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.

Lafia Aliyu Korasabi     Mary Arinde     Sheriff Shagaya     Salihu S. Yaru     Centre For Peace And Strategic Studies     Asiwaju Bola Tinubu     Abdulrazaq Akorede     Forgo Battery Company Limited     Barakat Community Secondary School     Kubra Kazum     Summit University     Abikan     AbdulRazaq Jiddah     Ilorin East/South Federal Constituency     Oloje     United Nigeria Airline     Forgo Battery     IYA YUSUF     Olatunji Ibrahim     Ilorin South Constituency     Bilikisu Oniyangi     Sheikh Ridhwanullah     Adeola Abraham     Kabir Shagaya     Nigeria Foundation For Artificial Intelligence     Onilorin     Oniyangi     Plat Technologies Limited     Abdulmumini AbdulRazaq     Tunde Yusuf     Isiaka Gold     Tunde Oyawoye     Abdulazeez Arowona     Muritala Olarewaju     Abdulganiyu AbdulAzeez     Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency     Ibrahim Agboola Gambari     Ophthalmological Society Of Nigeria     Idowu Aremu     Ezekiel Yissa Benjamin     Seni Saraki     Towobola Abdulrahman Toyin     Kwara State Government     Kayode Oyin Zubair     Ogbondoroko     Funmilayo Oniwa     Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa     Khadijat Ayoola Yusuf     General Hospital, Ilorin     Plat Technologies     Sardauna Of Ilorin     Mujtabah Bature     Ilesha Gwanara Road     Abdullahi Saadudeen Alikinla     Government High School (GHS), Adeta     Suleiman Yahya Alapansapa     Ibrahim Abiodun     Yusuf Zulu-Gambari     Mohammed Ajia Ibrahim     Olupako     LAK Jimoh     Mustapha Akanbi     Lanre Aremu     Omu-aran     Kwara United     Salman Suleiman     Kwara Poly     Issa Oloruntogun     Bashiru Makama     Nurudeen Muhammed     Ibikunle Ogunleye     Hamidat Sulyman-Yusuf     Aisha Buhari     Agor     Abdulfatai Baakini     Bursary     Kamaldeen Ajibade    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Joseph Alex Offorjama     Amasa     Damilola Yusuf     Abdulfatai Baakini     Overland     Otoge     Omu-aran     Kwara State Television (KWTV)     Students Union Government     Ilorin.Info     Nupe     Mope Dasuki Belgore     Yusuf Lawal     Simeon Sule Ajibola     Folorunsho Erubu     Jumoke F. Ajao     Tafidan Kaiama     Abdulrahman Abdulrasak     Mogaji Aare     Abdullahi Adisa Akodudu     March 28     Alapansapa     Saidu Isa     Idiagbon     Saadu Alanamu     AGM Professional Services     Al-Hikmah University     Olatunde Olukoya     Maigida Soludero Transit     Abdulmumini Sanni Jawondo     Al-Adaby     SSA Youth     Mahmud Ajeigbe     Kwara State Fish Farmers Association     Atiku     New Nigeria People’s Party     Kawu     Ilorin Talaka Parapo (ITP)     Adesoye College     Durbar Festival     Bolakale Saka     Taiwo Joseph     Aminu Adisa Logun     Umar Sanda Yusuf     Omar Gambari     Saba Jibril     Justina Oha     Kayode Ishola     Flights To Ilorin     Ezekiel Yissa Benjamin     Adewuyi Funmilayo     Ilorin     Afolabi-Oshatimehin     Ayedun     Cassava Growers\' Association     Moses Adekanye     Risikat Lawal     Odolaye Aremu     Bareke     NIPR     Agor     AbdulGafar Tosho     Niyi Osundare     Sayomi     Kumbi Titilope     Oya State     Wale Oladepo     Chief Imam Of Lafiagi     Alabere     Abatemi Usman     Old Oyo     Rebecca Bake     Bello Abubakar     Ambassador Kayode Laro     Muhammad Fawaz Abubakar     Cornelius Adebayo     Saudat Abdulbaqi