The Kaduna state governor, Senator Uba Sani, says the state government took part of the land belonging to the Federal Government College, Malali, Kaduna, for security reasons.
The governor gave the explanation at a meeting with some members of Federal Government College, Kaduna, Old Students Association (FGCKOSA), at the Government House.
The old students were led by the National President of the Unity Schools Old Students Association (USOSA), Mike Magaji.
On Saturday the old students, alongside the students of the school, staged a peaceful protest within the school premises over alleged excision of about 800 plots of land belonging to the school.
The governor said, as a senator, he knows that the 1976 Land Use Act puts all lands in a state under the control of the state governor. Sani said, “The governor has the power to allocate and reallocate land, especially if it borders on public interest.
“So, I believe the former governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, decided to annex the land because of security challenges, which have been compounded by ungoverned spaces.
“The former government in its wisdom felt it did not have to wait for insecurity to happen around the FGC ( Kaduna) before taking action, because the portion of the land annexed borders River Kaduna and Keke Community of New Millennium City, where series of kidnap cases have been reported.
The governor promised to visit the school together with the old students to see things for himself.
He said the matter should be resolved through dialogue rather than legal battle, which according to him, may create more bottlenecks than solution.
He commended the old students for their efforts towards protecting the interest of their alma mater.
He added however that government was also putting the safety of the students first.
The governor assured that all works at the site would be halted until his assessment visit to the school which will pave way for dialogue between the government and the stakeholders of the school.
Earlier in his remarks, Magaji, the USOSA president said the association was saddened over what the encroachment of the school land.
He urged the governor to carry the association along in the efforts to resolve the problem.
