Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State yesterday met with Gospel music star, Yinka Ayefele, at the state Government House, over the demolition of Music House belonging to the latter.
The meeting was facilitated by one of the gubernatorial aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Joseph Tegbe. Ayefele’s team comprising the Director of Corporate Affairs and Promotions of Fresh FM, David Ajiboye, an ace broadcaster, Mr. Isaac Brown and other members of staff of the Ayefele Company, arrived the Governor’s Office at 11.20a.m. After the demolition on Sunday morning and the criticism that trailed the action, Ajimobi said he had pardoned Ayefele, “not because he is physicallychallenged, but because of his appeals”.
Journalists were not briefed after the meeting, which commenced at 3:55p.m.. After about 55 minutes, the governor left and handed Ayefele over to a team of government officials which continued the meeting for another two and half hours. But it was learnt that Ayefele narrated how he obtained approval for the structure and how he responded to the correspondences from the government.
He was said to have told the meeting that he contacted prominent Nigerians when he received demolition notice from the government to help him appeal to the governor and that he regretted not coming to see the governor personally instead of sending emissaries to him.
Ajimobi, in his address, told Ayefele that he did not have any personal issue either with him or with Fresh FM, adding that the issue was between the government and the Music House for allegedly contravening the planning laws.
Ajimobi therefore set up a committee comprising the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun, Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy to the governor Ajimobi, Mr. Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser to the governor on Community Relations, Alhaji Abidemi Siyabade, Director General, Bureau of Physical Planning and Urban Development Control, Alhaji Waheed Gbadamosi, and Special Adviser on Efficiency to the governor, Dr. Isaac Ayandele, to resolve the impasse. The meeting ended about 7p.m, without either side briefing journalists on its outcome.
