A Memo to Kwara Government By. Hon. Comr. Salahudeen A Lukman Eluku Omo Adugbo
We sincerely appreciate the Governor of Kwara State for remembering Offa Local Government in what appears to be a plan for road rehabilitation or expansion. Any effort to improve infrastructure in our community is welcomed. However, the current approach of issuing a blanket 72-hour demolition notice to property owners along Olofa Way—without details or proper communication—is a disturbing show of disregard for citizens’ rights, their survival, and their emotional well-being.
Under normal procedure, when government intends to acquire land or execute a developmental project that affects existing structures, property owners are first communicated with formally. They are provided with adequate notice, clear explanations of the intended project, possible compensation details, and timelines. Anything short of this due process is not only unfair but also insensitive to the plight of the very people government is supposed to serve.
Today’s economic reality in Kwara State demands a human-face approach to any development initiative. People are struggling to survive, and every shop, kiosk, or building often represents the entire livelihood of a family. Offa, being historically renowned for its commerce and enterprise, deserves a logical and carefully thought-out model of development that balances growth with protection of livelihoods.
We cannot forget the bitter experience of traders and families along Taiwo Road in Offa, where shops were demolished in the name of “road expansion.” At the end, the road was not expanded as promised; in fact, it was reduced in width and still andandoned larger section till now while the shops—sources of survival for countless households—were destroyed and left in ruins. That singular act stands as a painful reminder of how government projects can sometimes turn into deliberate acts of wickedness against the people.
It is in this context that we demand full details for the sudden marking of structures along Olofa Way for demolition within just 72 hours. Citizens have the right to know: What exactly is the purpose of this demolition? Is there a clearly defined rehabilitation project? Is the Federal Government involved, since Olofa Way is a federal road linking states? Without these answers, the notice remains hasty, inconsiderate, and unlawful in the court of public opinion.
Kwara Government must learn to practice governance with a human face. The people who elected you deserve respect, transparency, and sensitivity in policy execution. Development should never come at the cost of survival. Forcing citizens into despair by stripping away their only means of livelihood is a dangerous path—it breeds anger, frustration, and the temptation of crime. A government that ignores this reality risks fueling insecurity and undermining the very peace it seeks to protect.
The call is simple: Communicate clearly, respect the people, and carry them along in development plans. Offa deserves better, and Kwara deserves leaders who balance growth with humanity.
