By; ABDULL-AZEEZ AHMED KADIR, Kaduna
Civil Servants in Kaduna State are weeping with traumatic consequences due to forceful eviction from government quarters by the state government with as little as few hours notice.
Some of the affected workers who spoke to New Nigerian Newspapers said they were at work only to be called by their wives and informed of the eviction team with order to remove their belongings as they want to lock the houses.
As of the time of filling this report, three staff of the office of the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Alhaji Balarabe Lawal were affected with one of the victim’s wife seen moving her belonging out of the resident to her parents house in tears as she claimed they have no where to go.
Sources within said the state government came up with a policy that certain houses can not be occupied by civil servants below level 16 contrary to civil service rule that stipulates that civil servants from level 8 and above are entitle to such accomodations.
They also revealed that some houses were designated “GRA” even though they sorounded and actually in slums, with the state government claiming junior civil servants were not supposed to be allotted such house but only for senior civil servants. This, they said is not true and unusual as some old civil servants of their level occupied such houses until their retirement age or service exit year.
“Infact, these are houses built since the era of Sir Ahmadu Bello. Now what we are being told is that the government wants to sell the houses to the highest bidder, instead of selling to those of us occupying the houses. And this means that they will sell to politicians and business men who are the money bags”, one of them said almost in tears.
Calls placed to the State Commissioner, Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport, Usman Mahmud Hassan under whose supervision the eviction is taking effect were not answered and he was said not be in the office twice when our reporter went to the ministry.
Same with Samuel Aruwan, media aide to Governor Nasir Ahmad el-rufai who neither replied the short messages (sms) sent to him on the issue.
But a source in the Governor’s office said it was a Council decision, though there was no legal backing as the action negates the civil service rule on accommodation, no bill was sent to the House of Assembly to that effect.
The SSG, Lawal Balarabe and the Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport Usman Mahmud Hassan are said to be masterminds and implementers of the act after convincing the Governor.
Some of those affected said they were given as little as an hour to move their belongings out as the committee for the eviction goes around with Operation Yaki vans loaded with armed Policemen who ensured the workers were ejected, their belongings removed and the houses locked and keyed.
This is as some of them even said they made frantic efforts to reach stakeholders to save them and their families from the harsh and embarrassing situations that expose them to all sorts of hardship all to no avail.
“This is the first time a democratically elected government in Kaduna State would make civil servants face this type of horrendous condition. And to say the money for the houses are deducted monthly from our salaries, as we are not living in the houses free just as we have letters of authority alloting the houses to us. This is the height of wickedness.
“Only God can reward each and everyone for his action or inaction on this issue. But for us civil servants in Kaduna State, this is the worst of times for us and we are on our kneels with hands raised to God” another evicted victim said with teary eyes amidst family members hurriedly salvaging their property.
Note; New Nigerian Newspapers hide the identity of the victims to protect them from further victimisation.
