Ekiti seals radio station for allegedly flouting building laws

Ekiti State government yesterday shut down a radio station named ‘Our People’s FM 104.1 FM’ located at Fajuyi area of Ado Ekiti, which was believed to belong to former governor Ayodele Fayose, over alleged non- compliance with building erection regulation laws in the state.

General manager of the station, Mr. Layi Oyawa, accused the policemen who accompanied the staff of the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to seal the premises of physically assaulting and manhandling him after they forcefully entered the premises to enforce the closure order.

The policemen were drawn from the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), besieged the one-storey building around 9.38am to paste the notice of closure on the wall.The enforcement staff and the CTU operatives entered the building and ordered the workers, including the GM, out of the premises, which led to a confrontation between the GM and the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Mr. Ademiloye Fasiku.

As the argument raged, the policemen ascended the top floor and ordered the staff to switch off the transmitter, saying the property had been shut down for contravening building development order. Fasiku told newsmen that the ministry had written to the station on the need to comply with some laid down regulations, but that the instruction rebuffed.

“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,” he said.Alleging that police assaulted him physically, the GM described the manner with which the station was closed down as brutish.

“The police the staff of the ministry brought slapped me. They assaulted me and tore by 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.Fayose, in a statement by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, said the action was carried out as a prelude to the alleged rigging the All Progressiv es Congress (APC) intend to perpetrate on February 16 and March 2, advising Fayemi to stop acting like a tyrant.