Kwara Govt House Closed Over Demolition Of Saraki’s Property

ILORIN – Kwara State Government House in Ilorin was on Thursday closed to workers working there and the members of the public.

The closure, it was learnt, might not be unconnected with the demolition of the property of late political leader in the state Olusola Saraki, at the GRA area of the town by the state government.

Yesterday was the first working day of the year after a public holiday on Wednesday to mark the New Year anniversary.

However, it was gathered that most of the workers in Government House were asked to return home when they resumed for work in the morning of Thursday.

The demolition of Saraki’s property was carried out in the early hours of Thursday around 4.00 am after security reportedly shot live bullets and cannisters of tear gas to scare away some supporters of Saraki family who were keeping watch over the property.

The property popularly known as “Ile-Arugbo” was on the land the government had announced it had revoked from the Saraki’s family to serve a public purpose it was originally meant for.

It was gathered that authorities at the Government House might have taken the decision to close gates of the House because of protest the demolition of the property was envisaged to engender.

Though protest by the supporters and sympathisers of the Saraki’s family was peaceful and restricted to the site of the demolition the decision of the government was said to have been taken as a means to forestall possible confrontations at the Government House area should a protest be taken to the place.

Efforts to find out reasons of the government for the closure of the House from Rafiu Ajakaye, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor proved unsuccessful as calls to his mobile line did not go through.

Meanwhile, the President of Agbaji Development Association in Ilorin, Alhaji Yusuf Olanrewaju, has described as “unfair”, the demolition of the late second republic Senate Leader Olusola Saraki’s political pot in llorin.

Reacting to the incident, Olanrewaju described the demolition as “cruel”, adding that the demolition of the structure was a contempt of court since the matter was still before the state High court.

Olanrewaju, spokesman of Saraki’s kinsmen at home and in the Diaspora, said that the demolition was improper and “a calculated action to chase away the Saraki family from the plot”.

“It is not fair to try to rubbish the late Saraki’s contributions to the socio-economic development of the llorin emirate.

“The demolition of the structure is not right since the matter is before the court,” Olanrewaju said.

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