Residents protest conversion of abandoned Gusau LG Secretariat to market

Community members of Ungwa Dallatu area of Gusau, in Zamfara State, on Tuesday, trooped out in their large numbers protesting the conversion of the uncompleted and abandoned Gusau Local Government Secretariat to a mini market.

The community members made up of youths, women and children said that the State government did not keep the agreement it reached with them.

Addressing newsmen at the site, the spokesman of the community, Alhaji Bashir Mohammed said that the uncompleted and abandoned secretariat had become the den of criminal elements.

Alhaji Mohammed explained that when the situation became uncontrollable, the community leaders complained to the Acting Governor, Senator Hassan Mohammed Nasiha, demanding that the secretariat be converted to primary and junior secondary schools.

According to him, the Acting Governor bought the idea and advised them to put it into writing, which they did.

“The State government collected the land from us with the intention to construct a befitting Gusau Local Government Secretariat over 12 years ago and started the construction but later abandoned the project.

“We have been mounting serious pressures on the government to complete the project as the site has become a camp for criminal elements,” he said.

The community spokesman lamented that some petty traders have been coming to inspect the site, claiming that the State government had reallocated the land to them.

“That was why we mobilized community members to protest because our children need to be educated like others,” they stated.

When contacted, the Special Adviser on urban and regional planning to the State Governor, Hon. Anas Abdullami Kaura admitted that there was an arrangement between the State government and the community leaders to build schools on the site.

According to him, the State government was disturbed over the business activities going on opposite the Government House, saying that the government was still looking for a permanent site for the petty traders but gave them that site for temporary use until the government found a permanent site for them.

He said that it was in agreement that none of the traders would erect any structure within the premises, saying that any structure erected there would be demolished without explanation.

“The land still belongs to them and the government was not denying that fact but they should have a little patience,” he stated.

He assured that the State government was not sleeping over the issue, pointing out that actually, the community members were right “as education is a sound legacy.”