Hundreds of Kano residents who are victims of the demolition exercise embarked by the State government have taken to the street to express their displeasure with the ongoing exercises.
After assuming office on May 29, the State Government demolished some structures and marking several others for demolition.
The State government premised its action on the grounds that the properties were illegally acquired by officials from the previous administration.
The structures already demolished include the multi-billion Naira project at the old Daula Hotel, shopping plazas at the Polo Ground and at the Eid ground, while residential and commercial buildings have been marked for demolition at Salanta area and BUK road.
On Monday morning, at the front of the demolished muliti-million Naira Daula Hotel along Hadejia Road in the State, the protesters gathered carrying placards with various inscriptions condemning what they described as destructive.
Some of the inscriptions read: “Do the right thing Abba Kabir Yusuf”, “Don’t drive away investors from Kano”, “Billions of Naira property demolished because of envy” among various others.
The organisers headed by the Director, Research and Development Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiative, Zahraddee Baba, while speaking to newsmen at the protest said that it is unfortunate that within six days in office, the new government who was perceived as messiah became a source of sorrow to many residents and indigenes of Kano State.
The group also called on the government to compensate the victims whose property were demolished.
“We, the people of Kano State, unanimously voted for Governor Abba Yusuf to bring development to the state.
“It was believed that, the governor is the messiah of the time, who shall continue with people’s oriented programmes of his predecessor to salvage the people of Kano State.
“It is unfortunate that within six days in office, the perceived messiah became a source of sorrow to many residents and indigenes of Kano State, who acquired land from the previous administration of Abdullahi Ganduje, when he ordered demolition of properties worth over N226 billion within three weeks in office.
“Let it be on record that six days in office is insignificant for a people-oriented government to order demolition of properties because the time allowed by law for such notice was not followed
“It is our believe that Governor Yusuf is using people’s hard-earned investment to settle political scores with the previous administration, which is a bad development.”