OYO State government is to shut down about 22 private radio stations that are operating without approved building plans in Ibadan, the state capital. It also stated that over 1,000 structures on the waterways, flood prone areas and other risk sites and those without approved building plans have also been listed for demolition.

It declared that other structures such as abandoned and dilapidated buildings constituting security threats to the people in identified areas and the state in general were also among those billed to be levelled. 

Waheed Gbadamosi, director general, Bureau of Physical Planning and Development Control, stated these while addressing a press conference at the film theatre of the state ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.

Gbadamosi, who frowned at the inability of the media houses to get approval from the appropriate agencies in the state, informed that most of the residential structures turned to commercial ventures especially in Ibadan would soon be asked to pay high fine/fee for doing such. “Over 22 radio stations don’t have approved building plans. They are more than 22 of them. Most of them turned residential buildings into commercial ventures.”

The director general, who said that the government has decided to take necessary actions to close the radio stations down, also informed that the case has been brought to the attention of National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, for necessary actions. He said the need to take legal action and exercise patience before the closure was necessary so the action will not be seen as a political tool in waging war against the media in the state.

“When we want to close them down, we know it may create some security threat, we have brought the case to the NBC for necessary actions and sanctions. They have converted residential buildings to commercial ventures. Such development is going to bring and attract vehicular and human traffic to the area, is there a plan for that? If you change your structure from residential to commercial, you will pay N25 million fine/fee. The laws have to be obeyed, people must conform, you cannot see a white man start a construction without a building plan. By the time we imposed a very huge fees, it will serve as a deterrent to others.”

Gbadamosi then declared that over 1,000 structures have to go due to non documented building plans. “The state government is going to do a thorough demolition; over 1,000 structures are to go if you don’t have a valid building approval. We are ready to transform Oyo State within the short period that is left. You have a lot to report, those of you in the papers, you have a lot to report and you will sell your papers, and those of you in the electronic media, you have a lot to report.”

– Aug 24, 2017 @ 11:13 GMT