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Oyo Govt Contradicts Lawyer, Claims Responsibility For Demolition Of Ayefele’s Music House

The State, through Waheed Gbadamosi, Special Adviser to the Governor on Physical Planning and Development Control,maintained that the building contravenes its approved plan.

The Oyo State Government has claimed responsibility for the demolition of Yinka Ayefele’s Music House, hours after its counsel told a court in Ibadan, capital of the state, that the state government was not responsible for the demolition.

The demolition of Ayefele’s Music House was carried out despite a restraining court order, but the State, through Waheed Gbadamosi, Special Adviser to the Governor on Physical Planning and Development Control, who heads the Physical Planning Unit of the government, maintained that the building contravenes its approved plan.

Gbadamosi addressed a press conference after Chief Yomi Alliyu (SAN), who is representing the state in the suit filed against it by Yinka Ayefele, claimed in court that the state government did not demolish the building.

Alliyu had also denied that the government was served a court order by the musician, asserting that a dead person collected and stamped the court notice.

Few hours after the court proceeding, Gbadamosi addressed journalists and affirmed that the state government carried the musician along in its process before the demolition.

Giving a timeline, he said a letter was sent to the management of the Music House on May 19, 2017 demanding the planning approval. Same was also sent to various institutions, including the University College Hospital (UCH), Kola Daisi University, University of Ibadan and other institutions and organisatons.

It added that a request for approval was sent to the Music House and 22 other radio stations in Oyo State on June 14, 2017 while a reminder was sent on August 18, 2017.

He said: “On 14th June, 2017, a request for approval was sent to Music House and 22 other radio stations in Oyo State. On 18th August, 2017, a reminder letter was sent to the Music House and the letter was received by Adebisi Akinkunmi.”

Gbadamosi also mentioned that the state wrote the National Broadcasting Commission complaining about Physical Planning Law and Regulations by the radio station owners, developers and operators and the commission replied on August 4, 2017, saying the issue is outside its mandate.

The commissioner further said during an inspection on June 25, 2018, it discovered that “the building size measured 29.7 metres by 21.6 metres on ground as against the 11.925metres by 10.20metres in the approved survey plan/building plan as submitted by Music House".

"The building has encroached into the sight distance of the Y junction along Lagelu Estate," he said.

According to the commissioner, other buildings in the Music House not in the approved plan are kitchen/canteen, toilets, store and power-house, which are all attached to the wall fence.

“Mast erected is not in the plan; spiral staircase on site is not included in the plan; the basement of the plan has been converted to an event centre. All these were not in the approved plan,” he stated.

The state government also noted that demolition notices were sent when they failed to respond to the earlier request for the submission of AS-Built Plan for approval.

The Music House, which houses Fresh FM, was demolished in the early hours of Sunday, August 19, 2018.