NEWS COMMENTARIES ON RADIO KWARA

Between 1988 and 1990, there was no one analysing African and International Affairs for broadcast on the daily News Commentaries of Radio Kwara, Ilorin. So one afternoon, I walked into our Current Affairs Unit, and I made the observation. The late Ntie Ekukinam was head of current affairs. He told me there wasn't anyone able or competent to do it. I asked if I could give it a try. I didn't have a degree then; I had just a diploma in mass communication from the University of Lagos. But at that time in my life, I was a cadre of the underground Marxist-Leninist Movement of Nigeria. I read a lot and used to write regular analysis of world and national events, in our underground publications, as a Communist. I was also the Vice Chairman of the NLC, Kwara State Council; head of its Information and Education Committee, as well as Editor of the NLC Newsletter, along with my daily job as an Announcer, Disc Jockey, Producer/Presenter, Programs and Ceremonials Commentator, and Newsreader, on Radio Kwara. Ekukinam asked if I wanted to do occasional contributions, or was I willing to write weekly? I wanted to analyse weekly. So, I took up the challenge, and I NEVER failed to turn in a copy all those years, every week. The important points to note include the fact that the News Commentary was a five-minute broadcast. Within that time, the commentator was expected to analyze the issue with a keen sense of professionalism that touched all the key aspects of the story, in a manner that assisted the listener to get a deep familiarity with the item of commentary. Language was expected to be simple, direct, and with a familiarity that was commensurate with the overall tenor of the news commentary. Of course, I resigned from Radio Kwara, and I moved on to other things, eventually. Except that a few days ago, I saw a collection of browning and old papers in one of my lockers. They turned out to be some of the materials that I wrote and were broadcast on Radio Kwara over thirty years ago! I respectfully request that you please read them and get a peek into my thoughts about major events of our most disturbed world of that period, towards the end of the 20th Century. Over thirty years ago. Amazing!