OPINION: Radio Kwara and her many seasonal names. By Aliyu Olatunji Ajanaku

Date: 2019-05-28

I don't know how very partisan Radio Kwara was during Adamu Attah but of course the station must have gone through very divided loyalty during the Saalaake (cut it with axe) of Adamu Attah/Akanbi Oniyangi with backing from palace and Federal might in the red corner Vs Saraki (lone fighter) in the blue corner. Somehow I suspected the station tilted to Saraki in a way because in 1983, when Chief C O Adebayo was declared as winner, Radio Kwara relayed it. There was no nickname for the station, so to say. What's more, there was no competition.

During Shaaba, nothing much affected the station. Opposition was weak. They had no time for nicknaming Radio Kwara. Saraki was fully in charge.

Now came Gov Mohammed Lawal. As at this time, Gov Lawal was popular and even Baba Saraki declared him a "good boy". Then the intrigues began. Party Chairman of blessed memory and some leaders who were finding Lawal impenetrable began their scheming. Before you could say Jack Robinson, ANPP in Kwara became fictionalised. Upon realizing the power of Radio, Gov Lawal seized control of the station, fired Modibo in KWTV and merged the two stations under the leadership of seasoned broadcaster, Hajjia Mairo Mustapha. At that point Radio Kwara got a nickname, "Ile Ise Awon Mero". (Mairo's workplace). Guess who gave the nickname? Gov Lawal himself.

By the time Gov Saraki took over, several heads rolled. Nakeeb of Madrasat Mohammed, Dr Aliagan and Dr Olohunoyin were denied airtime on Radio Kwara, AbdulFattah Dan Kazeem was whisked out of the place and transferred to an obscure desk in Ministry of Information and others victims. Then for 16 straight years, Radio Kwara acquired a new nickname - "Radio Agbaji". That era will terminate on May 29th, 2019, In sha Allah. While the media terror lasted, the fortune of the state owned radio station began to dwindle as competition came with vigour. Harmony FM came in first, followed by Royal FM around 2011, then Unilorin Radio and many others later, particularly the super popular Sobi FM. Even with so-called world class equipment that Dr Akorede claimed to have bought for Radio Kwara and KWTV, still Radio Agbaji could not raise her head. Over time, many of the broadcasters there became partisan, leaning towards Sarakism. The station aired the jingle, "Bukola Saraki Aso Wa Ni", many more times than any other stations at a time that you would want to believe that most likely the airtime was being given out freely. Who pays the Piper dictates the tune, of course. The misfortune that affected Radio Kwara did not spare The Herald Newspapers as well as the Kwara TV.

On May 29th, 2019, alliances will change again. The songs will change. The next four years, will definitely witness a 180 degrees turn. Will the station become "Radio Idi Igba"? If it does become, will it affect it's fortune? Only time will tell.

But honestly, change is good sha.

@Ajax

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Abdullahi Imam Abdullahi     Abubakar Ndakene     Abdulquawiy Olododo     Segun Ogunsola     Yekeen Alabi     Kwara State Council Of Chiefs     Usman Rifun     Senior Ibrahim Suleiman     Shehu Alimi Foundation     HYPPADEC     LEAH Charity Foundation     Sherif Sagaya     Abdulraheem Olesin     Kwara State Television (KWTV)     Alabi Olayemi Abdulrazak     Tsado Manman     Babatunde Ajeigbe     Busari Alabi Alausa     Mohammed Abdulahi     Kumbi Titiloye     Sardauna Of Ilorin     Umar Ayinla Saro     Oke-opin     Plat Technologies Limited     Ahmed Shuaib Buranga     CCB     Rex Olawoye     Hauwa Nuru     Bola Ahmed Tinubu     Kayode Ibrahim     Musa Aibinu     Umar Adelodun     Olam Food Ingredients     March 28     Hijaab     Sadiq Umar     Kawu Baraje     Taofeeq Olateju     Towobola Abdulrahman Toyin     Gbenga Olawepo     Hamza Usman     Shehu Jimoh     Muhammad-Mustapha Suleiman     Idowu Laro     Bayo Onimago     Mustapha Akanbi     Sola Saraki Educational Foundation     Monkey Pox     Mary Arinde     Atiku     Women For Change And Development Initiative     Abdulrazaq Akorede     Saka Keji     Egbejila     Ojo Fadumila     Idris Garuba     Olabanji Orilonishe     General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport     Okanlawon Musa     Wahab Kunle Shittu     Abdulkareem Alabi     Share-Tsaragi     Siraj Oyewale     Share/Tsaragi     Centre For Peace And Strategic Studies     Orire     Ilesha-Baruba     Federal College Of Education (Special), Afon     Abdulsalam Firdaous Amosa     Okedare     SAPZ Project     Ishola Balogun Fulani     Muhammadu Gobir     CBT     Abubakar Olusola Saraki     Abdulmalik Bashir Mopelola Risikatullahi     Alagbado    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Bankole Omishore     Florence Saraki     Clement Yomi Adeboye     Kwara State Governor     Islamiya Abdulraheem     Saduki Lafiagi     Mohammed Abduraheem     Taibat Ayinke Ahmed     Usman Alkali Baba     Christopher Ayeni     Woro     Onilupeju Of Ilupeju     David Oyepinola Adedumoye     Ahmed Ayinla Jimoh     Yusuf Babatunde Abdulwahab     Olatunji Bamgbola     Ileloke     Rice Farmers Association Of Nigeria     Niyi Osundare     Medinat Folorunsho Salman     Jide Oyinloye     Crystal Corner Shops     Timothy Olatunde Fadipe     Haliru Dantoro     Baakini     Abdullahi Imam Abdullahi     Garba Idris Ajia     Abdulkareem Alabi     Ajibike Katibi     James Ayeni     KWACOBPA     Third Estate     Igbaja     Sarkin Malamai     Baba Issa     Sunday Fagbemi     Sa\'adu Salahu     Monthly Sanitation Exercise     Al-Hikmah University     Ganiyu Abolarin     Binta Sulyman     Oyin-Zubair     Yusuf Abubakar     Doyin Group     Tuesday Assayomo     ARMTI     Muhammad-Mustapha Suleiman     IHS Towers     Shade Omoniyi     Osuwa     Democracy Day     ER-KANG Mining Nigeria Company Limited     Turaki     Magaji Are     Abraysports FC     Olusin Of Ijara Isin     Eghe Igbinehin     Nupe     Dan-Kazeem     Gbemi Saraki     Babaita     Olufolake Abdulrazaq     Mubarak Oladosu     Ballah     Abdulwahab Oba     Senior Special Assistant On Student Affairs     Inside Kwara     Firdaos Amasa     Odolaye Aremu     Tanke     Bolaji Aladie     Otoge     Monthly Sanitation     George Funsho Adebayo     Quranic Recitation Competition     A.O. Belgore     Aliyu Kora Sabi