The Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq led Kwara State government have demolished a library named in honour of Olusola Saraki, the father of Bukola Saraki, the senate president in the 8th National Assembly.
Reports are still sketchy on reasons behind the demolition of the building, as government officials have been evasive.
The Plans to demolish the library, located along Agbooba-Adeta road in Ilorin, the state capital, came to light at the weekend as security agents were seen to have been deployed to the area.
In a response to the incident, Dr Bukola Saraki said “I just got the news that the major official assignment carried out by the Governor of my state, Kwara, today, is the demolition of an old public library named after my late dad, Dr. Olusola Saraki. May Almighty Allah continue to retain a place for Oloye in Aljannah Firdaus.”
In the same vein, Gbemisola Saraki, the former Senate president’s sister, who is presently the Federal Minister of State for Transportation, also said: “Yet again, today we find that the Governor of Kwara State’s focus is not on building up Kwara, but on demolishing buildings which were owned or named after my late father the Waziri of Ilorin.
She further said “No matter how many structures are demolished, Baba Saraki’s legacy can never be destroyed, because it lives in the hearts and minds of the great people of Kwara.”
You would recall that, In January 2020, the state government had demolished the Saraki’s political home, also known as ‘Ile Arúgbó’, in Ilorin.
The Governor backed his demolition action, saying that the land was originally designated for the construction of a secretariat and parking lot of the civil service clinic.
He said it was illegally allocated to a private firm — Asa Investments Limited — owned by the late father of the ex-senate president.
The Sarakis challenged the demolition in court, and a high court sitting in Ilorin consequently restrained the Kwara State government from taking over “Ile Arugbo.”
