When news broke last year that Kubau local government had requested the Kaduna state government to allow it to use the land belonging to Government Secondary School, Pambegua to build 1,000 housing units for low income earners and civil servants, our happiness knew no bounds. Although, the proposed housing units are to be built on land belonging to Government Secondary School Pambegua, nobody raised any alarm. However, the whole idea for this capital intensive project has taken a suspicious dimension in recent times.
After officials of Kaduna Geographic Information System (KADGIS) had sought and obtained an approval for 51 hectares for the project from the ministry of land and survey, the officials in collaboration with the local government exceeded the approved limit and confiscated people’s farms in the community. After an independent surveyor was hired and the land measured, an additional 23 hectares were found belonging to the poor people of the community.
Besides, the community has been inundated with different stories that the lands would be sold to interested parties. This is to say, the idea of engaging a mortgage company to build the housing units as planned by the local government has been shelved. This led to protest by the people of Anguwa Goje, whose lands were confiscated. The Old Students Association (POSA), PTA, SBMC and other associations in the community also opposed the idea of selling the land belonging to the school. The school is overcrowded and needs expansion.
It is in view of this development, the community deems it necessary to call the attention of the governor of Kaduna state, Malam Uba Sani, to investigate the Pambegua Housing units. Pambegua is one of the fastest growing communities in Kaduna state. The community is witnessing population explosion. The school’s land in question can be used to expand infrastructure such as: building of additional classes, library and laboratories to accommodate the ever increasing student population of the community and neighbouring hamlets. By selling the land, the government will find it difficult to put infrastructure when the need arises.
There is no gainsaying the fact that there was never a time the immediate-past administration of Governor Nasir El-Rufai allocated school land for housing estate. Evidence abound on how he demolished many structures built within school premises by selfish individuals in Alhudahuda, Kufena and other schools in the state. One wonders how Kubau local government got approval for the project. I believe the former governor was neither aware about the development nor endorsed it. We appeal to Governor Uba Sani to come to the aid of the school and other people whose farms were illegally confiscated by Kubau local government for such a sham housing project.
Adamu Abdullahi Pambegua,
Chairman, Pambegua Old Students Association (POSA),
Kaduna state.
