REMEMBERING BOMA EREKOSIMA ALIAS “COUNTRY MAN”, 28 YEARS AFTER

 


BY KEN ROBINSON

25-02-2024


Late Boma Erekosima, “Countryman” as he was fondly called, was a colossus broadcaster, journalist, ace comedian, and prime voice-over artist. Many would remember him for his rib-cracking jokes on radio, at social events, and his audio tapes. More for the flagship "News in Pidgin English" on Radio Rivers at 11.00am and 6:30pm, Monday to Friday, with his usual introduction: "Country people, na the thing wey dey happen for this we country I wan tell una so. The person una dey hear him voice na Boma Erekosima".


But, I remember him for something more significant and personal. We were colleagues at Radio Rivers 2, 99.1 FM, Port Harcourt; the second FM radio station to be launched in Nigeria, on May 2, 1981.


It was a Saturday morning, sometime in November 1989, around 7.05am, we had joined the Radio Nigeria Network Service for the Network News at 7.00am, and the studio area was usually scanty at that time, as most of the morning shift crew had gone out to look for something to have for breakfast. I was alone in the 'Links Room' when Boma came in and said "Ken, come try this thing". He needed someone to do a voice-over for an advert with him in pidgin English. I wasn’t an On-Air Personnel, but Boma thought I could do it. He handed me the script and we went into the recording studio. It was a 60-second jingle for a car tyre dealer. I was to take four lines in the script:


 “Oh, which kind wahala be this na;


 Na last week I buy this tyre o; 


 I beg where be the address of the company again; 


 I dey go there now now!” 


I did it. Boma liked it. He gave me something that was almost my six-month’s salary for the work. Hey! Don’t get exhilarated. My monthly salary at the time was only about N305. He gave me 2k! That was huge then.


But there was something more… That advert ran on the station (Radio Rivers) every morning between 7.30am and 8.00am for about a month; every quarter for over a year. So, every morning, at that time, I will hear my voice on the radio…. 


I was to later, together with my then-senior colleague and friend, Anele Onu, secure several voice-over jobs for Boma.


On Sunday, 25th February 1996, we received the shocking news of the sad passing of Boma Erekosima. There was pain and sorrow. We lost a gem!


On 25th February 1997, a year after his demise, the Radio Rivers Chapter of the Radio, Television and Theatre Arts Workers Union, RATTAWU, of which I was Chairman at the time (I became Chairman of RATTAWU, Radio Rivers Chapter in August 1996), organized “An Evening of Comedy” in his memory at the Alfred Diete-Spiff Civic Centre, Port Harcourt (Main Bowl). The venue was jam-packed and Radio Rivers aired the event live for 3 hours.


Today, Sunday, 25th February 2024, 28 years after his passing, I remember the late Boma Erekosima for his great works and goodwill, and also for the motivation and inspiration he provided. I didn’t become a pidgin English newscaster, comedian, or Voice-over artiste like Boma Erekosima. But, among other things, realized I had a voice, and that voice went on to stir hearts and minds, influence positive actions, and continue to chime truth to power. 


Incidentally, the calendar of this year, 2024, is the same as that of the year 1996.

                       

Let me conclude with one of Boma Erekosima's popular wisecracks; "No matter how teeth and tongue quarrel dey must settle because dem dey leave for the same house and dem need each other."


May his ingenious soul continue to rest in the Bosom of the Lord!🙏

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