Plan To Demolish Yinka Ayefele’s Music House Not Witch-Hunting Or Sentiment – OYSG

The Oyo State Government, OYSG, on Wednesday explained that the demolition notice given to the Music House, which accomodates Fresh FM, Ibadan, a private radio station owned by a popular Juju musician, Mr. Yinka Ayefele was not based on sentiment or witch-hunting.

But, 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.

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 institutions 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.

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”.

Adding 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, however 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”.