Ajibola Akinyefa, a well-known broadcaster with a history of station-hopping, left his role as General Manager at Ilaji FM amid reports of internal conflicts, particularly regarding the station’s consultant. His departure wasn’t in isolation, allegedly, four other staff members also resigned. Instead of issuing a composed statement to reassure stakeholders, the management released a response that seems to have raised more questions than it answered.
The station’s management accused Akinyefa of inefficiency, pride, and an inflated ego. Yet, this is the same individual they had deemed competent enough to appoint as General Manager.
If his flaws were so glaring, why was he hired in the first place? What does that say about the station’s recruitment process? Either they failed in their assessment, or these accusations are simply reactionary attempts to discredit him after his exit?
More intriguing is the sudden shift in his designation from General Manager to Head of Station. The management claims this was done “in good faith” for his “development in management,” yet they simultaneously insist he had failed woefully in his duties. If he was so incompetent, why not terminate his appointment outright? Why the half-step of a title change? Doesn’t this inconsistency suggest a lack of structured leadership within the station itself?
This isn’t the first time Ilaji FM’s management has been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. Earlier critiques pointed out the station’s poor communication, particularly in its official social media posts.
A respected industry colleague, Wokilumo, had initially highlighted the station’s amateurish graphics and numerous grammatical errors in their official releases. If a media house struggles with the fundamentals of professional communication, what does that say about its internal structure?
Now, we see another issue surfacing, not about grammar this time, but about governance. If the handling of this resignation is anything to go by, it reinforces concerns that there are clear gaps in their understanding of what communication is.
Akinyefa himself isn’t new to controversy. His career has been marked by movement from station to station, Lagelu to Agidigbo, back to Lagelu, and now Ilaji. Each time, his departures have been accompanied by whispers of internal conflicts.
It’s possible Ilaji FM thought they were securing a high-profile name, but it also seems they didn’t anticipate the challenges that came with him. Or perhaps they did, but the offer of the General Manager title was a strategic lure, one that unraveled once internal frictions emerged?
In the end, both sides appear to have miscalculated, Akinyefa for walking into yet another unstable situation, and Ilaji FM for offering a leadership role without fully assessing the risks.
Media houses, like any professional institution, must uphold standards, not just in content delivery, but in administration, hiring, and governance. Their approach to crisis management, their communication style, and their handling of internal affairs must align with the credibility they seek to project. Otherwise, they risk being known not for their broadcasts, but for their controversies.