Kwara demolishes library named after Saraki’s father

The Kwara state government has demolished a library named in honour of Olusola Saraki, a second republic politician and father of Bukola Saraki, former senate president. 

Plans to demolish the library, located along Agbooba-Adeta road in Ilorin, the state capital, were said to have started last Friday when security agents were deployed to the area.

It is not immediately clear why the building was demolished, as Rafiu Ajakaye, chief press secretary to Abdurahman Abdulrazaq, governor of the state, did not respond to a text message seeking his reaction.

The former senate president has commented on the development on his Facebook page. 

“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,” he wrote.

Gbemisola Saraki, his sister, who is the minister of state for transportation, also reacted to the demolition of the library.

She 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.

“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.”

In January 2020, the state government had demolished the Sarakis’ political home, better known as ‘Ile Arúgbó’, in Ilorin.

The property was demolished following the revocation of the land by the government.

The governor had said 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 had challenged the demolition in court. 

In March, a high court sitting in Ilorin had restrained the Kwara government from taking over Ile Arugbo.