Voice of Nigeria (VON) was established as the External Service of Radio Nigeria and maintained the name till VON became the external service of Nigeria as a country. It was modelled after the BBC to give to the world Nigeria’s story angle in various languages of the world.
Those of us who were staff of Radio Nigeria in the 80s still met it as an external service and fondly referred to it as “external”. Then Radio Nigeria sent staff there to man various positions including the overall Director of External Service. It may interest one to know that some of our erstwhile commentators were staff of Sports and Outside Broadcast. These include but not limited to the likes of Sebastian Ofurum and Kevin Ejiofor. In fact, Ofurum led the FRCN coverage team to the Sports Festival in Ilorin Kwara State in 1985.
It was not until the early 90s when VON became an autonomous entity that the name VON was officially inscribed as the name of Nigerian’s external broadcast organ with Mallam Yaya Abubakar, the broadcast guru and noble prince of the Bauchi Emirates. Yaya began to re-establish VON to meet the standards as practiced especially in BBC.
Mallam Yaya Abubakar came to my office in Radio Nigeria personally to persuade me to come to VON and help set up a proper Sports and OB unit on secondment, but when I applied, there was so much hostility that trailed my request. It was as if I had done what was against the Nigerian constitution, something worse than treason, whereas secondment was and still is a norm in the civil service.
I later understood that all that was sheer jealousy. Mallam Abubakar was very busy cleaning up VON, offices and studios while FRCN as its parent, remained in the doldrum. FRCN at that time was almost going to extinction, programs were failing, old transmitters were breaking down, salaries and allowances not paid for months, morale was at its lowest ebb, so when Abubakar came calling, I didn’t think for too long before accepting.
FRCN delayed my application for months until after I returned from the coverage of US Open Tennis championship in 1996 that an idea to convert my request to ‘Transfer of Service’ was mooted. With this, the onus would be for VON to agree or not. Of course, VON accented and I now moved over in October 1996 and immediately began the processes of establishing a Sports and OB unit.
Before now, what they had was the so called “sports desk” in the newsroom with two staff manning the desk – Francis Ehikhaise and Ahaziah Suleiman. I integrated them as my core staff and then began the process of getting more trained and trainable hands for the unit. Approval was also given for the purchase of two modern, medium-sized OB vans including an operational vehicle and other necessary OB gadgets to enable us to begin live coverage of sports and other national non-sport events. We were the cynosure and the envy of both FRCN and VON staff in the Broadcasting House, Ikoyi. We were the repository of intense hatred of why Emeka and not me. Why them and not us?
This pervaded the entire rank and file of sub-management, management and staff of VON. Some people went to an imaginable and unimaginable level to see that the project failed. We, the OB staff, knew all this, but assured ourselves that we must work hard to succeed. Just as we were almost ready to take off, Mallam Yaya Abubakar was removed and a new Director General, Chief Taiwo Alimi took over and from Day one, it was as if he was DG to reverse every achievement recorded by his predecessor.
He began with us! Ordered me to return the operational vehicle “with immediate effect” with some people cheering openly. Some queried, why a junior staff like me and the others should have a vehicle whereas “our seniors” had none. Chai, Chai! Taiwo Alimi would come in the morning and berate me, dress me down completely before entering his office. I endured, but one day, I was in the office and my wife visited, he came in as usual, and the following conversation ensued between him and her:
Alimi: Who are you, Madam?
Mrs Odikpo: I am Emeka Odikpo’s wife
Alimi: Thank God it’s not one of those prostitutes in Obalende. But does your husband behave well at home?
Mrs Odikpo: He behaves well sir, chuckle.
Me: Why are you looking always to diminish me sir? I asked, [my voice trembling by a sudden rush of adrenaline]
To avoid an explosion, I took my wife away, but Taiwo Alimi was not done yet with me, but I swallowed all and moved away, but the crux of the matter was the day we were preparing the OB van for an assignment, he sighted the driver from his office window. He shouted at him to take back the van. By the time I came, I told him we had an assignment, but he blurted,” who gave you the assignment? Don’t you ever move the van without my order.
I thanked him and walked away, but I kept talking to myself, why did I leave FRCN for VON? Where have I gone wrong or where on earth have, I wronged this man, Taiwo Alimi? Is it about me and my person? But he also was dealing with some others even though mine appeared more pronounced.
What is next for me? I went to my Director News, Mohammed Okerejior to table my growing frustration, he told me he would speak with him but that those who knew him said he was always like that with power and may not likely simmer. I went to the Deputy Director News, Ben Egbuna who told me to endure, that it was always a running battle in their management meeting. It does appear that those to protect me were also vulnerable and helpless.
It was at this point in the year 2000 a new Director General for the FRCN, Eddie Iroh was appointed to replace Alhaji Abubakar Micika. Things started to improve in FRCN that was almost at ground zero. One day Alimi met me on the corridor and chided me why I had not returned to FRCN since my “brother” was now the DG. I pretended not to have heard him, but that set me thinking, is it possible to return to FRCN? How?
Well, I went about my VON duties which were being scuttled by Alimi. One day, I was in the FRCN studio to record a jingle, and Eddie Iroh entered unannounced, we greeted him warmly and welcomed him to FRCN. He was startled when Prince Atilade Atoyebi introduced me saying that,” unfortunately, we lost Emeka to VON”. Eddie Iroh asked me why, saying that he must bring me back. It registered! Count this as Chance Number One!
I never saw Eddie Iroh for a long time and the issue was put to bed meanwhile I told my Director News of my encounter with Eddie Iroh, he said, “Emeka if I were you, I would embrace it immediately and wholeheartedly”. Not too long later, DG FRCN came to Lagos, and we now met and immediately I wrote again to “re-re-return” to Radio Nigeria. When my letter got to Taiwo Alimi, he authorized it immediately on top of his car despite pleading that the Olympic Games, Sydney 2000 was just around the corner.
He told me blatantly to go to FRCN and represent my brother. It was good this happened because it set up a good story for me in the coverage of the Olympic games.
I served in VON for roughly four years, from 1996 to 2000.
