By Roland Ekama,Lagos
Barely one week since it hit the airwaves in Lagos, controversy has continued to dog new pidgin radio station, Lasgidi FM, as Pius Opute a.k.a Diplomatic OPJ,accused the General Manager and former colleague, Omotunde Adebowale Davies (a.k.a Lolo1) of frustrating his opportunity of securing a broadcasting job.
Diplomatic OPJ, a former employee of Aim Group, owners of Cool, Wazobia and Nigeria Info, resigned in 2018 over issues bothering on politics and alleged delay in salary payment.
The former Metro FM DJ and presenter alleged in a statement that Lolo 1 was able to convince management of Inspiration FM owned baby that he is a difficult person to handle, stressing the need for management to have a rethink before engaging him as a radio host.
OPJ alleged that negative impressions have been created about him in a bid to discourage other radio stations from engaging his services.
However, he described the issue as “Radio Politics” even as he noted that all hope is not lost in staging a comeback to radio broadcasting.
The statement with title “Why I Exited Wazobia FM And Never Came Back On Air Till Now” reads in full: “It should be noted that I voluntarily left Radio Nigeria /Metro FM for Wazobia FM after 16 years of music presentation in 2008. That was my first stint in pidgin broadcasting.
“I was employed in Wazobia FM to stand by for the opening of Wazobia FM Port Harcourt.
“Meanwhile, in order to keep me busy, I was made to be casting the news on MATSE’s belt in the afternoon, while OMOTUNDE (Lolo 1) was casting the news on YAW’s morning belt. But fortunately, and as I was reluctant to relocate to PH, one EYO on the evening belt voluntarily resigned and moved to INSPIRATION FM, and I was immediately deployed to the evening belt to keep presenting on the evening belt, pending the readiness of PH branch.
When PH was ready, the management resolved to keep me in Lagos because of my positive impact and productivity, but suggested that I trained someone else for PH, and it was AKAS BABA, he stated.
“Meanwhile”, he went on, “Lolo 1 kept reading the news. She also wanted to present a programme at the time too. So, I had to relinquish my Sunday programme to her and that was how she started presenting a programme. The rest is history.”
“No doubt, I created a tremendous impact on the radio.But unfortunately, when the Ekiti and Osun states elections approached, a black man within advised the management of WAZOBIA FM to keep me off air for 3 months compulsorily for fear that government will be intolerant of criticisms.
“It was expected that my girls would continue with the programme , but unfortunately I decided to exit, and that’s when I realised that I wasn’t given such a long leave when I lost my wife, and all my girls in solidarity decided to quit too. It became clear that I was gone.
“Before my exit, my CEO then, out of love for me, promised that they won’t let me go to another radio station, and that they would keep me on till I retired from broadcasting. But unfortunately, I had to leave.
Diplomatic OPJ recalled that there was a salary-delay regime when payment was only due from the 10th of every new month. When he protested, this resulted in prompt payment for staff till his exit. He disclosed that in Nigeria’s broadcasting history, the NBC hasn’t suspended or barred any OAP from radio or TV.
” It should also be kindly noted that, a lot of restructuring and reshuffling have taken place inWAZOBIA FM that led to the firing of many others to make up for my absence.
“Lo and behold, in order to prevent any other pidgin station from giving them the run for their money, a campaign of calumny was carried out against me by instigating almost all competing radios through letters, voice calls and even in meetings to avoid me like a plaque.
“The negative impression being given about me was that the government would shut down any radio that dared to employ me, and you know that the fear of withdrawal of broadcast licence is the beginning of wisdom. This is the only way WAZOBIA FM would remain ahead of all other radio stations. This is the radio politics WAZOBIA FM management plays better than the rest.
“It should be kindly recalled that LASGIDI FM, the newest kid on the block and OMOTUNDE (Lolo1), the GM, had concluded arrangement with me seven months ago to be its field commander on programme presentation.
Several attempts to get reactions of Omotunde (Lolo 1) proved abortive as her number was not reachable.
