Ekiti Seals Off Radio Station Over Alleged Regulation Contravention
A private radio station in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, Our People’s FM 104.1 FM was on Thursday sealed off by the state government for allegedly contravening the state building construction regulations.
The closure of the broadcast station located at Fajuyi area of Ado Ekiti was effected by staff of the enforcement unit of the state Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.
The enforcement agents of the ministry and some policemen had stormed the one -storey twin building around 9.349am on Thursday to paste the notice of closure by the entrance of the building.
The General Manager of the station, Mr. Layi Oyawa and his workers were immediately ordered out of the premises, which led to an altercation between Oyawa and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Mr. Ademiloye Fasiku.
The GM of the station allegedly linked to the immediate past governor of the state, Mr Ayodele Fayose had accused the security agencies of assaulting the staff after they forcefully entered the premises to enforce the closure order.
The staff of the radio station were subsequently made to switch off the transmitter, as it was said to have been shut down for allegedly contravening building development order.
The operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), had in November last year stormed the state and marked several properties including the radio station for investigation, alleging that they were fraudulently acquired by the former governor.
It was later reopened after the case was taken to court.
Fasiku who spoke to newsmen after the station was shut down, said four letters had allegedly been written to the management of the station on the need to comply with some laid down regulations, but no action was taken.
He said, “We are here basically to enforce compliance with urban development plan of government. We have given them notices but they never responded. We asked them to submit their approved plan for clearance, but nothing was done.
“Application was submitted to the Ministry on 7th September, 2018 by Mr. Olusola Micheal Adeyinka with the Title “Application for Mast Construction” without indication to use the property for Radio Station.
“The second application by Finger Print Consult Associate also failed to mention Radio Station as part of its proposals. The ministry was able to deduce out the use which the applications were meant for through the working drawings, further observations from the filed documents obtained from the ministry are in tandem with the ministry’s recommendation as listed below.
“Following this discrepancies, a penalty charge of Nine Hundred and Eight Five Thousand Naira only (N985,000) was recommended but was not paid.
“We there recommended that since the developer of People’s FM Radio Station has decisively failed to mention in any of the submitted applications, the original intention to use the development for radio station and not for mast only, failed to comply with the ministry directive to stop further activities on the site but went further with broadcasting operations, it is expedient for Ekiti State Government to give a directive to the appropriate MDA to effect the closure of People’s FM Radio Station as deterrent for other defiance who may want to undermine the Laws of the State.”
The GM Of the station, Layi Oyawa, described the manner with which the station was closed down as unfortunate and brutish.
He said, “They police brought by the staff of the Ministry slapped, assaulted me and tore my suit, this is uncalled for. They said they wrote notices to us, who did they address it to? From whom did the letter emanate?
“The only letter I got was from the Signage and Advertisement Agency. Why is this coming at this time? However, we are going to address it the legal way”, he said.
Commenting on the development former Ekiti State Governor Mr. Ayodele Fayose, who responded in a statement by his Media Aide, Lere Olayinka, said the action was allegedly carried out as a prelude to the alleged rigging the APC intend to perpetrate in Saturday and March 2, advising Fayemi to stop acting like tyrant.
“From information made available to the public by the radio station, the government requested for payment of N175 million as Signage Fee, which for all intent and purposes, was ridiculous.
“It is sad that Fayemi chose to take laws into his hands by ordering policemen attached to him to invade a private business premises and close it down without order of any court”, Fayose said.
