El-rufai reacts to alleged 34 Govt plots of land allocated to Families, Cronies, friends, Political Associates

Governor El-rufai led government has reacted to allegations of allocation of 34 of the seized civil servants government properties in Kaduna state to families and cronies, friends, and political associates in the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Our Correspondent scooped that the Governor seized government properties occupied by civil servants and allocated them to his families, friends, cronies and political associates.

A list of beneficiaries of the said properties obtained from the government by our reporter has 34 names beginning with Hadiza Isma El-rufai with her resident address at no.18 college road, Yashim El-rufai foundation 22B Kanta road, Aisha Garba El-rufai 21c West College road, Abubakar Sadiq and Asia Ahmed El-rufai respectively.

Others are Senator Mohammed Goje 12 a Yakubu Gowon way, and Senator Uba Sani 21 Rabba road residents respectively, and 28 other allottees with many of them also bearing similar names.

However, in a swift reaction statement issued Tuesday and signed by the Special Adviser (SA) to the Governor on media, Mr. Muyiwa Adekeye, stated that Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS) has allocated 4,359 plots as it pursued accelerated development.

The statement added that “In June 2019, Malam Nasir El-Rufai initiated the urban renewal programme, an unprecedented investment to build, expand and maintain infrastructure in the state.

“This infrastructure project began with the Kaduna Urban Renewal Programme and has since spread to the two other major cities in the state, Kafanchan and Zaria. Its overall goal is to improve the economic competitiveness of the state and to make our cities attractive places in which to live, work and play. The implication of having its three major cities among the top 10 most populous cities in Nigeria is continuous investment.

“This effort to remake the urban landscape and improve the quality of life in our cities continues the deliberate programme that began in 2015 with the establishment of the Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS).

“As part of its primary mandate for land administration and the creation and management of a digital land registry, KADGIS has issued 51,302 Certificates of Occupancy since 2017, for new allocations and the recertification of previous titles.

KADGIS has also allocated 4,359 plots in Kaduna, from which the names of applicants who sought accelerated development plots are being bandied about, in muddled up lists around with baseless innuendos are being woven. The persons on the accelerated development list constitute less than 1% of all allottees.

“In addition, Malam Nasir El-Rufai specifically directed that KADGIS should allocate plots of land to as many government workers and citizens who demonstrate active interest by applying. Rare is the public function during which guests from the private and public sectors are not actively invited by KDSG to apply for land in Kaduna State. The state is being actively positioned as a lower-cost alternative to Abuja for active workers, and a cheaper retirement option for senior citizens.

“This active canvassing of land applications is connected to a desire for accelerated development of allocated plots. Plots have been revoked from persons who have held on to them for years without developing them. Many of these plots in prime areas are being reallocated to individuals and corporate bodies with a strict mandate to develop them within six months to one year. Plots in the Millennium City are also being actively allocated as part of the deliberate focus on fast-tracking the development of the Eastern Sector of Kaduna metropolis.

“KDSG has also sold 2,028 of its non-essential residential houses, 80% of which were bought by the civil servants who were the sitting tenants in the houses. All the houses were sold by competitive bids, based on their open market value.
“KDSG has been made aware of attempts to put a needless strain on its intensive efforts to develop the state. It has happened before. As Minister of the FCT, Malam Nasir El-Rufai allocated 27,000 plots to applicants, some of whom had waited for decades. He promoted the accelerated development programme which took land from speculators and allocated it to those ready to develop them within set times. He supervised the sales of 30,000 government houses, enabling many federal civil servants to own houses.

“After his tenure as FCT Minister, there were attempts to question his powers as minister to allocate plots as lists, including any person with Rufai in their surnames, were circulated to smear him and his record in democratizing access to plots of land and houses in Abuja.

“The Yar’Adua and Jonathan governments later used that as a basis for criminal prosecution. That ended in emphatic acquittal by the courts which upheld the power of the Minister of the FCT to allocate and revoke plots of land.

“Land, whether in Abuja, Kaduna or anywhere else, is a valuable asset which assists development only when used. Its allocation should be based on clear rules that assure equal outcomes to all who meet the criteria, whatever their names, filial affiliations or other status might be. Applying for, securing and paying for a plot of land whose development the allottee must accelerate is a positive transaction.

“KDSG is proud of the quality and number of persons who have applied for land in Kaduna. It is concrete evidence that major investments in improving this city are being noted and embraced. However, those who seek scandal should not defame persons who have applied for land, who will pay the premium for the plot allocated to them and develop them according to set deadlines”, it stated.

Indeed, the long standing squabble between the kaduna state Governor Mall. Nasir el-rufai and civil servants dated back to 2015/2061, when he assumed office after defeated his opponent in the People’s Democratic party (PDP).

Our Correspondent who stumbled on the typed lists of the new occupants also scooped that the names of the allottees are El-rufai’s families and cronies, friends and political associates of the APC.

In December 12, 2016, about seven months after taken the oath office, Governor el-rufai immediately gave order of eviction to all Civil Servants occupying government properties in the state.

Although the eviction order was rejected by the organized labour, Nigeria labour congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, in which both threatened to go down with the affected civil servants.

The two labour Unions were not only at loggerheads with the Kaduna State Government over a directive for all civil servants living in government quarters to quit the premises within seven days, they vowed to fight to the death.

At a joint press conference in Kaduna the following Monday the then Adamu Ango, and Shehu Mohammed, the state chapter chairmen of NLC and TUC respectively, said the notice was not only an abuse of the right of the civil servants but violated the known laws between a tenant and a landlord.

According to them, the law establishing Kaduna State rent tribunal, where all matters relating to the tenancy are settled, stipulates that three months’ notice be given to any tenant before any eviction can be carried out.

The unions called on all its members occupying government quarters in the state to disregard the eviction order and remain on the premises.

“We have taken all diplomatic steps to ensure that the governor sees reason but all in vain. So we are calling on all our members to stay put at the same time calling the state government to prepare their arsenal because we are ready to sacrifice our lives to protect our members,” the unions said.

The two labour unions also expressed dismay over the recent retrenchment by the state government, and said it was a ploy to kick some civil servant out of service.
Mr. Mohammed had said the Kaduna State Property Development Company (KSPDC) which had 60 personnel, “now has 14, while SUBEB with staff strength of 300, now has only 34 staff.

“Some of our members have already been sent to the office of the Head of Service where they are doing nothing, and in the end the government may decide to terminate their appointments saying their services are no longer needed”, mahammed stated.

The then State chairman therefore rejected the restructure, and said that it was unacceptable to them and could not hold because they were going to fight against it.

However, the state government maintained its stands and ejected the civil servants from the quarters with promised that he was going Published the names of those it had allocated to them but this has never happened after a long time.