By Our Correspondent
Kaduna
The Birnin Gwari Emirate Progressives Union (BEPU) has called on Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani to immediately suspend the alleged disposal of strategic public assets in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area and constitute an independent Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the transactions.
The union also demanded the recovery of all public institutions and government lands found to have been unlawfully alienated as well as the prosecution of public officers, intermediaries and private individuals found culpable after due investigation.
In a communiqué jointly signed by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Professor Lawal Khalid; BEPU Chairman, Dr. Isah Muhammad; and the union’s Secretary-General, Engineer Muhammad Jamil Abdulhamid, the congress said the resolutions were unanimously adopted to safeguard Birnin Gwari’s public assets and collective heritage.
The communiqué followed an emergency congress attended by members of the Board of Trustees, National Executive Council and representatives of communities across Birnin Gwari Emirate to deliberate on what the union described as growing concerns over the reported disposal of strategic public institutions and government lands.
BEPU alleged that several public institutions and lands established over the years to serve the educational, healthcare, security, administrative and economic needs of the people had reportedly been transferred into private hands under circumstances that had generated widespread public concern.
It alleged that some individuals, acting without the mandate of the people of Birnin Gwari and in collaboration with certain public officials, procured approvals and other administrative documents that were allegedly used to transfer public assets into private ownership.
According to the union, if established through an independent investigation, such actions would amount to a breach of public trust, abuse of office and a violation of the principles of accountability in public administration.
The congress maintained that the affected facilities were neither abandoned nor surplus assets but institutions deliberately established by successive governments and community leaders for public use.
It listed some of the affected properties as the Birnin Gwari Public Library, Jibril Mai Gwari I Memorial Hospital, the stadium, Sports Council facilities, Police Quarters, Veterinary Clinic, Fire Service lands, Government Staff Quarters, the Post Office and other strategic public properties.
The union further claimed that the people of Birnin Gwari were never consulted before the reported transactions, insisting that traditional institutions, community organisations, professional bodies and the general public were not involved in any decision relating to the disposal of the assets.
It warned that continued alienation of government lands originally reserved for the future expansion of hospitals, schools, security formations and other public institutions could undermine the emirate’s long-term development and impose huge financial burdens on future governments.
Among its resolutions, BEPU demanded the immediate suspension of all ongoing transactions involving strategic public institutions and government lands in Birnin Gwari pending the outcome of an independent investigation.
The union also called on Governor Uba Sani to establish a Judicial Commission of Inquiry headed by a serving or retired judge to examine all reported transactions relating to public assets in the local government area, determine whether due process was followed and recommend legal action where violations are established.
It further urged the Kaduna State Government to recover every public institution and parcel of land found, after due investigation, to have been unlawfully or improperly alienated, insisting that facilities established for education, healthcare, security, sports, agriculture and public administration should remain dedicated to public use.
The congress also demanded the publication of all approvals, allocation letters, Certificates of Occupancy, survey plans, valuation reports, deeds of assignment and other official records relating to the transactions to promote transparency and accountability.
BEPU equally called on the Kaduna State House of Assembly to exercise its constitutional oversight powers by conducting a public hearing into the management and disposal of public assets in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area.
The union further urged the Kaduna State Government to undertake a comprehensive inventory of all public assets in the emirate, document and digitise them, and establish a secure register to prevent future encroachment or unlawful disposal.
It also appealed to anti-corruption agencies, including the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Public Complaints Commission, to investigate any evidence of abuse of office or corruption that may emerge from the proposed inquiry.
BEPU stressed that its position was not a political campaign or directed against any political party but a constitutional demand for transparency, accountability and responsible governance.
The union urged residents of Birnin Gwari to remain peaceful and law-abiding while supporting lawful efforts to protect public institutions, adding that if no satisfactory action was taken within a reasonable time, it had authorised its Board of Trustees and National Executive Council to pursue all lawful constitutional remedies, including petitions to relevant authorities and legal action where necessary.
It reaffirmed its commitment to peace, justice, transparency and sustainable development, insisting that preserving Birnin Gwari’s public institutions remained a collective responsibility owed to both present and future generations.
