I Won’t Demolish Any Building Without Compensation – Uba Sani

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has assured residents that no structure will be demolished and no property owner displaced without fair and adequate compensation.

He also pledged that his administration would not invoke the phrase “overriding public interest” as a pretext to dispossess citizens of their properties for development projects.

Governor Sani made the commitment on Wednesday during the flag-off ceremony for the distribution of compensation cheques to 189 affected households along the Rigasa township roads.

He recalled that groundbreaking ceremonies for the Makera Road, Lokoja Road, Ado Gwaram Road and the Asmau Makarfi Spur were held on September 12, 2025. According to him, construction progressed steadily, with drainage systems, hydraulic structures and major earthworks completed along key sections.

However, he noted that the government encountered a moral dilemma as several homes, businesses and essential service facilities were located within the designated right-of-way for the projects.

“In view of this, we directed that construction be temporarily slowed to allow for a thorough, transparent and equitable assessment of all affected properties and utilities,” he said.

The governor emphasised that his administration is guided by the principle that development must not come at the expense of justice.

“As a matter of policy, we have resolved that no citizen will suffer unjustly in the name of development. We will not cloak expediency in the language of ‘overriding public interest.’ Public interest must never eclipse private rights without restitution,” Sani stated.

He added that since assuming office on May 29, 2023, his government has prioritised justice, compassion and integrity in governance.

“Roads, bridges and public works may define the physical landscape of a state, but fairness and empathy define its moral landscape,” he said.

The governor described the compensation exercise as a fulfilment of justice rather than an act of charity, thanking the affected residents for their patience and cooperation.

“This is not charity; it is justice fulfilled,” he said.

Governor Sani further disclosed that the Rigasa compensation aligns with a broader policy already implemented across the state. He said approximately 120 households in Mahuta affected by the Rabah Road project had been compensated, alongside 282 households from Magajiya to Albarkawa in Zaria and 14 households from Audi to Kako.

He added that 86 households along the Dogon Bauchi–Kakiyeyi corridor and 33 households in the Kabala Costain area had also received payments.

“In total, we have disbursed about N2.85 billion in compensation to affected citizens across Kaduna State,” the governor stated.