Peter Obi, the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, has expressed his opinion on the ongoing demolition of structures in Kano State led by Governor Yusuf, News About Nigeria reports.
The purpose of the demolition is to remove buildings that were constructed on government-owned land by the previous administration of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
However, this action has faced public backlash, particularly because many of the affected buildings were built under Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreements.
Taking to Twitter, Peter Obi criticized the actions of the Kano Government.
In his tweet, he pointed out the contradictory situation in Nigeria, where there is a housing deficit of 70 million and unmet housing needs across the nation.
Due to these challenges, some citizens take matters into their own hands and construct buildings for their homes, businesses, and offices.
Although some of these structures may not have received official approval, they were often built with the knowledge or approval of local authorities.
While acknowledging that certain demolitions may be justified, Obi stressed the importance of compassion and humane treatment towards the affected individuals.
He called upon governmental authorities to enforce regulations while considering the human aspect and demonstrating necessary compassion.
“In recent times, there have been reports of the government demolishing structures deemed “illegal” that were mistakenly erected by innocent Nigerian citizens.
“This situation presents a paradox. On one hand, Nigeria faces a staggering housing deficit of 70 million and significant unmet housing needs nationwide.
“As a result, some individuals resort to building structures that serve as their homes, businesses, SME offices, and stores. Often, these structures were either not officially approved or were constructed with the implicit collusion or approval of local authorities”, he tweeted.
