TV STARS OF YESTERYEARS
Growing up was actually fun too for our generation when we stayed glued to our dear NTA (who born DSTV) and we watched lovely programs, NTA network news, Newsweek, Sunday Matinee, soap operas such as Mirror in the sun, Cock crow at dawn, Village Headmaster, Sura the Tailor, New masquerade, Jagua, Alagbin close,Things fall Apart, Bassey and Company,Third Eye, Second Chance, Behind The cloud, Koko Close, Checkmate, Ripples, Arelu, Feyikogbon, Gboro mi ro, Ta n mo o, Owuro Lojo, Kootu Asipa, Ichekwu in no particular order.
NTA had the best of broadcasters back then both for different programs and the network news at 9 pm, those that were worth looking up to. Names such Ronke Ayuba, Lola Ogunbambi, Kehinde Young-Harry, Roseline Ogunro, Ruth Benamasia-Opia, Sienne Allwell-Brown (later became Sienne Rasaq Lawal), Tokunbo Ajayi, Bimbo Oloyede, Teni Aofieyebi, Lola Alakija, Eugenia Abu, Modele Sharafa-Yusuf, Augusta Maduegbuna, AbikeDabiri, Ranti Aborowa, Rebecca Ayuba, Grace Egbagbe, Bola Atoloye, Adesua Onyenokwe, Comfort Okoronkwo, Auwa Baba-Ahmed, Funmi Coker, Bosede Adebayo, Aisha Bello, Elizabeth Nze-Uzokwu, Fatima Abass-Hassan, Moji Makanjuola, Cele Eradiri, Erere Vera-Cruz in no particular order.
The men were not left out too, we were glued to listen to their diction and the way they put the news and their various programs across to us, can’t easily forget such names as Sola Omole, John Momoh, Segun Aderiye, Frank Olize, Hameed Adio, Tunde Orebiyi, Fabio Lanipekun, Akinloye Oyebanji, Walter Oyatogun , Cyril Stober, Yinka Craig, Paul Ogazi, Tony Akiotu, Donald Ovberedjo, Chuka Momoh, Tunde Oloyede, Patrick Oke, Patrick Doyle, Danladi Bako, Nansel Nimyel, Yusuf Jibo, Sadiq Daba, Godfrey Odu in no particular order.
And on the TV screens were Late Hubert Ogunde, Moses Olaiya aka “Baba Sala”, Eddie Ugbomah, Kenneth Nnebue, Zack Amata, Baba Oyin Adejobi, Ojo Ladipo, Pete Edochie, Jab Adu, Eleyinmi, Madam Kofo, Tony St Iyke, Dejumo Lewis, Wole Amele “Balogun omo Dodondawa”, Ade Afolayan aka Ade love, Ishola Ogunshola aka Isho Pepper, Charles Olumo aka Agbako, Tunde Alabi, Sunday Omobolanle aka “Papi Luwe”, Alabi Yellow, Adebayo Salami aka “Oga Bello”, Jide Kosoko aka “Ofridoma”, Olu Jacobs, Joke Silva, Samanja, Sunday Akinola( Feyikogbon), Lanre Hassan aka “Mama Awero”, RMD, Peju Ogunmola, Lere Paimo aka Eda Onile ola, Kareem Adepoju aka “Baba Wande”, Femi Jarrett aka “Uncle Alagbin” Chika Okpala aka Chief Zebrudaya Okorigwe Nwodo alias 4:30, James Iroha aka “Gringory”, Claude Eke aka “Chief Jegede Shokoya”, Ovularia, Ramota ,Clarus, Olumide Bakare aka “Chief Koko” in no particular order.
One day, we will get to experience the kind of professionalism and perseverance these stars exhibited again and I pray that day comes pretty soon. All hope is not lost though as we have a semblance of that professionalism in a very popular TV station here in Lagos and there is always room for improvement. With some of them still very active in their fields, we can confidently say WE SHALL GET THERE AND MAY THE SOULS OF THE DEPARTED AMONGST THEM CONTINUE REST IN PERFECT PEACE.
