Akala’s former aide alleges attack by Ajimobi-led govt

By OLA AJAYI, IBADAN
A former aide of the immediate past governor of Oyo State, Mr. Kehinde Olaosebikan, has alleged that the Governor Abiola Ajimobi-led administration ordered over 50 armed policemen to attack him and his customers at Lyrics Nite Club on Friday.

He said in a statement that the armed men in a commando manner (gun wielding policemen) after invading the Trans Amusement Park at about 9pm started shouting that everybody must vacate the premises within three minutes.

But, Governor Abiola Ajimobi through his Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, replied that the way the park was concessioned by the past administration was done in bad faith.

According to Ajimobi, the entire Park was concessioned out for 30 years to Ahmak Engineering Ltd, the major contractor to the Akala governent who constructed the over N30b LAUTECH teaching hospital and virtually all the major multi-billion naira contracts of the former government, on the understanding that Ahmak would pay to the state coffers the sum of N150million for the first three years and would not pay anything for subsequent three years.

The contract, he added also states that in case of revocation, termination or acquisition, government would pay Ahmak the sum of N1.5b.

”However, the executive council of this administration sat and reviewed the whole process and it was discovered that the people of Oyo State had been short-changed massively in that agreement in the following ways”, it stated in a statement.

Olaosebikan, the chairman of the club, insisted that over 100 customers including foreigners who were at the club for tourism purposes and those organizing a show and Bachelor’s eve had to abandon their equipment, meal, drinks and other perishables and scurried out to avoid being shot.

He stated that the confusion and tension caused by the sudden and crude action of the authority was so severe that the staff and customers were not allowed to do anything: all the bills were not settled; musical equipment could not be put off; the bars could not be closed, the generating sets could not be switched off.

“As a matter of fact, some of our customers had to abandon their vehicles as they were made to run out of the premises. Their cars are still within the premises of Trans Amusement Park as at this morning, while we are still making frantic efforts pleading with the Police to permit us entry, at least, to bring out the cars”.

He argued that if the government of the day has any issue to settle with the present legal owner of the park, the timing of the sudden closure at 9pm on a Friday night, the peak of our business was improper.

He said, “this is clearly an unjust, unwarranted attack against us”.