An Ibadan veteran broadcaster, Lere Shittu, has narrated how his relationship with popular radio personality, Oriyomi Hamzat, broke down, leading to his abrupt resignation from Agidigbo FM in November 2023.
Shittu made the disclosure during an interview with Dele Adeyanju, where he recounted how his association with Hamzat dated back to the latter’s early days as a trainee, noting that he played a key role in shaping his career path.
“It was a different place they were taking him for his industrial attachment, but he ran away and said he wanted to work with me. He believed I could train him properly and bring out his talent,” he said.
He, however, lamented that despite the mentorship and support he offered, the relationship later became strained.
“I loved Oriyomi, but Oriyomi didn’t love me. Back then, he would celebrate me, do birthday jingles for me, but now he snubs me and behaves as if he doesn’t see me,” Shittu added.
The veteran broadcaster also dismissed claims that Hamzat sponsored his retirement in 2019.
“Oriyomi Hamzat did not sponsor my retirement in 2019. That report is not true,” he said.
Recounting his involvement with Agidigbo FM, Shittu stated that he contributed significantly to the station’s early growth, including staff development and programming.
“When the radio station wanted to start, I was the one he used as ‘father of the day’. I was there, and I didn’t even talk about many things I did,” he said.
“I helped him organise training for his new staff for three days, morning till night. I even handed one of my protégés over to him after the programme.”
He explained that he later accepted an offer to host a two-hour programme on the station, which he ran for about a year, but alleged that he was never paid.
“He asked me to anchor a two-hour programme. I accepted, but despite all the promises, he didn’t send anything to me. Since I got to the station, I never received any money from him,” he said.
According to him, the situation created tension between him and his colleagues.
“My colleagues accused me of collecting money from Oriyomi without giving them, but I told them I never received anything. Because of that, my team left me,” he added.
Shittu further alleged that attempts to resolve the issues directly with Hamzat were repeatedly frustrated.
“I tried to reach out to him, but it didn’t work. He would watch me from his office through CCTV but wouldn’t allow me to enter. They would tell me he was busy with government work,” he said.
Frustrated by what he described as neglect and lack of communication, Shittu said he eventually took a drastic step.
“You don’t even know what I want to discuss with you, yet you said you don’t want to see me. I resigned on air without telling him,” he said.
“I left with the IT students on November 31, 2023. Since that day, I have not heard from him. No apology, no call.”
He also alleged that a promise made to him during their working relationship was not fulfilled.
“He promised me a car, but he didn’t fulfil it,” he added.
Agidigbo FM, founded in 2021 by Oriyomi Hamzat, is a prominent Ibadan-based talk and news station known as “The People’s Voice,” with a strong focus on socio-political discourse and human-interest programming. The station broadcasts in Yoruba, English, and Pidgin, and has gained attention for its advocacy-driven journalism and programmes that amplify grassroots voices.
Hamzat, a journalist and human rights advocate, established the station after years of experience across multiple media platforms, positioning it as an alternative voice in Nigeria’s broadcast space.
As of the time of filing this report, Oriyomi Hamzat has yet to respond to the allegations.