Urban Renewal Plans Sets Kwara Free from A Previous Legacy

Recently the demolition of Crystal Place shopping mall in Ilorinsparked a public outcry as it was allegedly led by the Former Senate President. It was also said that a press release was sent out which reeks of desperation, falsehood, and hypocrisy, aimed at exploiting a situation for cheap political gain. 

It has also been said that the demolition of Crystal Mall is not about politics but rather about enforcing the law, which it’s said has been so conveniently ignored during his years in power. According to the Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KW-GIS), the land was approved strictly for a car park in 2013—under Saraki’s protege governor Abdulahmed Abdulfatai, no less. Yet the site was said to be unlawfully converted into a shopping complex, violating urban planning laws, hindering road expansion, and sabotaging the environmental renewal agenda of the Abdulrazaq administration.

It’s also reflected upon how the former SP might have been involved with some affairs that relates to the youths and how a possible effect of his actions might have contributed to some happenings in the state. A lot of other issues have been raised in relation to his 16 years of representation which have been recorded to be filled with a lot of alleged mismanagement among other things. 

Governor Abdulrazaq’s administration has proven time and again that it is committed to the rule of law and good governance. The urban renewal program currently underway in Kwara is not about targeting political opponents; it is about ensuring that all structures comply with regulations, whether owned by supporters or critics. But the Governor is cut from a different cloth. His administration has consistently worked for the larger public interest, not the selective defense of cronies. 

This demolition is not about Moshood Mustapha’s falling out with the former SP or his alignment with the APC but it is about upholding the law. Abdulrazaq’s time in office is about liberating the state from the chains of political patronage and impunity that the former SP imposed during his reign. The demolition of illegal structures is not a war on the people, as Saraki claims, but a step toward ensuring that Kwara becomes a state where rules are followed, and no one, no matter how powerful, is above the law.

The governor’s focus has been clear: building a Kwara State that works for all, not just for the elite. The current administration’s urban renewal plan is a testament to this commitment. It is about making Kwara a state of pride, where laws are respected, urban planning is followed, and the environment is protected. The transformation that has been underway in Ilorin and other parts of the state is a far cry from the decay left behind. It is not about suppressing voices but about enforcing standards that serve the public interest.