Why Oyo government demolished my radio station, by Ayefele

State govt denies demolishing music house

The popular gospel musician, Yinka Ayefele, has described the demolition of the part of his “Music House” which houses his Fresh FM Radio Station by the Oyo State Government as a punishment for allowing ordinary people opportunity to speak truth to the power.

He also said the demolition exercise was politically-motivated and he would not seek political solution to the crisis.The musician, who said he was on hospital bed when the state government carried out the exercise on Sunday morning, said his wife was with the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, till 3:00 a.m. on Saturday pleading with him not to demolish the property.

Meanwhile, counsel to Ajimobi, Chief Yomi Aliyu (SAN), had said the government was not aware of the much-publicised demolition.When Justice Iyabo Yerima of the Ring Road High Court told Ajimobi’s lawyer that she was aware of the demolition of the Music House, he quickly quipped that: “If your Lordship is aware of the demolition, we are not aware.

“If it has been done, it is the worst thing that can happen to anybody. We don’t know who did it. The first and second defendants, Ajimobi and the state Attorney-General, are not aware of it.”

But outside the court-room, the Director-General of the Physical Planning and Development Control, who heads the Physical Planning Unit of the government, Alhaji Waheed Gbadamosi, at a press conference held in the Film Theatre of the Ministry of Information yesterday, reeled out the alleged lapses of Ayefele in not acceding to the demands of the town planning authorities on the regularisation of his town planning documents on the disputed building.

According to Gbadamosi, due process was followed in the partial demolition of the music house, adding: “No court order restrained it from carrying out its statutory role in public interest.”

The claimant’s counsel, Chief Bolanle Olayinka, however expressed dismay at Aliyu’s assertion on the demolition, describing it as ridiculous.He said despite the pendency of the matter, the state government went ahead to carry out the threat contained in the three-day notice served on the property by demolishing it in the wee hours of Sunday.However, Justice Yerima has adjourned the case till September 13, 2018 for hearing of applications and urged parties to file necessary processes before the adjourned date.