Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano has issued an ultimatum to owners of houses at Kwankwasiyya, Bandirawo and Amana cities to occupy their properties or face revocation.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that the three estates were established by former Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso during his second tenure as governor of the state.
The houses were put for sell to individuals, but most of them had been unsold and taken over by illegal occupants.
Speaking on Monday at the government house, during the swearing-in ceremony of Ibrahim Yakubu as the new commissioner for Housing and Transportation, Mr Yusuf gave until June 2025 for owners to put the property to use.
The governor said his administration had begun renovation of the houses in the three cities to make them utilized.
According to Mr Yusuf, the government is working to make the cities lively by restoring their initial structure.
“I have even directed the Commissioner for Works to renovate and restore all the infrastructure because the government is working to restore the cities.
“From March to June this year, anybody that owns a house at these three cities should come forward and occupy it or rent it out because we are working towards making these cities fully functional and occupied.
“Anybody that fails to comply, will have his property revoked and allocated to somebody in need,” the governor warned.
On the new Commissioner, Mr Yusuf said he had created a new ministry, named Housing and Transport for him to occupy.
After the oath-taking ceremony, which was administered by the Attorney General of the state, Haruna Isa-Dederi, the governor urged the new commissioner to leverage his wealth of experience to drive the development of the state.
He also congratulated Mr Yakubu on his new role, tasking him on ensuring the effective utilization of the three new cities.
The governor expressed confidence in Mr Yakubu’s ability, citing his decade-long experience as an architect and his previous role as the Managing Director of KNUPDA.
“I have worked closely with him for decades, and I know his capacity. I am sure he will not let us down,” Mr Yusuf said.
The governor, therefore, appealed to the new commissioner to use his vast experience in addressing the challenges of housing deficit in the state.
