TRIBUTE : BIODUN SANDA: BÀBÁ ỌMỌKỌ́MỌ! By TUNJI AJIBADE

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By TUNJI AJIBADE

There is an aspect of my PhD research topic that has to do with language and new trends in radio broadcasting. So, I interacted with Prince Biodun SANDA, a veteran broadcaster, who belongs to the ‘analogue tradition’ recently.

Prince Sanda told me a story that I captioned: ‘BIODUN SANDA: BÀBÁ ỌMỌKỌ́MỌ!’
”A young man came to my office sometime ago while I was the controller of programmes at the Broadcasting Cooperation of Oyo state (BCOS), Ile-Akede, Ibadan. He brought a referral note from someone I know very well, seeking for a job opportunity.
‘Good morning, Sir.’
‘How are you young man and what can I do for you?’ I asked him.
‘I came from your friend, Sir, for employment’
‘ Haa! I told him on the phone that Oyo State government has placed an embargo on employment for now and again, you have only WAEC certificate. So, let’s wait till when they will lift the embargo on employment.”
‘Praise God, I have a job already,’ the young man responded joyously.
‘There is no vacancy right now!’ I shouted at him in frustration.
‘Dont worry, Sir, I will be your errand boy. I have a job already,’ he responded undaunted.
He stayed with my secretary till the close of work and carried my bag to the car.

‘Where do you stay young man?’ I probed.
‘Abẹ́bì, Sir.’
I gave him some money for transport fare and he responded instead of leaving, ‘Ọ̀gá, I will follow you home, Sir.’
‘I’m going home to rest and to my regular relaxation joint later in the day,’ I replied.
‘Don’t bother, Sir, I will go with you.’
We got home and I went straight to the room to rest and this young man stayed in the sitting room. He followed me to the relaxation joint and left for Abebi around 9 pm.
The next day, I met the young man in my office. Surprised, I asked him ‘young man, you are here again?’
‘Yes, Sir. I have come to resume. I told you yesterday that I have a job already. I’m now your errand boy.”
And right there and then, he started running errands for me. He would sit quietly in the office while having programmes post mortem meetings with presenters and producers, not knowing he was learning.
It happened one day that a presenter of a programme was sick and I asked Tajudeen, my young errand boy to take musical records to audio personnel on duty to fill up the programme with Yoruba music and warned him not to utter a word in the live studio. To our greatest surprise, Tajudeen rushed into the studio and presented the programme flawlessly.
Mustapha Olabamiji, of “Ta ń mọ̀ ọ́” fame was coming from Oyo and listened to the programme and called the General Manager, Alagba Adebayo Faleti to inquire about the guy who anchored the programme in the afternoon. He gave a good report to the GM.The next day, Alagba Adebayo Faleti sent for me and asked about the person who anchored the programme yesterday afternoon. He instructed me right there to place him on temporary appointment with immediate effect.
That was how Tajudeen Atọ́batẹ́lẹ̀ Ọ̀pálẹ́yẹ started broadcasting as a temporary staff.
We later tried him on Yoruba newscasting and he was fantastic. Few months after, he was given a full time appointment.
Sometimes in 1982, Radio Nigeria, Abeokuta started.Tolu Fatoyinbo came to me to request for Tọ́ba to join him in the station. I said I would only release him if he would be placed on GL 06 because he was currently on GL 04.
He agreed and I told Tọ́ba to move.While in Radio Nigeria Abeokuta, Chief Duro Ọ̀nabule of OGBC visited me and said, ‘I would like to have Tọ́ba Opaleye on OGBC’. I told my dear senior ‘yes, you can have Toba provided you would place him on GL 08 because he was currently on GL 06. Chief Ọ̀nabule agreed and Toba moved to OGBC.
Sometimes in 1999,Tọ́ba came back from hajj and said I should come to Abeokuta with my wife. He gave me a Mercedes Benz 200 car with full air-condition. He said it was a gift from a son to his father. I first rejected it but he brought the car personally to Ibadan.

Toba was a good son to me. A versatile broadcaster who started from the scratch.
He misbehaved one day and I said in annoyance, ‘Kí ló ń ṣe ìwọ ọmọkọ́mọ yìí?’
And he responded, ‘ṣebí ẹ̀yin náà ni baba ọmọkọ́mọ’.
Atọ́batẹ́lẹ̀ ọmọ Ọ̀pálẹ́yẹ
Dòòyì kápá
Apá kò kápá
Dòòyì kóṣè
Apá kò kóṣè
Wọ́n dòòyì ká kànga
Kò ṣe bínú kó sí
A rógun má sàá
Ọmọ Ọbà
Tíí ṣỌ̀ṣun lẹlẹ
Onírùngbọ̀n bí àgbà Ìmàle
Ò pa kòòròkò
Ya igi ẹ̀bá ọ̀nà!

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May God rest his soul!