The Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, has demolished the historic roundabout at the Kano State Government House.
The roundabout which was renovated by the past administration of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, was brought down early hours of Wednesday.
In just his first week in office, the governor Yusuf-led administration commenced demolition of some structures in the state built under Ganduje’s tenure which the current government termed illegal structures.
A three-storey plaza on Race Course Road in the sate capital was among the early structures demolished by the current government.
The building which belonged to the state government was allegedly sold to private individuals during the Ganduje-led administration.
The Duala Hotel structure developed by Lamash Property Limited was also demolished, with the developers later announcing their intention to sue the government and demand N10 billion compensation.
The company’s Director of Sales, Aliyu Abubakar, in a statement to reporters, criticised the government for disregarding the principle of fair hearing.
Meanwhile, the Kano State government has explained the reason behind the demolition of the roundabout.
In a statement, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sanusi Tofa, said the roundabout was destroyed because it was substandard.
The statement added, “This is because it is done with used foam work and too much sandy materials instead of normal cement concrete.
“Also, the structure is too tall to be placed in front of the Government House as it defaces its main gate which blocks the view for security surveillance.
“Additionally, it poses traffic challenges around the area because of its size, blocking the view of drivers accessing all routes linked through the roundabout.
“The government wishes to make it clear that it became very necessary to take down the structure for the purposes of immediate reconstruction and downsizing to ensure visibility of the government house entrance and safety of motorists.”