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The Oyo State Government on Monday reiterated that due process was followed in the partial demolition of Music House which belongs to popular gospel musician, Yinka Ayefele.
The government restated that the building which houses Fresh FM 105.9 contravened the planning laws of the state, which the organization was duly informed through several correspondences.
The Special Adviser to Governor Ajimobi on Physical Planning and Development Control, who heads the Physical Planning Unit of the government, Mr Waheed Gbadamosi at a press conference held at the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism said that the government gave ample opportunity for Music House to regularize its building plan which became null and void the moment the organisation began to add extensions to the original plan to run its radio station.
Gbadamosi, who was at the parley with the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Seun Abimbola, the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun and the Special Adviser Communication and Strategy to Governor Ajimobi, Mr. Bolaji Tunji explained that during the joint inspection visit to the organization by the Oyo State Government officials and Music house officials on June 25, 2018, the followng were observed:
1. The building size measured 29.7 metres by 21.6 metres on ground as against the 11.925metres by 10.20metres in the survey plan/building plan submitted by Music House.
2. The building has encroached into the sight distance of the Y junction along Lagelu Estate.
3. Kitchen/canteen is attached to the wall fence
4. Toilets also attached to the wall fence
5. Store is also attached to the wall fence
6. Power house attached to the wall fence
7. Mast erected is not in the plan
8 Spiral Staircase on site is not included in the plan
9 The basement of the plan has been converted to an event centre
According to Gbadamosi, on June 29, 2018, a letter was sent to Music House to come and regularize its building plan. He said demolition notices were then sent to the organisation when they failed to respond to the earlier request for the submission of AS – Built Plan for approval
Tracing the genesis of the long conversation the governemt tried to establish with Ayefele and his organisation following the establishment of the radio station without physical planning permit and approval, Gbadamosi said: “On May 19, 2017, letters demanding for planning approval were sent to various institutions including University College Hospital, Kola Daisi University, University of Ibadan and other institutions and organisatons. On June 14, 2017, request for approval was sent to Music House and 22 other radio stations in Oyo State.
“On August 18, 2017 reminder letter was sent to Music House and the letter was received by Adebisi Akinkunmi. On August 25, 2017 we went a step further to send a letter to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) titled Operation of Radio Stations without Physical Planning permit/Aprroval in Oyo State. Few months later, precisely November 27, 2017, another letter was sent to NBC complaining about Physical Planning Law and Regulations by the Radio station owners, developers and operators.
“We got a response from NBC on December 4, 2017 and NBC said that the issue is outside its mandate. This is to show that the action of the state government is not to witch-hunt anyone as we even reported the radio stations to NBC. We also wrote to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on some banks 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.
“Music house submitted a building plan on June 14, 2018 which necessitated the joint inspection visit we carried out on June 25, 2018. It was discovered that it was meant to be an office complex and not a radio station among some other infractions including a building size measured 29.7 metres by 21.6 metres on ground as against the 11.925metres by 10.20metres in the survey plan/building plan submitted by Music House”
He said that the building plan from Music House deviated from the approved plan which made 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.