The alumni of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, yesterday raised the alarm that the land grabbers who had encroached the institution’s land were employing all means, including terrorism to retain the encroached land.
The protem president of the Kwara State Polytechnic Worldwide Alumni, Engr. Abu Salami, raised the alarm during a press conference held at the Polytechnic’s auditorium.
“At this point, we are of the view that they ( land grabbers) are ready to use all means including threat, terrorism, sponsored court cases and blackmailing to snatch the land they do not own.
The alumni of the pioneer institution in Kwara State, therefore, challenged any of the claimants to the polytechnic’s land to provide any document authorising the building of any of the structures on the land in dispute.
They clarified that the state government had paid compensation to the original owners of the land, adding that, “and we are ready to proof.”
They added:” We, the alumni and the students of this peace loving and prestigious citadel of learning who have been quiet and patiently watching the unfolding scenario between these bandits and our Polytechnic management are now up to say enough is enough as far as this daylight robbery is concerned,” he said.
He told the audience comprising traditional rulers and clergymen that “the main reason we invited all of you here today, is to table some facts before you so that we can jointly decide the way forward on this land upon which Kwara State Polytechnic is built.”
The president of the institution’s alumni association later asked a staff of the school to take the audience through the journey of how it all started and how it got to this stage.
Salami said the students of the institution were invited to the press briefing, “ to also know about our concerns and to arm you with historical facts by which this peaceful process of fighting for our right can be driven to its legal and logical conclusion.”
He said part of the purpose of the press briefing, “ is to gear the three arms of government in Kwara State through our current executive governor and the llorin community through the apex Ilorin socio-cultural group- llorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union to initiate the process of legally taking possession of its property and officially handing its ownership over to Kwara State Polytechnic thereby allowing peace to reign within the polytechnic environment.”
