Osun Monarch Raises Alarm Over Hazardous Mast, Says We’re Being Oppressed

The Ajalaye of Ipetu-Ijesa, Oba Adeleke Agunbiade Oke, has raised alarm over the presence of a health-damaging telecom mast in his community and what he described as lackadaisical attitude of the owners of the said mast.

According to Oba Oke, the mast, which was erected by IHS Towers around Obalende Street of the town to power the services of the Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN), has been negatively affecting the people of the area, calling on relevant authorities to come to the aid of the community.

Oba Oke said his people were being terrorized ‘by some people who claimed to be powerful and influential’ in respect of the controversial mast.

He disclosed that the land on which the mast was erected was fraudulently bought at N300, 000, even as there are controversies surrounding the ownership of the land.

The monarch said all efforts to get the IHS management and particularly, its facilitators to address the concerns of the people had all the while proven abortive, as they have been using court to intimidate the people of the town.

Oba Oke said: “They are destroying our community and using court to intimidate us. But we will ensure that justice prevail on the matter. The welfare of my people is paramount to me and the State Government of Osun. My subjects are suffering; they can’t sleep in their houses because of the mast.

“Part of my responsibilities as monarch here is to maintain peace and orderliness and see to the welfare of the inhabitants of Ipetu-Ijesa.

“What do the regulations of the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) say about erection of mast in a community? Besides, the land on which the mast was erected was fraudulent sold and fraudulently bought at N300, 000.

“As a responsible fellow, what the people concerned with the ownership of the mast should have done is to meet with the people and talk to them on how to address their concerns, but instead they resorted to oppressing and intimidating us. They are intimidating and oppressing us everyday.

“Some people who think they are powerful in the society cannot continue to be destroying our territories because of their selfish interests. They cannot because of their connections be terrorizing my people and destroying our community. We will not fold our arms and we will not take laws into our hands.”

OSUN DEFENDER had exclusively reported that the telecom mast allegedly erected by the IHS Towers in Obalende area of Ipetu-Ijesa had been having devastating effect on the health of occupants of houses and shops around the area.

It was earlier reported that the radiation of the mast, the noise pollution, heat and fumes from the generating set powering it had caused severe damages to the health system of the people.

The mast has also evicted house owners and tenants who could no longer cope with the unhealthy environment and danger posed to their health by it.

Officials of NCC and security agents had last week Tuesday and Wednesday visited the hazardous telecom mast for investigations and technical findings.

The NCC officials also went back to the mast station last Tuesday for further findings.