- To Challenge Action In Court
By ‘Dotun Akintomide
The demolition of the Music House owned by Gospel-Juju music icon, Yinka Ayefele, in Ibadan on Sunday has made Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi to come under serious fire, as many Nigerians and groups continue to speak against the controversial development.
On Sunday, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide joined the plethora of voices who had lashed out at the Oyo government for taking the action.
SERAP, in a statement on Sunday signed by its deputy director, Timothy Adewale, condemned the “gross abuse of powers by the Oyo State government and governor Ajimobi against a radio station simply doing their job.”
SERAP insisted that the action was politically-motivated, patently arbitrary and entirely inconsistent with international human rights standards and national laws.
The organization said, “the destruction of a radio station on the grounds that the Oyo state government dislikes their work is a textbook case of repression of media freedom and violation of the right to adequate housing. The authorities must immediately stop the demolition, ensure appropriate repairs of the building and adequate compensation, and guarantee of non-repetition. SERAP will challenge this violent and reckless destruction of Ayefele’s Fresh FM in court.
“The Oyo State government has not only engaged in forced eviction but also violated the right to adequate housing, the right to freedom of expression and media freedom.
“It is the obligation of Oyo State government to ensure that Ayefele and everyone affected by this act of illegality is adequately compensated for the property of Fresh FM that has been demolished.
“Nigeria is a state party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which requires Oyo State government to refrain from arbitrary forced evictions and arbitrary destruction of resources that individuals and families have invested in building their homes.
“Nigeria has also ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects individuals from arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, and guarantees everyone the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attack.
“In its “Resolution on Forced Evictions,” the U.N. Commission on Human Rights affirmed that forced evictions constitute a gross violation of human rights.”
In the same vein, the Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide (YCYW) while condemning the demolition, termed the action allegedly, as a tale of hatred and woes for the ace musician, Ayefele.
According to a press statement sent to The New Diplomat by YCYW President, Oladotun Hassan, the razing down of the Fresh FM building on Sunday, “marks another minus to our definition of democratic ethos and advancement of social justice rights of the people to adequate welfare and protection of their fundamental human rights, it is on this premise we condemn the draconian rule of force and oppression of man by man tendencies displayed by the Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi led Oyo State Government to have carried out their threat of demolition of the Music House building Office complex situated in Challenge Road, Ibadan today 19th August, 2018 (A Black Sunday), despite all appeals and interventions for stay of action, not forgetting the fact that the matter is currently a subject for adjudication before a court of competent jurisdiction.
“It is rather unfortunate to witness this high level of complicity, despotic and crudity in the 21st century of a modern day democracy, where Governor assumed unfettered powers as ‘constituted authority’ with dreadful flagrant abuse of power and political privileges.
YCYW stated that the Governor should have waited for the determination of the case filed before the Oyo State High Court to be properly dispensed before the unilateral decision to forcefully evict and demolish the Music House building belonging to Mr. Yinka Ayefele, who claimed to have possessed the Governor’s consent paper title of the land and other ancillary legal rights to the said property.
“This unconstitutional and ill motivated actions is concluded facts bordering evil political vendetta, premeditated to inflicts grievous pains and monumental agony on the soaring investment pride of Mr. Yinka Ayefele worth over N800million, with collateral damages and consequently resulting to loss of jobs to his staffs and investing public who has dealings with the company.
“One could easily draw the nexus of causation of the demolition, rising from the distorted plot of facts relied upon by the state government, that it received 3 petitions bordering on compliant of road accidents against the Music House building sited along the challenge road, as the cause of deaths, while countering itself that the land title government consent papers was obtained via deceits, a personal opinion viewed to be highly detrimental and contradictory.
“The Oyo State Government is equally estopped by the rule of estoppel, wherein their previous dealings with the Fresh FM Radio station is evidential testaments to these facts and most admissible evidence is the Governor’s comment of his retraction intent of demolition during his visit to the ultra modern edifice after his second term election.
“Hence, the court could have properly determine the veracity of the government’s claims, rather than violating the Independency position of the Judiciary, which had received processes application for interlocutory injunction pending proper service on notice, but quite unfortunately the Oyo State Government has committed the dastardly acts with brazing display of naked fire power and political impunity as already acclaimed by Governor Ajimobi himself as the touthed preference: “Constituted Authority of Oyo State”, most disappointing to note, this shall have a grave consequence of a disastrous end to the winning chances of the All Progressive Congress APC party’s candidates in Oyo State come 2019.
“It is high time to call a spade a spade, we are displeased with the Oyo State Government’s hurried haphazard demolition, it shows how heartless the government is against the will of the people.
“Highly condemnable and dangerous to the already polarized and fragile peace in the country, we call on the Presidency, National Assembly and Chief Justice of Federation to intervene, while also calling on the entire good people Yoruba Land and Nigeria as a whole to rise up in unison to condemn this dastard actions of double jeopardy, which must be resisted with absolute demand for full compensation for specific and general damages.”
