-‘Structure violates building code’
-Nemesis awaits you, Hunkuyi tells gov
-We’re not involved – Army
By AbdulRaheem Aodu, Kaduna, Ezrel Tabiowo and Musa Umar Bologi, Abuja Barely eleven months after the governing All Progressives Congress in Kaduna state demolished the house of the party’s National Vice Chairman, North-west, Inuwa Abdulkadir, another party chieftain, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, has suffered same fate.
And like Abdulkadir, the government said the felled structure was at variant with the state’s building code. But Hunkuyi, a serving lawmaker representing Kaduna North in the National Assembly, insists that it was pulled down because he holds different political views from that of the governor, Nasir El-Rufai, assuring that nemesis will catch up with the governor.
He also alleged that the governor personally supervised the demolition exercise in the early hours of yesterday, using some stern looking soldiers to stave off possible opposition from the neighbourhood. The structure, a duplex building with round fencing, was at about 5.am reduced to rubbles by a bulldozer.
The vehicles within the premises were however unaffected. But the military, however, debunked the claim, saying none of its officers and men was involved in any illegal duty. Hunkuyi is the leader of the Restoration Group, a faction of the state APC, and donated the ill-fated residence located at 11B Sambo Road, Kaduna, as the faction’s secretariat. The faction, had from the recently commissioned secretariat, issued a query to the governor and suspended three of his aides. And three days after the query went unanswered; the Hunkuyiled faction suspended Governor el-Rufai for six months, even as the rival faction described the sanction as laughable.
Government justifies action
Justifying the action, the state government said the building was pulled down by the Kaduna State Urban Planning and Developing Agency (KASUPDA), for flagrant violations of land use and nonpayment of ground rent since 2010. The position was made known in a statement yesterday, by the Director General of Kaduna Geographic Information System (KADGIS), Malam Ibrahim Husseini.
The statement read: “The Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Agency (KAPSUDA), is currently undertaking operations across Kaduna metropolis in partnership with sister agencies. KASUPDA is clearing illegal structures, tackling street hawking and restoring order across Kaduna.
“This morning, a building on 11B Sambo Close, was removed for flagrant violations of land use and non-payment of ground rent since 2010. This illegal violation of land use had begun to distress neighbours who were being forced to endure an influx of thugs and blockage of the road.
“The Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS) issued a revocation notice of statutory right of occupancy No. KD. 16712, that covers 11B Sambo Close in the Ungwan Rimi area. The appropriate notice of revocation was delivered at 28 Inuwa Wada Road, the registered address of the company that held the title to the property.
“The notice was also delivered to the building in question, and sent by post to the registered address of the previous title holder. The land has now been allocated to KASUPDA for the purpose of developing and maintaining a public park that will provide a green area and a serene place for recreation in that residential neighbourhood. “KADGIS wishes to remind all title owners to be fastidious in complying with the terms of their allocation.
The purpose of allocation of land cannot be wilfully altered; neither can title holders lawfully neglect to pay their ground rents. “Since 2016, the government has been taking action on various land related matters, including revoking all undeveloped land titles in the state and directed that all abandoned buildings be developed within three months of the notice.”
It’s petty, unprecedented -Hunkuyi
Countering the government’s position on his official twitter handle, the lawmaker said the demolition was carried out by Governor el-Rufai as part of the ongoing crisis bordering on party control in the state. He said: “In the early hours of today, the @GovKaduna Mallam @ elrufai personally drove a bulldozer accompanied by armoured tanks to destroy my house at 11B Sambo Road.
This is a new low and fighting dirty with such low level of pettiness is indeed unprecedented in Kaduna state. “It is on record that few months back, @GovKaduna Mallam @elrufai marked another property of mine in Hunkuyi town for demolition, but residents of the area prevented the officials from demolishing it. “Today, he came well prepared with military men to destroy my house at Sambo Road.
“This is also the same way, Mallam @elrufai destroyed the house of the APC Dep National Chairman North-west, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir months back, which tells you that the governor is reckless, petty & can’t stand political pressure, without resorting to being a ruthless dictator.”
Meanwhile, stern looking thugs have taken over the building, keeping vigil at the ruins of the building and brandishing their already loaded catapults, indicating their readiness for ‘war.
