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Tag: Oyo government

  • Oyo denies knowledge of demolition of Ayefele’s music house

    The Oyo State Government on Monday denied demolishing the music house of gospel musician, Yinka Ayefele, in Ibadan.

    The state government, through its counsel, Mr Yomi Alliyu, made the denial when he appeared before Justice Iyabo Yerima of the State High Court, Ring Road, Ibadan, on Monday.

    Alliyu appeared for the first and second defendants, Gov. Abiola Ajimobi and Mr Bola Abimbola (State Attorney-General), in a case instituted by Ayefele against the defendants.

    The counsel said his clients were shocked to read about the reported demolition on Sunday morning.

    According to him, the state government is planning to set up a panel of enquiry to find out those responsible for the demolition.

    ”My clients are men of honour that respect rule of law and constituted authority and will have no reason to demolish the said property,” he told the court.

    Alliyu, who had earlier denied that his clients were served with court processes, quickly reversed himself when the judge showed him evidence of actual service on the first and second respondents.

    Read Also: Oyo government demolishes Ayefele’s Music House

    The defence counsel, however, urged the court to adjourn the case pending the time the claimant would be able to file and serve his clients with notice of the ex-parte motion since the court was on vacation.

    He said that filing of motion on notice and letter of urgency alone by the claimant was not enough.

    But the claimant’s counsel, Mr Olayinka Bolanle, had informed the court that the respondents had gone ahead to demolish the structure in spite of a court’s restraining order

    “Even after the defendants had become aware of this proceedings, it is sad and unbelievable my Lord that the defendants in the wee hours of Sunday, Aug 19, went to the property in dispute and demolished it,” he told the court.

    The claimant’s counsel urged the court to reiterate its earlier order restraining the defendants from further demolition of the rest of the structure pending the determination of the suit.

    Justice Yerima adjourned the case until Sept. 12 for hearing of applications and urged parties to file necessary processes before the adjourned date.

  • Oyo government demolishes Ayefele’s Music House

    A crowd of sympathisers gathered as the popular Music House, owned by music artiste, Yinka Ayefele was brought down by bulldozer in Ibadan, Oyo State in the early hours of Sunday.

    Ayefele had cried out last week, of the intention of the Governor Abiola Ajimobi-led government to demolish the building, citing political motive as reason.

    But the Oyo State government revisited a long time decision to remove the building which houses the popular Fresh FM studio, saying it was responsible for three accidents that occurred on the road in the last nine months.

    Sympathisers cried and cursed as the property, estimated to cost over N800m was brought down.

    The Oyo State government had on Wednesday explained that the demolition notice to Music House, Fresh Fm 105.9, Ibadan was not based on sentiments or witch-hunting, saying that contravention notices were served to different organisations in the state since June 14, 2017 including all radio stations in the state.

    The government in a statement by the State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun said that the state government observed that property owners in the state are deviating from the originally approved building plans without seeking physical planning approvals from the Oyo State Bureau of Physical Planning and Development Control.

    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 institutiuons 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, saying that the government recently demolished several banks ATM extension and some local government structures in the state.

    The government’s spokesman said that the letter to Fresh Fm was received by one Bamiduro Aderonke and a reminder letter dated August 18, 2017 was sent to the radio station to again request for the planning approval/permit for the Radio Station in line with the Oyo State Physical and Development Control laws in which the radio station was expected to forward the approved Building plan to the Bureau within seven days, noting that a copy of the letter was received by Adebisi Akinfunmi on August 21, 2017.

    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, stating that the submitted approval from Music House deviated from the approved plan which effect 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.

    He added that a physical inspection was carried out on June 25, 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.

    The Commissioner said that a letter was sent to Music house on June 29, 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 said that the deviant posture of the radio station prompted the Bureau to serve a three day Demolition Notice on August 13, 2018 which expired on August 15, 2018.

    However, the station is back on air from its backup facility.

    The incident was a calamity for the wheel chair singer who lost both legs in a ghastly auto crash 21 years ago on December 12, 1997.

  • Oyo suspends payment of over 16,000 staff salaries

    Oyo State Government has suspended the payment of 16,532 employees due to irregularities that was discovered during the state employee verification exercise.

    This was discovered after a forensic computerised data audit for 100,250 workers in the state by Nigeria Interbank Settlement Systems Plc (NIBSS), conducted in all the state Ministries, Department and Agencies (MGAs) and state and local government workers.

    The Secretary to Oyo State Government, Alhaji Olalekan Alli, disclosed this on Tuesday while addressing journalists alongside the Head of Service, Soji Eniade and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication and Strategy, Yomi Layinka on the outcome of the employee verification exercise.

    He said the verification exercise was not intended to witch-hunt the workers but to eliminate fraud in the government payroll system by ensuring that only identified, deserving and regular employees receive salaries.

    He said, “ NIBSS after their audit discovered “5,795 employees with mismatched names, 4371 employees’ banks account with no Bank Verification Number (BVN),3,635 invalid employees’ bank accounts,  1,665 employees that have passed retirement age and 645 employees with multiple salary into multiple accounts, among others.”

    “In all, 16,532 employees out of a total 100,250 analysed were found to have such issues requiring further clarification. Government has decided that the salaries of the 16,532 employees as noted be immediately suspended immediately pending further investigation. In effect they have only been identified as having issues requiring further clarification.

    “Indeed, panel is being set up by the Governor to create a platform for these categories of workers to present and explain their special circumstances. Those who successfully do so will of course get back on the authentic government’s payroll, while those who fail will obviously have to be thrown out,” Alli said

     

     

  • Boko Haram: Oyo summons stakeholders’ security meeting

    Following the Boko Haram insurgency rocking the northern part of the country, the Oyo State Government on Tuesday summoned an enlarged security stakeholders’ meeting to further strengthen security in the state against any attack.

    Declaring the meeting open at Western Hall Secretariat, Ibadan, the Secretary to the state Government, Mr. Ishmael Olalekan Alli, said Governor Abiola Ajimobi resolved to organise the meeting because of his belief in the need to discharge constitutional obligations to the people of the state.

    According to him, the need is further heightened by the numerous security challenges bedeviling the country.

    He lamented that the lives of innocent people are being lost on a daily basis to Boko Haram and other forms of insurgency in the north.

    He said: “In view of this great threat to the security of our nation, I believe this meeting is crucial as it would afford us the opportunity of addressing these issues and proffer suitable solutions.

    “Also the meeting will allow participants to be informed on the necessary steps to prevent the Boko Haram insurgency, incidents of armed robbery, kidnapping and any form of threat to peace in Oyo State.”