of being petty.
Daily Trust quoted mall tenants as having noted that the government had issued them a three-day eviction notice, which they received from the Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KW-GIS) on Friday, citing various infractions.
However, Suleiman Abdulkareem, the chairman of KW-GIS, clarified that the land was initially allocated to Mustapha for the purpose of establishing a commercial car park.
“But he went on to erect a shopping mall, and new findings show that the structure grossly violates the government’s land use approval, which was issued to the owner on March 22, 2013.
“Illegal building creates obstacles for urban planning, road expansion and environmental protection, which are key features of the government’s urban renewal programme,” he said.
He stated that the area was initially intended to serve as a green space for civil servants, retirees, and the general public to enjoy leisure time at the newly established state secretariat complex.
The agency announced that shop tenants have been instructed to clear their merchandise, emphasizing that the current urban renewal initiative is designed to benefit the public.
However, Mustapha, through his media aide, Dr Opeyemi Aregbesola, refuted the assertion that the construction contravened the original authorization.
He clarified that the approval received from the State Bureau of Lands in 2013 was designated for commercial use.
“The now-demolished Crystal Place was built based on the approved building plan and there was never an encroachment on government setbacks.”
“There is no need to sugar-coat it; this is pure political vendetta. Compulsory acquisition of properties by the government is not new; it can be done to override public interest, but there are processes that should be followed.
“Evicting a landowner without any consideration for his constitutional rights smacks of political vindictiveness”, he stated.
It is worth noting that Governor Abdulrazaq recently fell out with Mustapha over the renovation of the ₦17.8 billion Kwara Hotel.
The governor annulled the contract previously granted to Mustapha, valued at over ₦5 billion, citing insufficient capacity, and subsequently awarded the contract to Craneberge at a revised amount.
In response, Mustapha claimed that the demolition of his mall was a retaliatory action for his counsel to the government regarding the new pricing.
In his reaction to the events, Senator Saraki, who was once a Governor in the state, described Governor Abdulrahman’s action as amounting to pettiness.
Saraki, the Waziri of Ilorin, observed that it is common for some individuals to assume he would remain apathetic regarding the demolition of the shopping mall, given his political ties with the owner, Honourable Moshood Mustapha.
Mustapha, who has previously held positions as a commissioner, Special Adviser, and member of the House of Representatives under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), switched allegiance to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and has actively opposed the PDP framework since 2018.
“However, it is not my style to take positions on issues from the narrow, parochial perspective. It is my view that one should always look at the big picture, a broad perspective of any issue in reacting to it. It is violence against the people of Kwara State and the economy of the state.
“My decision to speak out against this action that reflects the pettiness of the governor and his government, which is anti-people and against the economic development of the state, is irrespective of who is involved,” Saraki noted.
The former lawmaker also accused the governor of using the demolition exercise to “intimidate, suppress, and silence all Kwarans,” adding: “It is his reaction to the growing unpopularity of everything that he represents within the state.
“Why is Abdulrazaq just realising the fault or whatever he interprets to be wrong with the building of the Crystal Mall structure after 64 months that he has been in office?” Saraki asked.
