Oyo State Housing Corporation on Thursday met with club owners within Bodija Housing Estate and Bodija Estate Residents Association in response to compliants by the residents of Bodija for a regulation of the activities of club owners in the area.
The closed door meeting which was held at Board room of the corporation in Ibadan was attended by the umbrella body of the residents, Bodija Estate Residents Association (BERA), Club owners in the axis, security operatives, top management staff of the Corporation among others.
At the end of the meeting, a communique was drafted stating how to ensure peace return between the residents and the business owners.
The communiqué reads: “Oyo State Housing Corporation to investigate Club Houses and outfits that have changed purpose of use from original.
“Oyo State Housing Corporation will provide a design / specification upon which Hotel/ Club Owners shall strengthen their culverts. Uniformed Security Guards should be provided by Club Owners with torch lights and other necessary security facilities to control traffic. Vehicles should be made to park at the left hand side in accordance to Traffic Act
“Club owners should work together to ward off insecurity / prostitutes by supporting Nigerian Police Force with necessary logistics
“Night Clubs should reduce their sound level to 45 decibel as from 10.00 pm
“Club Owners/ Hotels should erect signposts indicating “No Loitering”, “No Parking as the case may be.
“In case of a visit by a VIP with convoy driving dangerously, Club Owners
should dialogue with CSO/ADC on what to do. Drugs should not be allowed to be peddled around and within premises of these outfits and should be reported to appropriate Agency. Development permit should be obtained from the Corporation before any development takes off Violation of any of the above shall lead to sealing/closing of the offensive.
“The meeting between the Corporation, BERA and the Club Owners will be held quarterly.”
In a brief remark, Chairman, OYSHC, Barrister Bayo Lawal said the meeting was called to proffer a win-win solution for all the stakeholders.
He said, the government is concerned about the interest of every stakeholders in the Bodija Estate and had thought it right to bring everybody together to find a lasting solution.
Lawal said “We have residents within the Bodija Estate. We also have outfits who ordinarily practices their business within the Bodija Estate and there seems to be conflicts between the residency and businesses and essentially that is why I had to call this meeting to resolve the issues.
“It is imporatant to put across that both should live together in peace and tranquility if we have common understanding. And as Housing Corporation, we superintend both the residents and businesses outfit and we believe that we must intervene to bring both parties together for mutual understanding.”