Erasmus Uche Ikedilo
 Published
August 5th, 2008
Since my last appraisal barely a year ago, the NTA
international has improved a great deal in many areas of its
service thereby coming close to fulfilling it’s obligation
to it’s faithful viewers, customers and consumers in general
although like any man-made, man-operated project, there are
bound to be pitfalls mistakes and derailments (imperfection)
in the modus operandi of such gigantic complex technology of
global-transmissional dimension, the NTA. What really
matters for the attainment of the highest professional goals
especially in a beginning experiment that faces a very tough
competition with much older and highly rated, brand
competitors like the CNN, BBC Itv, AZN and other nations MHz
transmitted tv stations is that the management and
staff (operators of the experiment) must of necessity not
only set up strong methods for the collection of feedbacks
from viewers both home and abroad but also make vital
changes and corrections that may have been pointed out by
viewers some of whom could be veterans and better grounded
in the broadcast technology, programming and news production
and delivery.
The achievements of the NTA in the past year start and rest
on the very shoulders of the erstwhile chief executive and
Director-General, Dr Tony Iredia whose leadership by example
as demonstrated via his presentation of “Point Blank” the
greatest personality programme ever watched on NTA or indeed
in the history of television in Nigeria. Not only that Dr
Iredia displayed extreme humility, courtesy and discipline
in his language resulting in visible, striking comportment,
he was very thorough in his research about his guests so
much that one very controversial guest Chief Christian C.
Onoh could not wait to interrupt Iredia’s apparently long
disclosure of his(Onoh’s) past activities with a short one
“where and how did you get all these”. Dr. Iredia’s Point
Blank shall for long remain the NTA International programme
of the era because it is exhaustive and revealing, it is not
boring because of the presenter’s humour and maturity.
Though now retired from the position of DG, the new
appointee should do everything to retain Dr Iredia as the
presenter of Point Blank prog. Even if it boils down to
making it a special contract. Iredia is a big asset to NTA
and an attraction to those of us viewers in USA( the
diaspora). For the news presentation Cyril Stober’s diction
and dressing are good but he should be more lifely and
forceful in his news bulletin delivery. Cyril should borrow
a leaf from Ibrahim Ismaila Ahmed and/or Ademola Adeoye
whose clarity and audibility are undisputably acknowledged
by even the hearing-iimpaired news watchers. Funmi Wakama
appears to lead amongst the women news casters. She is very
good in elocution, presentation and comportment. Her speed
of delivery is recommendable and identifies with no
particular tribal accent.Many other newscasters like
Elizabeth Banu,Joy Osiagwu,Kyrian Umeayo.the colour-adding
Fatima Abbas Hasan, Eugenia Abu and Augusta Maduegbuna are
very good too In the reporters sector, Shola Atere and Hawau
Gebi stand out tops. They are very systematic consistent and
unique with strong and eloquent expressions/language. Their
description of events is always apt and comprehensible. Emma
Okondu needs richer vocabulary and stronger descriptive
skills to be a replica of Shola Atere. Nonetheless he is
really great. Reporters in specialized areas like the
courts,tribunals the national assembly and the senate do
very smart and highly professional job.. Special mention
must be made of Kalu Otisi, Kayode Williams, Femi Johnson
and Amechi Pius from the courts and national assembly
reporters like Mohamed Kudu Abubakar, thick accent-laden
Mohammed Labo.and Bosede Adebayo. Alieu Baba Barau’s
phone-in programme is also classy but requires a little pep
from the presenter’s angle. Barau should either build more
presentation skills or surrender the programme to a better
presenter while he settles with News casting he does well.
Retired Dr. Iredia can be persuaded to moderate that high
class programme on contract if Kalu Otisi, Cyril Stober,
Hawau Gebi, Shola Atere and Bayo Adewusi will not make
better moderators of that programme.
Kehinde Young-Harry’s News Line has now undergone a
commendable revamp/improvement. The presenter herself is
more lively and eloquent with great vocabulary and uncommon
but special rhetorics and romantic expressions that get her
audience/viewers glued to their seats, focused and attentive
whilst her programme lasts. Besides, she gathers her
materials/events from around the entire nation, not just
from Lagos area and neighbouring Yoruba states. Infact
Kehinde’s Newsline should bear the name “Nationwide” while
that so-called News Nationwide be renamed “News from
selected states” because of it’s insufficient coverage of
some Southeastern states. Lest I forget, that programme
“Quiz Time” presented by Akinloye and somedays by those
inexperienced young ladies every 3pm should be reviewed for
possible outright take off from the schedule or because of
it’s commercial [nvolvement be broadcast domestically on
local channels. Such very childish programmes should not be
beamed to the outside world else the literacy level of our
people would be wrongly rated. The over-simple questions
asked by the presenters and the inability of callers to be
forthcoming with correct answers, even when the correct
answers are almost pronounced by the presenter, all make the
programme just good for idiots and therefore. not worthy of
going international. Moreover as the presenter provided more
clues to the correct answers, the more money she/he puts as
the winning price. The reverse should have being the
case-more clues less money. Besides all these participation
on this programme is restricted to only people resident in
Nigeria, why transmit it to outsders?The many feature progs
especially the continental and global coverages embarked
upon now attracts bigger acceptance and viewership from
wider spectrum of the human population. Peoples around the
world are now assured that NTA International is not just a
Nugerian thing rather it can also like CNN and BBC TV report
events and even carry commercials, and press releases from
their individual countries. Good strategy for boosting
country’s image and economic power.
These achievements and improvements on the part of the
producers and presenters do not however neutralize or
compensate for the incessant transmission interruptions that
in some instances last for days and even weeks in few cases.
Yet NTA, at quarter hourly intervals shamelessly claims the
biggest TV network in Africa forgetting that SABC-South
Africa Broadcasting Corp TV consumers have always enjoyed
uninterrupted services. I hope NTA management did not, like
is usual with Nigerians, purchase used old transmitters and
accessories in order to embezzle part of the money budgetted
for the project. Whatever is responsible for this
undesirable shameful aspect of the transmission’s output,
quick and aggressive solution is the only way to justify a
claim of equality with it’s African competitor, the SABC.
There must be working ttransmission for there to exist
network and then biggest network in Africa. While keeping a
close watcgh and focused attention on this our on-going
experiment the NTA International from the diaspora(USA) I
wish the management and staff “All hands on deck”approach
towards finding a quick solution to this problem.
Erasmus Uche Ikedilo
Maryland, USA
 Erasmus Uche Ikedilo
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