Oyo State Governor, Ajimobi meets Yinka Ayefele, sets up committee on demolition

The Oyo State Governor , Abiola Ajimobi, on Thursday , met the owner of Fresh FM , Yinka Ayefele, over the demolition of the radio station on Sunday morning.

The building was partly demolished by the state government over contravention of the state ’s physical planning rule and the inability of Ayefele to provide the relevant documents when asked to do so .

The governor immediately after the meeting set up a panel to look into the demolition .
The governor said the demolition was neither a witch- hunt nor politically motivated , insisting that it was due to the contravention of the state’s property laws .

Ajimobi described Ayefele as a good man and a responsible citizen , stressing that the next step was to find a compassionate means of resolving the issue . He also urged Ayefele to ensure that his radio station embraced ethical reportage of the issue .

The Alaafin of Oyo , Oba Lamidi Adeyemi , who was at the Governor ’s Office in company with some monarchs, also pleaded with the Ajimobi to resolve the impasse .
Earlier , Ayefele had stated that his office responded to all the letters forwarded to it by the state government.

He expressed regrets at not being able to see the governor , adding that the emissaries he sent failed to deliver his messages .

Ayefele stated that he remained a law - abiding citizen who was ready to comply with the regulations of the state government .

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BREAKING - Oyo State Government demolishes Yinka Ayefele’s Radio Station

The Oyo State Government early on Sunday morning stormed the Music House from which the Fresh FM belonging to artiste, Yinka Ayefele, operated .

Government bulldozers arrived the Challenge area of Ibadan where the building was located and pulled it down. The government carried out the demolition despite a court injunction secured by Ayefele restraining the government from carrying out the exercise .

The government said that the building contravened physical planning rules , while Ayefele claimed that all the necessary papers were obtained for the construction of the building.
Hundreds of sympathisers were seen at the scene of the demolition , with many of them crying and pleading for the station to be spared .

Recounting the Sunday morning incident, Ayefele said, “We only got wind of the operation sound of the bulldozer . On stepping out to verify what was actually happening, the bulldozer had hit the gate.
“At that point , it dawned on us that they were from the state government.

“At that point, we were confused and we ’re just shouting to alert other staff on duty . ”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the state government had marked the structure located on the Challenge- Toll Gate Road for demolition for allegedly contravening the state ’s planning laws .
But 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 ex parte motion filed before the court , sought 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 ordered the claimant to ensure service of the court process on the respondent and adjourned the case till Monday , August 20 , for the hearing of the ex parte motion .
However, on Sunday morning, the state government demolished the structure located on the Challenge-Toll Gate dual carriageway .
Eye witnesses told NAN that bulldozers moved in at about 4 . 30 a. m . to commence the demolition exercise , while Fresh FM alerted the public on the development.
The government officials who carried out the demolition have since left the scene, along with the bulldozers.

NAN reports that the radio station has since been off air, while a huge crowd gathered at the scene of the demolition as at the time of this report.

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Oyo State Government may demolish Yinka Ayefele’s radio station

The building housing a radio station and music studios belonging to a musician , Yinka Ayefele , is on the verge of being demolished by the Oyo State Government for contravening physical planning laws of the state .

A demolition notice with reference number TF 20181308/ 002 pasted on the wall of the building on the Lagos bypass, after Challenge bus stop in Ibadan by a task force officer from the state governor ’s office , said that the structure should be removed in three days and that failure to do so would warrant government action to remove the structure.

As contained in the notice , the grace granted by the government expired on Wednesday so the order could be carried out on Thursday (today ).
The notice , which was addressed to the owner , Ayefele, read , “Having failed to comply with the earlier stop work/ quit / contravention notice(s) served on your development or as your structure is found to be structurally defective / poses danger or constitutes a nuisance to the occupier or the general public, you are hereby ordered to vacate the site and remove the structure thereon within three days, failure of which the government shall effect the removal and commence legal action against you in accordance with Section 43 of the law . ”
Our correspondent gathered that the notice was the second sent to the owner of the radio station , Fresh FM , in 10 years . The building, which has four studios for radio broadcasting and music production , is said to worth around N 800 m . It is also understood that the station has a staff strength of 150 .
A news director at the station, Samson Akindele , wrote on his Facebook wall that in 2012 , the building was marked for demolition but was spared when Governor Abiola Ajimobi intervened .
Some sympathisers of the station and Ayefele said the building was targeted because of some of the programmes aired by the station , which were considered anti -government.

“Our dear governor even visited our studio about two years ago and appreciated the fact that he was not led into demolishing the building, paying glowing tributes to the aesthetics of the studios and the richness of our programming, some of the reasons he accepted our invitation to appear live on the special interview programme .
“He also clearly stated on that show that words had reached him that he should not allow the building to stand because Dr Yinka Ayefele was not a friend of his administration but he told them that someone who is not a friend today could (be ) one tomorrow.

Between then and now , what has changed? No new road being constructed or a road expansion being executed . But the relationship between Fresh FM and the state government has been anything but cordial, even as we have, on several occasions , acknowledged the giant strides of the administration in security and infrastructural developments, ” he said.
Reacting to the demolition notice, the state government, through the state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Toye Arulogun , said Ayefele’s building was only one of many others served .

[NEWS] Oyo State High Court nullifies installation of 21 kings by Governor Ajimobi

An Oyo State High Court presided over by Justice Olajumoke Aiki on Friday declared the review of the 1957 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration and other Related Chieftaincies in Ibadan land by the Justice Akintunde Boade Review Commission, which was set up by the Oyo State Government, as unconstitutional, illegal, null, void and of no effect.

The commission had recommended, among others, the creation of several monarchs in Ibadan which led to the installation of 21 kings by the state Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

But the Osi Olubadan of Ibadan land, Rashidi Ladoja, challenged the composition and recommendations of the commission in court, joining Ajimobi as co-defendant.

While delivering judgment, Aiki held that wearing of beaded crowns is beyond the purview of sections 10, 12 and 25 of the Oyo State Chiefs Law, stating that Section 25 of the Chiefs Law could not be treated in isolation to the provisions of Parts Two and Three of the Chiefs Laws.

The court also said provisions of Parts Two and Three of the Chiefs Laws, particularly sections 10, 12 and 25, did not give power to the governor to review the Olubadan chieftaincy declaration, while also restraining the government from accepting and implementing the reports of the commission.