Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan

A former governor of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja, on Tuesday, tasked journalists to unravel the hidden truth on the real reasons the administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi demolished the N800 million Music House owned by a popular gospel artiste, Yinka Ayefele.

He stated this during an interview with journalists in Ibadan after he observed this year’s Eid-el-Kabir at Eid ground,  University of Ibadan.

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Ladoja described as unfortunate the demolition of the Music House which houses Ayefele’s radio station, Fresh FM 105.9, saying: “It is unfortunate because let’s say he (Ayefele) contravened some laws, as they said. Most of the things they said are documentations. What I would have expected the government to do is to regularise it and penalise him for not being diligent enough for the approval.

“The building is not disturbing the flood, not sitting on the canal, and not crossing any gutter. So, it is not constituting what you can call any environmental crisis to anybody. But, if it’s a question of not getting approval for staircase, canteen, kitchen, and others, then they can penalise him for it but not to pull down the whole building because of that.

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“It is unfortunate that people are reading meaning to it. They said it’s because he was not supportive of government. If they said he was not supportive of present government, you people should have listened to an interview of the governor, where he said he was pressurised to demolish the place and he was happy that he never yielded to the pressure.

“So, the ball is back in your (journalists) court. You can understand the fact that most of the serious problems in the world, murder, assassinations are solved by journalists, through their investigative journalism.

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“You can dig into it to tell us what has happened if truly the man was penalised because he did not take permissions for the house or the man was not supportive of the government or the party. Government goes, government comes. But I can assure you of one thing, Fresh FM will rise again in a bigger way.”

On the ongoing reconciliation of the crown-wearing members of the Olubadan-in-Council and the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Ogungunniso I, which he initiated, Ladoja said the Ibadan new kings could wear whatever they want on their heads, but they remain ‘High Chiefs’ before Olubadan, and they must not wear their crowns when they are going to the meeting of the Olubadan-in-Council.

He stated further that the first reconciliatory meeting had been held with Olubadan, but the second meeting could not hold because he and Iyalode of Ibadanland, Alhaja Aminat Abiodun, were absent.