There was a trade of words amongst Political Gladiators in Kwara on Tuesday afternoon following the demolition of a Library Complex named In honour of the Late Political Sage and Senator of the Nigerian Second Republic, Late Olusola Saraki.
THE ELITES WATCH reporter went on an on-the-scene reportage showing the presence of yet-to-be-identified men who are seen removing the roofs, and interlocks, and destroying the physical structure of the library complex.
Speaking to a passerby present at the scene, he registered his dismay to this reporter that some men arrived at the complex at around 8 am yesterday (Monday) removing roofs and some other materials in the building. He added that the banging of hammers drew his attention to the scene.
“Let me say I was afraid when I heard the sound of hammers nearby while en route to work yesterday morning. It got to a point where I have to trace where the sound was coming from while I peeped through the fence.
“Surprisingly, I saw some men sweating profusely, struggling to remove roofs, interlocks, and other building materials in the library complex but as you can see, today is the demolition day, ” Abdullah (not real name) said.
The library complex is located in Kuntu, Agbo-Oba area, Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Reacting to this development via a statement by Sen. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, The Opposition Leader and Former President of the 8th Assembly, said, “I’m quite shocked that the major official assignment carried out by the Governor of my home state, Kwara, today, is the demolition of an old public library named after my late dad, Dr Olusola Saraki.”
He, therefore, prayed to Almighty Allah to retain a place for his late father in paradise. “May Almighty Allah continue to retain a place for Oloye in Aljannah Firdaus!,” Saraki added.
In another release by a daughter of the late sage, she said, “Yet again, today we find that the Governor of Kwara State’s focus is not on building up Kwara, but on demolishing buildings which were owned or named after my late father the Waziri of Ilorin.
“No matter how many structures are demolished, Baba Saraki’s legacy can never be destroyed, because it lives in the hearts and minds of the great people of Kwara, ” Gbemi Saraki added.
The duo proteges of the late political kingmaker stressed that the demolished public library named after the late Olusola Saraki was done in bad faith by the state govt.
‘The owner is fixing its property’, says Governor AbdulRazaq
In his defence, The governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq through his Spokesman, Rafiu Ajakaye clarified that the building belongs to Ilorin West Local Council and not to Baba Saraki as widely believed.
He said the building was serving as hideouts for some anti-social elements calling the govt attention to renovation.
Ajakaye, however, said that there’s no cause for alarm as the building is undergoing fixing, adding that it should subsequently have the name of the honoree after renovation.
“CLARIFICATION: the facility, to be clear, does not belong to Baba Saraki. It is the property of Ilorin West LG named after Oloye. The owner is set to renovate it.
“No cause for alarm, pls. The owner is fixing his property. And it will retain the honorary name earlier given to it after renovation, ” Ajakaye stressed.
Recall in 2020, that there was a similar outcry when the state government demolished the property that allegedly belonged to the late political kingmaker. To the state govt, the said land on which the property was built was illegally acquired stressing that the land was originally designated for the construction of the second phase of the state secretariat.
Party Stalwarts Speaks
When contacted for comment about the building, A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress loyal to Gov. AbdulRazaq, Alhaji Mustapha Kobe said, “I don’t think I’m in the best position to give you a precise answer to that. It is what you know that I also know. You know it’s the local govt that built the building and it was named after Baba Saraki, any other thing, I don’t know.
“I think it was during the Bukola Saraki era that the building was named. I left SUBEB in 2003 and now I’m currently in the teaching service commission,” he added.
Asking about the political implication of the demolition by the local govt council as against what political commentators feared to be political rivalry between the AbdulRazaq and the Sarakis, Alhaji Kobe said, “I’ll prefer not to make a political comment on this issue. You know our governor is a complete gentleman and would not always want to join words with anyone.
“If the council built the said facility and it is undergoing renovation for effective usage, I don’t think that’s a bad idea, instead, the council should be commended for taking this bold step, ”he added.
In an interview with a Former Chairman of Ilorin West Local Government Council and Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Ahmed Bayero, he berates the governor’s continual destruction of Saraki properties calling it an amateur move.
“The facts remain that the govt has been destroying the Saraki dynasty and I must say it is vindictive. They lack the political will to deal with a serious issue and no serious political-minded people with that attitude can score any cheap political points
“Let me say We’re in an era where there’s no tolerance. The facility is a local govt library built on just a plot or one and a half plots of land, constructed under the administration of Alhaji Ibrahim Magaji alias ‘Seria’in 2001 and named after the Late Olusola Saraki of the blessed memory. I served as the council chairman immediately after him (Alhaji Magaji).
“I’m a politician and I understand how politicians behave. The way the governor is dealing with issues, especially with an opposition figure is amateur and will continue to give us more sympathy from the people. We’re gaining public sympathy every day and that’s a pointer to what he has been embarking on, vindictive politics!.
“You know the governor denied having a hand in the destruction saying the facility is not functioning well and he feels the need to equip it, but should I tell you something? No sane individual will believe his fairy tale stories.
“Like the Ile Arugbo issue too, to me, he didn’t have a good political adviser and If I’m one of his advisers, I’ll advise him not to toe that path. No matter the destruction, it will only add value to our struggle. Even when the Ile Arugbo issue came up, some people started cursing him. This won’t add any value to him.
“If Gov. AbdulRazaq should fail in his re-election bid come 2023, who knows if the incoming govt may even visit his father’s property at surulere. so that kind of politics is what I hate the most, ”Bayero added.
Efforts to reach the Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) Chairman for Ilorin West Local Government Area Council, AbdulGafar Omotosho for comment proved abortive as calls sent to his phone were not going through at the time of filing this report.
Analysts feared the bickering of words may not end in sight as longstanding political rivalry between the AbdulRazaqs and Sarakis must have taken shape of an event pitching them against one another.