Former Senator for Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has praised the recent move by Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, to cancel land allocations made to private individuals for public school properties.
The decision focuses particularly on lands from Queen Amina College, one of the state’s historic girls’ secondary schools, which had been controversially allocated for private development during the tenure of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
The lands in question had sparked a public outcry after it was revealed that they were sold off for private construction projects, a practice that many locals viewed as part of a broader trend of privatizing public school resources in the state.
Shehu Sani, in a social media post on Wednesday, condemned the widespread sale and allocation of school lands to wealthy individuals, describing it as part of a troubling trend where political favoritism and disregard for public welfare prevail.
Sani noted that many of these schools, such as Queen Amina College, were originally established either during colonial rule or by revered northern leaders like the late Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto. These schools, he said, were meant to serve the children of the poor, providing them with opportunities for education, not to be turned into private estates for the rich.
“These were institutions built for the children of the poor. Reducing them to blocks of classrooms without staff quarters or basic facilities, while auctioning off their lands to the wealthy, is an affront to the legacies of our founding fathers,” Sani lamented in his post.
The former senator further emphasized that the practice of selling public school lands not only undermines the educational system but also shows a deep disregard for the history and founding purpose of these schools.
He specifically pointed out schools like Technical College Malali, Government College Kaduna, and Sardauna Memorial College, which have all been affected by the sale of lands meant for staff quarters or other school purposes.
Sani also highlighted how public school lands have been used as political favors, noting that some of these lands were allocated to political loyalists or wealthy individuals with connections. In many cases, he said, teachers and principals were forced to leave their official quarters because they were auctioned off to others.
Sani called on alumni associations nationwide to take a stand and protect their former schools. He urged them to resist any further encroachment on school lands and ensure that these spaces remain dedicated to educational purposes.
“Old Boys and Old Girls Associations must take responsibility and resist any attempt to cave out their schools’ land for political patronage,” he said.
While applauding Governor Uba Sani’s move as “commendable and corrective,” Sani also urged the state government to take further steps in reviewing all previous land allocations involving public educational institutions. He stressed that there was enough land in Kaduna to build private estates and that public school lands should remain protected.
“The action taken by the Kaduna State Government in revoking the allocation of Queen Amina’s college lands is commendable. The Government should move further to recover others. There is enough land to build palaces; they don’t have to take over Government schools,” Sani concluded.
