Are you a fan of controversial On-Air-Personality, Diplomatic OPJ? Have you been missing him since he exited the airwaves? You need not worry anymore, as he is poised to return on the platform of a new Pidgin English radio station, hitting the town in June.
While assuring his fans that he is back for good, Diplomatic OPJ narrated to TS Weekend the controversial circumstance under which he quit his former radio station. He stated: “What happened to me was exactly what often happens to rights activists all over the world. As a matter of fact, I was not sacked but resigned. I was pressured to resign prior to the (gubernatorial) primaries in Osun and Ekiti States. I was surprised when my management gave me a letter asking me to proceed on leave, though my (annual) leave was not yet due and I had not requested for it.
“The three months leave was supposed to begin on September 1 and expire on December 1. By that time, the primaries would have been over, so I smelt a rat. I was made to understand that it was all happening because of the primary elections. Obviously, the party in power was jittery. (President) Buhari is a man I have known since 1984 and I remember his Decree 4, which was used to clamp down on the media, with lots of journalists ending up in detention. When they gave me the letter, instead of proceeding on leave, I decided to resign and my entire crew resigned with me. I wasn’t sacked.”
Now, what has he been up to? His response: “After I left Wazobia FM, I went underground. I told myself I wouldn’t want to work with any existing radio station but rather wait patiently until I find a new one, and that is exactly what happened. Hopes are high that I will resurface again with my entire crew. It is going to be a Pidgin English-based radio station and it is brand new. At present, there are two stations that want me, but I have settled for one. Right now, I don’t want to divulge details.”
Is he going to remain the same old firebrand or is he going to tone down the criticism? “God forbid! I can’t change my spots, the leopard can never change his spots.”