My Late Father Would’ve Been Devastated To See His House Demolished – Gbemi Saraki

The Minister of State for Transportation, Mrs. Gbemisola Saraki has blasted the demolition of Ile Arugbo, her family’s political home by saying the governor is using security agencies to settle political scores between himself and her family.

Mrs. Gbemi, who is in the same ruling party with the governor, disclosed that the way the house was brought down pained her and Gov AbdulRazak did not treat the innocent and defenceless aged women who were against the move well at all.

She then urged Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu to caution Commissioner of Police in Kwara State.

Her words, “I call upon the Inspector-General of Police to caution the state Commissioner of Police. Using security agencies and live ammunition to settle political and personal scores is not what the Buhari administration is about. We must stand up against vindictive politics, driven by envy, motivated by jealousy and practised without integrity.”

Again, as a loyal and dedicated daughter of my father, Dr Abubakar Olusola Saraki, whom I hold in very high esteem, I did not want to express my opinion on the propriety of the governor’s recent political actions as it would be seen as biased because the late Waziri is my father. However, given the turn of events and the violent nature of the governor’s position, it is only right for me to speak now.

“There might have been some elements within my party, the APC, who wanted to change the ‘Otoge’ (It is enough!) narrative of the 2019 elections to be about the Sarakis, and not about what it was — the removal of a failing PDP administration.

“But clearly, by some recent steps taken, especially with Thursday’s actions, the Kwara State APC must be careful to not allow a few elements with their own agenda, other than governance, to turn their personal vendetta into the official position of the APC in the state. They must not be allowed to hijack the narrative of what our party stands for.”

“At the end of the day, what is on that land is nothing — no block of flats that the family is getting rent from; no office building, no factory, or any other commercial venture. Just a bungalow where the old women gather and get their basic needs attended to.

“Nonetheless, were my father alive today, surely, he would have been saddened to see bulldozers in Ile Arugbo. However, I am comforted by the knowledge that my father’s good work and his respect, support and love for the aged, which was sadly lacking in the governor’s activities on Thursday, simply cannot be erased by demolishing a bungalow.”