’ Nemesis awaits governor -Hunkuyi
Also briefing journalists in Abuja yesterday, Senator Hunkuyi said the governor will be haunted by the consequences of his actions in no distant time.
While saying he had forgiven El-Rufai for the act, the lawmaker, however, warned that the governor’s action would no doubt attract consequences. According to him, the demolition of his property was one of the oppressive devices of the state government to silent him as a strong opposition voice.
He, however, vowed to remain undeterred in the face of persecution, adding that the recent action by the governor will rather strengthen him to stay with the electorate who are daily victims of the governor’s misrule.
According to him, the demolition was not too much a price to pay for democracy to thrive in the state, adding that he had donated the facility to the state APC for political activities. The lawmaker therefore wondered why the governor, whom he said benefitted from the building, will wake up as early as 4:00am and go to the site to personally supervise the demolition exercise.
While claiming that majority of the people of the state are against the decisions being taken by the governor, Hunkuyi accused the APCled government of having jailed those who oppose its wishes. The lawmaker therefore vowed that he will continue to express and defend the interest of his people, irrespective of whose ox is gored, just as he accused the governor of not accepting advice.
Senate condemns act Earlier, rising on Order 43 of the Senate Standing Rule, Senator Shehu Sani (APC Kaduna Central), said in the governor’s thinking, the demolition would send a clear message to other persons outside of the state and other parts of the country, to remain silent and conform to the will and wishes of people in position of those presently in power.
“In the last two and half years, we have been faced with tyranny and open dictatorship in Kaduna state. My constituency office was attacked by violent thugs, and it has also been clear that armed military personnel and policemen have been consistently been used by the governor to intimidate and harass people who don’t agree with him.
“It is of concern that almost 20 years after military dictatorship, that a man with such a rabid ambition and arrogance of power can appropriate for himself the power to act outside of the law. “How can a governor, a democratically elected governor, demolish a house without notice simply for the fact that we have set up an office different from the one he had personalized himself as a so-called party man? “It is of concern to us that these actions by the governor had been done in the name of the President whom he believes he is his son that he so much loves. Governor Nasir Elrufai is an affliction to the people of Kaduna state and a curse to us.
“We will use this opportunity to call on the President to caution his beloved son, who has unleashed a reign of terror and have been held in the most despicable and irresponsible way. And it is a fact that if this crisis is not in any way nipped in the bud, it will, in every way, catapult and metamorphose into something very bigger,” he said. In his remarks, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, condemned the action, saying democracy has no place for tyranny and impunity.
He said “If we decide to go on the part of democracy, we must accept some of the things that come with it, and one is the rule of law. If we have any kind of grievance, that grievance should be settled in the law court and not using force or the weight of our office.
“I believe this is one of the reasons why Nigerians opposed to issue of immunity, especially for chief executives. This is something we need to watch. As we head towards 2019, we must appeal to politicians not to overheat the system and then imperil our democracy.” Army denies demolition of politician property in Kaduna
Count us out -Army
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has denied any involvement in the demolition of Hunkuyi’s property. Spokesperson of 1 Division Nigeria Army, Col. Muhammad Dole, described the allegation as “untrue, baseless and unsubstantiated claim” aimed to malign officers and soldiers of the Division. He said: “The allegation and the attempt to drag the Nigerian Army into the issue of demolition is yet another baseless and unsubstantiated claim to malign the hardworking, loyal and professional officers and soldiers of 1 Division Nigerian Army and discredit them.
“Contrary to claims, the troops of 1 Division have not been involved in any illegal activity of either harassment of politicians or demolition of their properties in Kaduna and its environs. “Therefore this claim remains the highest mischief and misleading and it is viewed as another calculated attempt to distract our troops from performing their professional duties.
Therefore, the public should disregard such false allegation. “The troops of 1 Division Nigerian Army will continue to remain apolitical and non-partisan in the discharge of their constitutional roles. Presently our troops are dutifully engage in Exercise Ayem Akpatuma (Cat Race) in Niger and Kaduna states, combating Kidnappings, Cattle rustling, armed banditry and Terrorism.”
