joshua
Ayo Ola
A 96-year-old widow from Kwara State, Hajia Sa’adatu MamaDelo Belukor, has appealed to the Kwara State Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to ensure that she was paid her compensation for the land she claimed are hers which the government acquired but she had not been compensated.
She lamented that life has become traumatic for her as she is unable to foot her daily bills including feeding, housing, clothing and medicals.
She stated that since the portions of land which she claimed to have inherited from her father, Late Alhaji Bello Belukor, the 8th Balogun of Alanamu of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, were allegedly acquired by the Kwara State Government life has become extremely difficult for her.
She said she had made concerted efforts to reach the government but all had not yielded the desired result.
She listed her land that the government allegedly acquired to include:1. Eiyenkorin-Okolowo in Asa and Ilorin South Local Government respectively.
2. Babanla in Ifelodun Local Government for the establishment of sugar and Ethanol companies.
3. Olufadi in Ilorin South Local government for the establishment of a medical Centre.
4. Establishment of a modern school in which a medical department will be included.
5. Acres of land for farming and animal husbandry in Moro, Ilorin West Local government as stated in Diamond FM 6 pm news dated September 11th, 2021.
6. 100 acres of land for farming and animal husbandry in Moro, Ilorin West Local Government as stated on 99.1 Radio Kwara FM National News 8 pm dated 12th September 2021.
7. Approval for the establishment of a neuropsychiatric hospital in Budo Egba Kwara State for the North Central geopolitical zone of Nigeria.
She said, “I have made several efforts by visiting g Kwara Bureau of Lands, Kwara StYe Geographic Information Service for payment of compensation without anything done by the above-mentioned offices or Kwara State Government.”
Also Ibitola Shoneye A.O. on behalf of Hajia Saadatu MamaDelo Belukor said they have made several appeals to the relevant authorities, but all in vain.
The Kwara State Government said the government is a responsible and responsive government that will ensure the welfare of Kwarans. It stated that it has not and would not deny compensation to owners of the land that it acquired. It further said that the nonagenarian has nothing reasonable to validate her claim of such a large expanse of land in the state.
The Special Adviser to the Kwara State Governor on Legal Matters, Ambassador Sambo Muritala, in response, further said other people have substantial ownership evidence of the land Hajia Saadatu Belukor, claimed ownership.
Muritala said, “I had earlier met the woman before this government and I told her that she has nothing reasonable to back up his ownership of almost one-fifth of Ilorin because his late father was a Balogun in Ilorin. The places she is laying claim to are owned by people who have strong evidence to back their ownership as against hers’.
“As a true Ilorin woman, she should understand the concept of Ilorin emirate enough to say she is coming to claim the land after over a hundred years. I advised her to get a knowledgeable lawyer who will explain that her story is so weak that no court will have anything to substantiate her case. The case can just be likened to Oduduwa’s son coming from nowhere to lay claim to the entire Western Region.”
