Yesterday, we brought you the story of Gosple Tungba maestro,
Yinka Ayefele’s N200 million House of Music, that has been earmarked for
demolition by the Oyo state government.
The singer who is still devastated by the turn of events has
explained that he obtained all the required approvals from various
authorities before he erected the edifice. He expressed dismay that the
property situated on the land he duly purchased from the Ibadan
Properties Company was marked for demolition.
“I will never go against the law. I’m not a novice who doesn’t know
what step back is. We complied with the required set back according to
the law. You see if you are looking at the house from a far it will look
as if the roadis bent a bit which could make one to think the house is
on the main road but if you get to thefront of the house you will see
that the house is located far from the main road. We complied with the
required 10 metersstep back to the main road. This road is a Federal
Government existing road; it is not new or recently proposed road. The
Federal Housing Authority approved it, we also did the certain meters
of stepback to the existing main road but now that the government wants
to extend the road, well, no problem with that. There are ways to it.
There are other areas in the same locality that can be used. Baba
Arisekola’s filling station is close by too and the demolitionplan is
far from it, it does not affect it.”
The singer said as at yesterday Monday 8, 2012, he was yet to be
served with any letter or notice to the effect that his building would
be demolished.
“ All I saw was just this X mark in red this morning on the building.
I have never been written or told by anybody that the building will be
demolished. Besides, since I learnt about this, I have been broken down
since yesterday. I’m down, troubled; in fact I cannot concentrate on
my next studio album since I heard the news that the House of Music has
been marked for demolition. This is my sweat over the years and I’m
appealing to Governor Ajimobi and the good people of Oyo State to look
into this matter all over again. I believe there is a way out.”
Asked if he had pulled his influence as a prominent musician to have
the ears of influential Oyo State indigenes to get the government to
reverse the decision, he said.
“I think the best I can do is what I’m doing now and I’m appealing to
the Governor to look at it all over again. I know there is a way
out.This is all I have sweated for and I can never be the same if it’s
demolished. Not even any form of compensation can appeaseme or make me
happy. The building if I want to estimate is worth N200million but the
compensation is not on my mind.”
There were speculations that Ayefele, though a gospel artiste was
perceived as a supporter of the former governor of Oyo State, Chief
AlaoAkala. Could the planned demolition have political intonation? “I
don’t think so. I’m not a politician, I’m an artiste. I don’t have
problem with anybody and with due respect I don’t think Governor Ajimobi
is thinking like that. Yes, it’s about urban development of the city
but I know if the matter is looked into critically the building will be
exempted. We carried all due diligence when we wanted to put up the
structure and the records are there.
Ayefelewho also dispelled reports that he had an eye surgery
recently, hinted that he personally bought the piece of land the House
of Music is erected contrary to insinuations thatit was given to him by
Ibadan-based business mogul and Are Musulumi of Yorubaland,
AlhajiAlaoArisekola. “Don’t mind those reports. I never had an eye
surgery. It was a journalist’s thought. It was (name withheld),he said
he wanted to make some sales and I don’t think it’s fair enough.
On the land, he said: “I actually bought the land from the Ibadan
Properties Company. I have all my papers to that effect. But it’s very
painful that after I erected the building I have moved from one matter
to the other. Do you know that for the past two years I have been in
court over the land? Though the Ibadan Properties Company insisted they
have no issues with the OmoOnile(land speculators) but we have been in
court since. Just three months ago, I took it upon myself to settle
amicably with the Omoonile(land speculators). I paid themoff
justrecently andnow the demolition matter came up. I can only appeal to
Governor Ajimobi to please consider the fact this all I have labored for
all my life. This is my sweat.”
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