PRESIDENTIAL Candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the leader of the Kwankwasiyya political movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has denied reports from the previous administration of Abdullahi Ganduje that he also allocated land on the ancient Kano City Wall (Badala).
Recall the Kano demolition taskforce had taken their work to BUK Road from Dan’agundi junction to Dukawuya by WTC junction where multi-million naira buildings have been marked for demolition.
The marked properties are those built around the ancient Badala which include multimillion naira plazas, car stands and filling stations all located along the popular BUK road.
Responding to the marked demolition plan, the Ganduje camp had alleged that Former Kano Governor, Senator Kwankwaso had also sold and allocated lands during his tenure from 1999-2003 from the Kofar Famfo junction to the Kofar Kabuga junction all of which are also along the ancient Badala.
Ganduje had also urged the Kano Governor, Abba Gida Gida to extend the marked demolition to include those lands earlier allocated by his ‘political father’ Kwankwaso.
Denying that allegation in an interview with Radio France International (RFI), Kwankwaso said, “In my eight years reign as governor, I didn’t give anybody one feet out of a school from primary schools to tertiary institutions.
“When we were creating layouts of lands in Kano, places like Kwankwasiyya, Danladi Nasidi and the rest, we paid compensation in ten folds. People were then wishing we would demolish their houses and pay them compensation.
“The record is there, I have never given any land along the Badala. I don’t have any there and never ordered one to be given to anyone”.
He further addressed the insinuations that he is the de facto governor of the state, describing those saying this as aggrieved erstwhile members of the Kwankwasiyya movement.
When asked about his participation in the affairs of the incumbent administration especially with regards to the ongoing demolition exercise, he said, “Asking that is a waste of your time. What the people want is to see work on ground. We are a team. All of those allegations are just hate speeches from our opposition from within who divert to the wrong lane and went astray.
“This demolition for us is correction and it’s something that we have been saying since 2019 that any governor who built on schools, mosque or Badala, we will not allow it.
“If you look closely, it is just those places that were touched. There is no any policy in the world that says you should demolish a university and build shops.”
“Demolition is not a waste of resources. Doing the right thing is easier and cheaper than wrong. I said it even before the campaign and everybody knows.”