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Kwara Govt Demolishes Shopping Complex Belonging to APC Chieftain, Cites Violation of Approval Purposes
Action Politically Motivated, Structure Followed Due Approval With Necessary Documents, Says MM Aide
The Kwara State Government on Sunday night demolished a shopping complex belonging to a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Mashood Mustapha (MM).
The complex, known as Crystal Place is located at Sulu-Gambari Road/Ahmadu Bello Way, G.R.A, Ilorin, the state capital.
The occupier of the complex had reported serving a 3 hours vacation notice on Friday by the Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KW-GIS) cited violation of Land Use Aproval.
Crystal Shooping Complex before demolition
According to a statement issued and signed by the chairman of KW-GIS, ESV. Sulyman Abdulkareem read in part:
“Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KW-GIS) has said it is removing the Crystal corner shops because new findings show clearly that they grossly violate the government’s land use approval issued to the owner on March 22, 2013.
“The approval was for the purpose of a commercial “car park only.
“It is trite to say that a land allotted for the purpose of a car park cannot and should not become corner shops which it became overnight.”
Reacting to the development, Hon. Mashood Mustapha in a statement issued and signed by his media aide Dr. Opeyemi Aregbesola countered the allegation that the shopping complex structure violated the original approval, saying the approval gotten by his principal in 2013 from the State Bureau of Lands was for commercial purposes.
The statement read in part: “Unveiling the lies of Kwara State Government: Mashood Mustapha’s Crystal Place was approved for Commercial Purposes, not car park.
”In 2013, Hon. Mashood Mustapha acquired a plot of land along Sulu Gambari Road for commercial purposes from the Kwara State Bureau of Lands.
“He was allotted the plot of land after fulfilling all the requirements for the acquisition of the land.
”He proceeded to obtain building approval from the Town Planning Development Authority.
“The now-demolished Crystal Place was built based on the approved Building plan and there was never an encroachment on government setbacks.
“There is no need to sugar-coat it, this is pure political vendetta. Compulsory acquisition of properties by government is not new; it can be done for overriding public interest but there are processes that should be followed.
“Evicting a landowner without any consideration for his constitutional rights smacks of political vindictiveness.”
When the fence of the Complex was demolished few months ago
The state government had a few months ago marked the fence of the building and demolished it citing an encroachment on government setbacks and part of the ongoing urban renewal in the state capital.
Recall that the Hon. Mashood Mustapha has been in tango with the APC ruling state Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq over N17.8 billion Kwara Hotel contract.
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