NEWS COMMENTARIES ON RADIO KWARA - Page 2

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!