10 Facts About The Demolished ‘Ile Arugbo’ – Saraki’s Political HQ -In Kwara State

1: An individual by name Mallam Akewushola M. Oba wrote a petition to the Kwara State House of Assembly on illegal acquisition, appropriation and conversion of Kwara State Government property (with Survey No KWG. 927 and File No. LAN/G. 1071 situated at Ilofa Road, near Civil Service Clinic, GRA, Ilorin) into private use allocated to one Asa Investment Ltd with No: COMM. 22866 on the 9th of May, 1991, with neither a Right of Occupancy nor a Certificate of Occupancy issued and with no evidence of payment

2: The petition was presented on the floor of the house by Hon. Awodiji O. Felix (Irepodun) on the 6th August, 2019.

3: It was referred to the House Committee on Land, Housing and Urban Development for investigation in which report of its findings should be presented in two weeks.

4: The Committee commenced investigation with invitations to the major Stakeholders in the matter, namely:Akewushola M.Oba (Petitioner);Ministry of Health;Bureau of Land;Surveyor-Generals Office;Asa Investment Ltd.

5: REPRESENTATION OF STAKEHOLDERS;i. MINISTRY OF HEALTHThe Ministry of Health was represented by its Permanent Secretary, Dr. Mrs. R.F. Ajiboye (mni).ii. BUREAU OF LANDThe Director of Finance, Bureau of Land, Alhaji Abdulrazak Folorunsho represented the Bureau Of Land.iii. SURVEYOR GENERALS OFFICEThe Deputy Surveyor-General stood in as the representative of the Surveyor-General Office.iv. MALLAM AKEWUSHOLA M. OBA (THE PETITIONER)All attempts to get in touch with the above mentioned Petitioner to have his inputs was unsuccessful as his phone remained switched off.v. ASA INVESTMENT LTDAll attempts to locate the above named Company was unsuccessful as all documentations with the then Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development only addressed the Company as Asa Investment Ltd, Iloffa Road, with no specific numbering.

6: Considering the submissions of the present Stakeholders, the following were observed;i. On the 28th of October,1980, the Ministry of Health made a request for a suitable location on which to site a Proposed Civil Service Clinic to the Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development.ii. On the 22nd of May 1981, the Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development identified a piece of land suitable for the Proposed Civil Service Clinic.iii. This location shares a border with the land proposed for the second phase of the State Secretariat.iv. On the 28th of June, 1981, Government adequately compensated the Traditional Owners of the land for the structures and economic trees that existed on it.v. In 1991, the Principal Medical Officer in the Civil Service Clinic reminded the Hon. Commissioner for Health of the proposal to upgrade the Clinic to a General Hospital which will extend into the land initially meant for the second phase of the State Secretariat.vi. A Site Plan was produced for the Civil Service Clinic project, clearly showing the areas occupied by both the Civil Service Clinic as well as the Proposed Phase II of the State Secretariat.vii. That the Ile Arugbo mentioned in the petition sits exactly in the middle of the Site Plan submitted by both the Bureau of Lands as well as the Surveyor-Generals Office.viii. That the allocation of the piece of land mentioned to Asa Investment Ltd had no evidence of payment and that no title regarding the land has been processed till date.ix. That the allocation of the Land to Asa Investment Ltd did not follow any due process but was rather done by Executive fiat.

7: The committee thus made the following recommendation to the house;i. That the allocation of the Property with Survey No. KWG. 927 and LAN/G. 1071 situate at Ilofa Road, by Civil Service Clinic, G.R.A. Ilorin, (on which Ile Arugbo stands) to Asa Investment Ltd be declared void for non compliance with due process.ii. That the said land be recovered immediately from Asa Investment Ltd in the overall public interest so that it can be used for the purpose for which it was originally meant.

8: On the 27th December 2019, the Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor Rafiu Ajakaye gave a Press release that the land in which “Ilé Arúgbó” stands is revoked and allocation withdrawn.

9: That the land which was acquired without due process will be used for the purpose it was originally meant for which is in the interest of the public.

10: At the early hours of Thursday 2nd of January 2020, the building on the land popularly known as “Ilé Arúgbó” was demolished by the Kwara State Government