 |
| Tunji Alausa & Gov. Yusuf. |
A storm of controversy has erupted over an alleged secret deal to transfer about 30 hectares of land belonging to Federal Government College Kano, with mounting accusations that officials of the Federal Ministry of Education worked with politically connected interests to push through the transaction.
The Federal Government College Kano Old Students
Association has petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging immediate
intervention to halt what it describes as a backdoor concession of federal
educational land for private commercial use.
At the centre of the dispute is a Public Private
Partnership land swap arrangement which, according to documents seen by
stakeholders, has already been concluded by the Ministry. A groundbreaking
ceremony is scheduled for April 6, a development that has further fuelled
suspicion over the speed and secrecy of the process.
Alumni say the deal was executed without transparency,
without public advertisement, and without consultation with critical
stakeholders, including the association itself.
They insist that the land in question is not idle
property, but a core part of the school’s structure. It includes sports fields
and open areas reserved for future expansion, assets they say are vital to the
institution’s long term survival.
The controversy has taken a sharper turn following
revelations about the private firm linked to the deal, Pluck Global Company
Ltd.
The company, registered in 2017 and based on Beirut
Road in Kano, is said to be co owned by Musaddiq Ado Bala Talle, a close
associate of Kano State governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
Talle is also a member of the 17 member Strategic
Committee tasked with developing the state’s Five Year Multi Sectoral
Investment Strategic Plan from 2025 to 2029, a connection that has raised
questions about possible political influence in the transaction.
For many within the alumni body, that link is
difficult to ignore.
FGCKOSA President Shoyinka Shodunke said the
association was completely sidelined, despite decades of involvement in the
school’s development. He noted that alumni have invested billions of naira over
the years in infrastructure and academic support without laying claim to any
portion of the school land.
He described the proposed concession as a direct
threat to the legacy of unity schools, warning that it signals a shift from
education driven priorities to profit driven interests.
Beyond ownership concerns, the association is also
raising safety and planning issues.
It warned that introducing a mixed use estate in close
proximity to the school could expose students to avoidable risks and disrupt
the controlled environment required for learning.
The group has also questioned the logic behind the
project, pointing out that Kano State has vast tracts of land suitable for real
estate development.
“There is no justification for taking from an existing
educational institution when alternatives clearly exist,” the association said
in its petition.
FGCKOSA further argued that the arrangement offers no
tangible benefit to the school and appears structured primarily for private
commercial gain.
In a separate communication to the Ministry of
Education, the association demanded full disclosure of any agreement with Pluck
Global Company Ltd, including the terms and approval process.
It warned that if the deal is found to lack proper
authorisation, it will pursue legal action and escalate the matter to anti
corruption agencies.
The association has also issued a caution to the
public, advising potential investors to avoid any land or property linked to
the project, citing the risk of legal disputes and possible reversal.
As part of its counter move, FGCKOSA announced plans
to launch a five billion naira development fund in June 2026 through its
foundation, aimed at supporting infrastructure development without compromising
the integrity of the school.
The alumni body has called on the President to
immediately halt the planned groundbreaking and order a full review of the
concession process.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the
Federal Ministry of Education were unsuccessful as of press time.
0 Comments
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed on this platform as comments were freely made by each person under his or her own volition or responsibility and were neither suggested nor dictated by the owners of News PLATFORM or any of their contracted staff. So we take no liability whatsoever for such comments.
Please take note!