Residents of Ungwan Dallatu in Gusau, Zamfara, on Saturday protested against the relocation of artisans and auto mechanics to a piece of land earmarked for a community school.

The residents, who blocked the major road leading to the community and location, an abandoned Gusau Local Government secretariat project, carried placards with various inscriptions in Hausa language.

Some of the placards read: “We will not allow mechanics and iron benders to an area we asked for a primary school for our children”;

“We shall not harbour nuisance, motor mechanics, auto paint sellers and dealers of used iron materials to this area”.

Secretary of the community, Bashiru Mohammed, told reporters that relocating these categories of businessmen to their community will increase crime rate.

The state government relocated the artisans (mechanics, auto paint dealers and dealers of second hand iron materials) from an area that’s opposite the Government House in Gusau.

The land was designated for the construction of Gusau local government secretariat during the administration of former Governor Mahmuda Shinkafi.

The secretary recalled that the project was later abandoned midway and the building later became a hideout for hoodlums.

He said three communities; Ungwan Dallatu, Ungwan Yerima and Barakallahu, do not have primary and secondary  schools within their neighbourhood.

He said this was the reason they requested the state government to establish schools for their children on the said portion of land.

“While we were waiting for the state government to respond to our request letters, we suddenly saw staff of the Zamfara State Urban and Regional Planning Board, ZUREP, who came and handed over the land to mechanics, paint sellers and dealers in second hand iron materials,” Mr Mohammed lamented.

Reacting to the development, Special Adviser to Governor Bello Mutawalle on Urban and Regional Planning, Anas Abdullahi, said ZUREP relocated the artisans temporarily pending when it would allocate a permanent place for them.

Mr Abdullahi appealed to the community to be calm and law-abiding, promising that the state government will provide schools for them.

He assured the community that the artisans would not harbour hoodlums or become a nuisance in the area.

(NAN)