Fresh FM Demolition Notice landed me in hospital for five days – Yinka Ayefele

Agency ReporterAugust 20, 2018

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Contrary to insinuations that he dared the government by not responding to correspondents that eventually led to the partial demolition of Music House which houses his radio station, Fresh FM, popular gospel musician Yinka Ayefele, on Monday evening said he was hospitalised for five days when he received the notice from Oyo State Government to demolition his N800million worth building.

He said he was on hospital bed from Tuesday August 14, till Saturday August 18.

Speaking during a press conference at the hall located inside the partly demolished building, the gospel artiste disclosed that his wife was at the resident of the Oyo state governor Abiola Ajimobi, from around 11p.m on Saturday August 18, till round 4a.m Sunday August 19, pleading with the governor on her knees, not to allow the supposed demolition take effect.

He said, he couldn’t go on the mission with his wife as he was at the time recovering on his hospital bed.

Addressing the press conference, Ayefele in company of top officials of the organisation said: “Immediately, I got this demolition notice last week Monday, August 13, 2018, I started making moves on how we can overcome it. All I can see is the demolition taking place, after we have gone to court.

“They were served with the court processes on Thursday and the case was fixed for Monday August 20, which is today. But before today, we saw that they have carried out what they said they were coming to do.

“On Saturday, my wife was with the governor of Oyo State. My wife was on her knees for almost five hours with the governor around 11p.m till 4a.m, in the governor’s house. I was on my hospital bed because I have been down since Tuesday that I got the demolition letter.

“I would have followed them to the governor’s house, but I couldn’t go because I was on the hospital bed. So, I asked my wife to go there and solicit on my behalf. My wife was with the governor for almost five hours.

“The governor said she should not worry, everything would be settled, resolved. As a matter of fact, the governor gave my wife $1,000 and two other people that followed her to the place, he told them everything was over. What we saw was the demolition on Sunday morning.

“I don’t know precisely what went wrong. What has been my offence to deserve this? I have close to 200 people that work with me here, and all my labour, what I have laboured for, for over 20 years in pain, was just pulled down in minutes.

“So, I don’t know if there has been any way that I have wronged the government, I would have gone to beg or pray for forgiveness,” adding that he acted promptly on all the letters he received from the government and that before the demolition notice was served on him, he had asked for the way out and the government said “we should put up another plan for approval, which I told my architect to do. It is not a day job. It’s almost done when we get this demolition notice.

“As it stands, we are going to abide by the ruling of the court. Aside this, we are also suing the government for unlawful destruction of our properties. We have relocated our studio and Fresh FM is fully back on air. It is only NBC (National Broadcasting Commission) that can stop us from broadcasting. They can only try but they can’t succeed.”

Ayefele, however, insisted that he got approval from the government, saying: “In the approved plan of the music house, we requested an approval for a business complex, with proposed two studios, which was approved. This building is more than 10 years. Are you now saying that radio license, which costs several millions to obtain, is not a business venture?

“They also alleged that we contravened the town planning law. How? We waited for the government to finish their road expansion before erecting the metal fence. They have concluded the road finished the erosion control, gully before we decided to fence it around.

“We know this is beyond all the cook up stories. It is political and we are not seeking political solution to it. We believe we will get justice at the court as the last bastion of hope for the masses.”