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.

Mashood Dauda     Isiaka Yusuf     Kwara-SAPZ Project     Ramadan     Aisha Abodunrin Ibrahim     Mahe Abdulkadir     Nigerian Medical Association     Yusuf Lanre Badmas     Wahab Femi Agbaje     Babata     Ibrahim Abdulkadir Abikan     Quareeb Islamic Association     Ibraheem Abdullateef     Jebba     Eghe Igbinehi     Lateef Alagbonsi     Bank Of Industry     Kola Olota     Raliat Elelu-Habeeb     David Oyedepo     Gbenga Adebayo     LAK Jimoh     Kayode Ogunlowo     Usman Yunusa     Adesoye College     Ahmad Belgore     Special Adviser On Digital Innovation     Eruku     Federal College Of Education (Special), Afon     Kwara State Polytechnic     Suraj Tunji Oyewale     General Hospital, Offa     Convocation Ceremonies     Abdulganiyu AbdulAzeez     Abdul-Rahoof Bello     Henry Makinwa     Volunteers Of Ilorin Community And The Emirate     Moshood Bakare     Minimum Wage     Eghe Igbinehin     Durbar Festival     Universal Basic Education Commission     Falokun-Oja     Nigerian Correctional Service     KW-GIS     Sola Saraki Educational Foundation     Haliru Dantoro     Ilorin Central Mosque     AbdulRazaq Jiddah     Budo Egba     Sa\'adu Gambari     Adedayo Yusuf Abdulkareem     Toyin Saraki     Onikijipa     Musibau Akanji     Isapa     Innocent Okoye     Vasolar Consortium     Offorjama     Okoolowo     Rueben Parejo     Yakubu Shaaba     Babatunde Ishola Babaita     Odogun Olushola Gabriel     Yusuf A. Usman     Onilorin     Kwara State University Of Education     Seun Bolaji     Alabe     Abdulkarim Adisa     Segun Adeniyi     Oloruntoyosi Thomas     Abubakar Imam     Senate Presidency     Waheed Ibrahim     Opaleke Bukola Iyabo     Sulyman Tejidini    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Hakeem Idris     Yahaya Abdulkareem     Ahmed Mohammed Rifun     Mamatu Abdullahi     Sam Onile     Kannike     Sardauna Of Ilorin     Kishira     Mahmud Ayinla Giwa     Mahmud Durosinlohun Atiku     Azeez Salawu     Yunus Lawal     Kwara Teaching Service Commission     Illyasu Abdullahi     Joseph Yemi Ajayi     Tricycle Owners Association Of Nigeria     Rotimi Samuel Olujide     Oba-Solagberu     Maryam A. Garuba     Kwara State Polytechnic     Ahmed Shuaib Buranga     Dauda Adesola     Funmilayo Braithwaite     Oke-Kura     Suleiman Alege Kuranga     A.O. Belgore     Galland Marcias     Ilorin Curfew     Hassan Oyeleke     CCT     Olushola Saraki     Amuda Musbau     Abdulsalam Firdaous Amosa     Gobir     Lateef Alagbonsi     Trader Moni     Shao     Musa Ayinla Yeketi     RTEAN     Yoonus Lawal     Oasis Muslim Care Foundation     COVID-19 Palliatives     Muhammadu Buhari     Moremi High School     Bello Taoheed Abubakar     Ahman Patigi     Prince Bola Ajibola     National Pilot     Alagbado     Alabi Olayemi Abdulrazak     Makama Of Kaiama     NIRSAL     Ilorin Likeminds Foundation     Saba Jibril     Mohammed Yahaya Barki     Saadu Gbogbo Iwe     Durosinlohun Atiku     Abdulsalam A. Yusuf     Yomi Adeboye     Saliu Tunde Bello     Okala Baba     Mohammed Kamaludeen     Paul Odama     Pakata Development Association     Damilola Yusuf     Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital     Kemi Adeosun     Curfew     Nigerian Correctional Service     Ramadan     Saduki Lafiagi     Yusuf Zulu-Gambari     Bayo Onimago     Paul Olawoore     Joseph Bamigboye     Halimah Perogi     Ado Ibrahim