KADUNA, AUGUST 12, 2016 – Sen. Shehu Sani, (APC Kaduna Central), has appealed to Kaduna State Government to shelve its plan to demolish about 3,000 structures allegedly erected illegally on land belonging to Kaduna Polytechnic.Sani, made the appeal while speaking with newsmen on Friday in Kaduna after inspecting some of the structures at Gbagyi Villa in Chukun Local Government Area.
The Senator, who is an alumnus of Kaduna Polytechnic, claimed that the history of the community preceded the existence of the institution.
“Gbagyi Villa is a long settlement; it is as old as the history of Kaduna State itself.
“From my own little knowledge, the present generation is the third or fourth generation of people living in this community.
“The people are supposed to be identified as the indigenous people of Gbagyi Villa”.
Sani who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign and Domestic Debts, cautioned the state government against meddling in the affairs of the institution and the community.
He said that the state government should play the role of a peace maker by ensuring peaceful co-existence between the parties.
“This issue is before a court of law and as a democrat; you are duty-bound to respect the law”.
He said the dispute between the communities should have been resolved 30 years ago but had lingered for unknown reasons.
The Senator also appealed to parties in the dispute to resolve the matter amicably, adding that the interest of the people should be paramount.
Sani, who said that he was at the community to identify with its people, pledged to lend his support to resolve the dispute.
He commended the community for being peaceful in the pursuit of their claim and urged them to remain peaceful, as efforts were being made to resolve the issue.
The senator appealed to the government to provide the community with pipe borne water and good road network to ease their living condition.
Earlier, the Chairman of the community, Mr Chris Abba, appealed to Sani to intervene and stop the planned demolition of the community, which he said has more than 20,000 inhabitants.
“Our grandparents were born here, they lived and died here. It was the generosity of the Gbagyi man that made us allocate the land to the Polytechnic in 1976.
“The polytechnic had compensated the occupants and demarcated the land for its use and returned in 2010 to claim it owned the whole place”.
Abba said if the state government insist on going ahead with its demolition plan, “the community will resist and defend their land and properties”.
In her remarks, Mrs Maria Dogo, a former Commissioner for Women Affairs in the State, accused the Kaduna State Urban and Panning Development Agency (KASUPDA) of mis-informing the state government.
“KASUPDA never told the state government the truth about the community,” Dogo, who is also a resident of the community, said.
Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai had since assumption of office targeted for demolishing structures allegedly erected on public property, such as schools and hospitals.
