Popular musician, Yinka Ayefele, has sued the Oyo State Government over the planned demolition of his Music House, a sprawling structure housing his r
Popular musician, Yinka Ayefele, has sued the Oyo State Government over the planned demolition of his Music House, a sprawling structure housing his radio station, Fresh FM, alleging witch hunt. The Oyo State government had marked the structure located on the Challenge-Toll Gate road for demolition for allegedly contravening the state ’s planning laws. Yinka Ayefele had approached an Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan seeking to stop the planned demolition. Ayefele’s counsel, Mr Olayinka Bolanle, in an exparte motion, filed before the court, sought for an order of the court restraining the state government from demolishing the property pending the determination of the suit. Bolanle also stated that due process was followed in the construction of the structure while relevant approvals were obtained from the state’s departments and agencies associated with land and housing. Justice I. Yerima, however, ordered the claimant to ensure service of the court process on the respondent and adjourned the case till Monday for the hearing of the exparte motion. Yinka Ayefele’s Fresh FM demolition not act of witchhunt – Oyo Government
However the Oyo State Government on Wednesday explained that the demolition notice given to Yinka Ayefele was not based on sentiment or witch-hunting. The government while insisting that such contravention notices have been given and served to different organizations in the state since June 14, 2017 including all radio stations in the state, added that the decision to demand for approval plan was not peculiar to the radio station. Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun in a statement said that the state government observed that property owners in the state were deviating from the originally approved building plans without seeking physical planning approvals from the Oyo State Bureau of Physical Planning and Development Control. Arulogun stated that “the decision of the state government to demand for the building approved plan was not peculiar to Music House, Fresh Fm as several companies and institutiuons such as University of Ibadan, Kola Daisi University, University College Hospital, banks and radio stations in the state were asked to provide their Planning approval.”
He added that the government recently demolished several banks ATM extension and some local government structures in the state. He said that the letter to Fresh FM was received by one Bamiduro Aderonke and a reminder letter dated 18thAugust 2017 was sent to the radio station to again request for the planning approval/permit for the Radio Station in line with the Oyo State Physical and Development Control laws in which the radio station was expected to forward the approved Building plan to the Bureau within seven days, noting that a copy of the letter was received by Adebisi Akinfunmi on the 21st of August 2017. Arulogun said that the submitted building approval was actually meant for an office complex and not a radio station, thereby contravening the Oyo State Physical Planning and Development Control laws, sections 30, 31 and 32 of the Oyo State Physical Planning and Urban Development Law of 2012. He stated that the submitted approval from Music House deviated from the approved plan, which makes the approval null and void because deceitful information was given to the approving authority and also deviation from the approval granted both in construction and use.
He added that a physical inspection was carried out on the 25th of June 2018 to ascertain the extent of the deviation from the approval where it was discovered that apart from the change in use of the building, spatial standards in terms of setback, airspace and parking spaces were found to be grossly inadequate. He maintained that a letter was sent to the station on 29th of June, 2018 to submit a fresh building plan application that will reflect the existing structures on site, noting that the radio house deliberately ignored the letter as there was no response from their end till date. He however said that the deviant posture of the radio station prompted the Bureau to serve a three day Demolition Notice on the 13th August 2018 which expired on the 15th August 2018”. Arulogun said that the government had also received petitions subsequent upon three fatal accidents that occurred around Music house in the last nine months, as the petitioners urged the government to look at the physical structure of the organization in relation to the dual carriage way which lends itself easily to accidents. He emphasised that the government will do the needful and follow due process in accordance with the laws of the land but will not dignify or elevate the tantrums of Music House, Fresh FM.
