The wife of Adamawa State Governor, Lami Fintiri, and 33 other shop owners whose properties along Hospital Road and Target Junction were demolished have received a total of N673m in compensation.

Reacting to allegations that the demolition was an act of political vendetta, the Commissioner for Information, Mr Leader Leneke, told The PUNCH in an exclusive interview that the exercise was carried out in the public interest.

“The First Lady’s shop was also demolished. The shop of the immediate past chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Shehu Tahir, was demolished.

“The shop belonging to the mother of the state coordinator of ACReSAL, Ibrahim Chinda, was demolished. The shop of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mrs Laori Kwamoti, was also demolished.

So where is the political vendetta?” he asked.

Leneke said about 89 per cent of those whose shops were demolished were serving in Governor Ahmadu Fintiri’s administration.

“Now, the governor has also ordered the demolition of the state headquarters of the Urban Planning and Development office for the expansion of the project. Those alleging political vendetta should explain what they have to say about that,” he added.

According to him, the governor had initially approved an alternative site along Numan Road for the project, but the promoters insisted that the proposed Mother and Child Specialist Hospital must be located in the city centre for security and accessibility.

“The government had no option but to commit substantial resources to compensate owners for the only available space within the state capital,” he said.

The commissioner explained that the compensation was intended to enable the affected business owners to relocate and continue their businesses at locations of their choice.

Leneke dismissed the allegations of political vendetta as “empty propaganda” by “jobless and frustrated politicians,” maintaining that the Fintiri administration remained focused on serving the people rather than responding to political distractions.

The demolished shops were allocated during the administration of former Governor Jibrilla Bindow.

A senior official of the Urban Planning and Development Authority, who spoke to The PUNCH on condition of anonymity, alleged that the allocation of the shops violated the city’s master plan.

“According to the plan, the area was designated as a green park for children’s recreation and relaxation, not for commercial shops,” the official said.