Reasons behind stalled Emir palace pavilion project – Kwara govt

Kwara State Government, through the State Geographic Information Service (GIS) has again disclosed the rationale behind the stoppage of the proposed Pavilion project at the Emir’s palace which was facilitated by the senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District Saliu Mustapha.

It would be recalled that Senator Mustapha had previously announced the project during one of Ilorin’s programs where dignitaries were in attendance

Meanwhile, in February 2025, The Informant247 reported that officials of the Kwara State Town Planning and Development Authority, accompanied by security personnel, ordered the stoppage of the ongoing construction ofSulu-Gambari Pavilion.

The Kwara State Geographical Information Service (KWGIS) had explained that it stopped the project because the Federal Ministry of Agriculture had not sought or secured any approval for the ongoing construction of the Sulu-Gambari Pavilion.

The senator who facilitated the project subsequently advised the contractor to correct the oversight and apply for the necessary permit, ensuring that the work complies with the relevant governmental authorities’ directives.

However, ESV. Abdulkareem Babatubde Sulyman, the Executive Chairman, KWGIS, while giving a breakdown of the reasons the proposed pavilion was halted in a statement signed on Thursday, said that the project “at no time was any approval sought nor any given before the contractor illegally embarked on the construction work at the site. This is a grave offence under the law, which attracts 200% penalty. The Service does not tolerate such behaviour under whatever guise, hence the stoppage of work on the second day it started, February 7, 2025.”

The statement furthered that KWGIS “acknowledges that it received a set of incomplete documents from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security with a cover letter from the Ilorin Emirates Council That was a single document out of many others.”

“Acknowledging that the said proposed pavilion is a constituency project to be funded by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Service had since written to the client Ministry requesting it to supply all relevant documents that ought to accompany the request for statutory approval. This is a matter of law.

“The Service’s letter is dated March 12. It was acknowledged by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security on April 7, 2025.

“It is not true that the Service has received any further correspondences providing the documents required to process the request for approval. For the avoidance of doubt, the documents being awaited from the client Ministry included (but not limited to): detailed survey plan; locational plan; block plan with detail dimensions, specifications and setbacks to the adjoining roads and properties; site analysis; parking lots plan; sewage system plans; drainage system plans; fire safety plan; storm water management plan; M & E drawings; soil test; environmental management plan; environmental impact assessment; and geophysical examination report.

“As of today, Thursday, May 8, 2025, the Service has not received any response from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, or anyone for that matter, furnishing us with the required documents to process the approval.

“The Service is not empowered under the law to issue statutory approvals where conditions precedent have not been fulfilled. This is to prevent any untoward happenings afterwards.

The Informant247 reports that two months after the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, formally sought approval from the Kwara State Government for the construction of a contentious ultra-modern pavilion bearing his name, the state government is yet to approve his applications.

The proposed structure, which has been at the centre of controversy, was facilitated by Senator Saliu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly.

According to the senator’s executive aide, Barrister Abdulkareem Alabi, the Emir submitted a formal letter to the Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KW-GIS) on March 3, 2025, seeking official consent for the project.

Mr. Alabi disclosed this on Wednesday during a live broadcast of Oro Ilu, a flagship current affairs program aired on Sobi FM in Ilorin.

“His Royal Highness personally forwarded the request alongside the architectural design over two months ago, but there has been no formal response from the relevant government agency,” Mr. Alabi added.

He clarified that the motivation behind the pavilion is to provide a permanent alternative to the recurring use of rented tents during the annual Ilorin Durbar festival.

He noted that the initiative is intended to enhance the cultural and architectural landscape of the Emir’s palace, not to advance any political interest.

The senator’s aide also stated that the project was included in the 2024 federal budget—not the speculated 2025 budget—through the efforts of Senator Mustapha, and emphasized that it is entirely community-focused

He added that the state risks losing the project, as the funds could be forfeited in line with the provisions of Section 29(1) and Section 38(a) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, which mandate that all unspent budgetary allocations be returned to the Consolidated Revenue Fund by the end of the fiscal year and also bar the rollover of unused capital.

He further explained that the proposed location of the pavilion sits on land historically tied to Sheikh Solihu Alimi—the progenitor of the Ilorin Emirate—and is therefore under the jurisdiction of the Emirate Council.

The project’s suspension by KW-GIS had earlier generated quiet tension among stakeholders. While the government argued procedural irregularities, the senator’s supporters described it as politically motivated.