Kaduna: I won’t demolish without paying compensation—Uba Sani

Governor Uba Sani has vowed that his administration will never dispossess any citizen of Kaduna State of his or her property without fair and adequate compensation.

The governor made the pledge after distributing checks to affected households along the 15-kilometer Ring Road corridor from Danbushiya Junction to Danhono 2 at the Millennium City.

He also argued that ‘’public interest can never become a justification for injustice. Development cannot be meaningful if it imposes hardship without compassion, or progress without fairness.”

Governor Uba Sani recalled that after the groundbreaking, construction work progressed, but it “became evident that some households and structures fell within the designated right-of-way of the project.”

”At that point, we confronted not merely an engineering challenge but a moral obligation. The question before us was not simply how to advance construction but how to balance the public interest with the rights and dignity of individual citizens,’’ he added.

 According to the governor, his administration “took the deliberate decision to temporarily slow certain construction activities to allow for a thorough, transparent, and equitable assessment of all affected properties and utilities.”

‘’Today, we commence the distribution of compensation checks to 122 households affected along this Ring Road corridor. To each household represented here, I extend my sincere appreciation for your patience, understanding, and cooperation throughout this process.

‘’I recognise that change often comes with disruption and uncertainty. I understand the emotional and practical burden that relocation or adjustment may impose on families,’’ he noted.

The Governor emphasized that the distribution of the checks is not an act of charity but  an act of justice, adding that “restitution is intended to enable affected households to rebuild, relocate, reorganise, and continue their lives with dignity and confidence.”

He pointed out that his government has consistently distributed checks to households that have been affected by projects since the inception of this administration.

ALSO READ: Ekiti guber: PDP candidate begins legal, political review of outcome

Across Kaduna State, we have compensated approximately 189 households in Rigasa under the Rigasa Township Roads Project; 120 households in Mahuta on the Rabah Road Project; 282 households from Magajiya to Albarkawa in Zaria; 14 households from Audi to Kako; 86 households linking Dogon Bauchi to Kakiyeyi; and 33 households along the Kabala Costain corridor, among many others.

‘’In total, our administration has disbursed more than N3 billion in compensation to affected citizens across various projects. We shall continue to ensure that our compensation processes remain transparent, verifiable, equitable, and timely,’’ he promised.

Governor Uba Sani reiterated that since assuming office, his administration has ‘’remained guided by a principle that is simple in expression yet profound in meaning: development must be pursued with justice, compassion, and integrity.

”Progress loses its moral purpose if it leaves citizens behind. Therefore, in implementing our transformation agenda, fairness and empathy must remain our compass,’’ he argued.