It's almost a year now that the popular Radio station situated in Ile-Ife, Oodua FM, gutted fire which led to the destruction of its building, transmitter worth millions of naira and total collapse of the operation as great percentage of the broadcasting equipment of the station got damaged. It was such a very sad and pathetic loss that left the initiator in a very bad state of mind.
Damilola Amoo
Recounting the ordeal on Sunday December 8th 2019, is the station's Head of News Department, Miss Folorunsho Martha and the Programme Manager, Miss Damilola Amoo who still maintain their commitment to await the reconnection which is now in progress... Good news indeed! Several months after the sad and huge loss which was caused as a result of the irresponsible acts of Ibadan Distribution Company, the electricity company sent a mere letter of acknowledgement to the management of Oodua FM that they were aware of the terrible loss at Ajebandele along ibadan road ile ife, yet no action was taken by the electricity company to alleviate the silent sufferings and huge loss of these residents even as it badly affected the station which provides the community with 5000kva transformer at no cost to IBDC. An entire edifice housing the FM station and transmitter worth millions of naira were destroyed; only a letter of acknowledgement without appropriate action was seen as evidence of solidarity; what a society we live in.
The IBDC as a company that operates on commercial basis remain undaunted. Meanwhile OoduaFM is at the moment taking delivery of another set of equipment and at the same time plan is on top gear to engage a new General Manager as the situation forced the then station manager, Mr Babs Daramola, to leave.
According to Damilola and Martha, "the Chairman is very passionate about this project and as you can see, we are already planning to come out big before the year runs out...Ordinarily, we ought to be celebrating our 3 years anniversary by now, Martha recounts. A new modern studio is now in place and soon we shall kick the ball rolling, She said.
It has been a story of tough moments for staff and management of Oodua FM. A station that was established solely for the upliftment and connection of Ile Ife and her environs, it has created employment opportunities for indigenes of the state in no small measure and delight of independent broadcasters across the state and beyond. It is sad to note that a radio station that was commissioned by a former Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who on that commissioning day described it as the best in South West, especially in the state and could boast of quality and competent equipments with a staff strength of 25, has been temporarily off the radio waves as a result of the carelessness and loss it suffered from irresponsible acts of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company which led to the destruction of transmitter worth millions.
The collapsed buildings and affected mast have been fixed while awaiting another set of transmitter that would deliver its primary mandate across Ife and her environs. It is a sorry story that staff of this station are still on the payroll even when they have been off air for more than 7 months now. In a telephone chat with the Chairman of the company, Hon Rotimi Makinde, he stated and I quote, "all is well indeed, we are on course, soon we shall bounce back and better. It is a baby that is so dear to me and a patriotic dream that i will not allow to die. Please be sure I am not sleeping on the matter. My brother the incidence only coincided with the time my other business interest was also tampered with in Ojodu axis of Ogun state...If you are right there at the station in ile ife, you will see that we have reconstructed the damaged part of the building, build a new studio and we have fixed the mast while we await a new set of equipment which of course are not available in Nigeria. The deed has been done by IBDC. The company is moving ahead but the victims and casualties of the sad incident caused by the power surge from IBDC still cries for justice."
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