CELEBRATING A LIVING VETERAN BROADCASTER, ESSIET ROCKYFELLA NSUDOH

In a country where celebration of excellence and outstanding achievements have become a rarity, there are some exceptional people who have merit recognition for their exploit in their chosen career and individual endeavours, therefore deserves commendation. One of such person worthy to be celebrated is the Eket born ace broadcaster, Essiet Rockyfeller Nsudoh, the Intercontinental Extra-terrestial Rap Consultant Numero Uno.

The name Rockyfeller doesn't need any further introduction in Akwa Ibom State, especially if you are a keen listener of a programme, 'Afternoon Ride' on Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation, AKBC Radio. Essiet Rockyfella Nsudoh probably would not have made it in any other profession than in broadcasting. This is a truism based on his innate desire and avowed passion for broadcasting. Right from his childhood, he had pledged to himself to become a broadcaster probably being inspired by those magnificent voices on the radio then. Without seeing the faces behind the microphone in the radio, young Essiet had fervently wished he were one of them and eagerly looked forward to when in life, he would become a broadcaster. His dream however came true when in 1990, barely one year after his School of Arts and Science, he expectantly walked into the Radio studio to execute his dream and lifelong ambition. Similar to his primary and secondary education, Essiet Nsudoh had no direct admission into the broadcast industry despite his passion and ambition. He had some challenges and hurdles which he had to circumvent or scale through. Back then in school, Essiet Nsudoh had admitted Ubong Nda, a prolific broadcaster of blessed memory who had visited his school to conduct the then popular "School Challenge" as the Quiz Master. He had approached Ubong to take him to the radio but was advised to complete his education first. Essiet completed his GCE in School of Arts and Science, he felt he was ripe for Radio broadcasting. Essiet visited Ubong Nda at AKBC Headquarters (then at 129 Aka Road, Uyo) on a good day, to be assigned, having finished his secondary education. At the office, after all pleasantries, Ubong gave him 100kobo to buy a pen for him outside. He did but used his own 100kobo and bought the pen and returned the other one to Ubong. On interrogation, he said that he had a prodigal 10k in his pocket! When John Ekot also came in and saw him, on further interrogation, he averred that he 'flirted clubs for DJ flexation'. Asked about his expressive ability, he stated that such was his 'heirloom'. A dictionary was immediately brought to affirm those words he spoke. Of course, it was rare for a school certificate holder to be well versed in spoken English but Essiet did, which of course, earned him some accolades. Essiet like other broadcasters had to carve a niche for himself in broadcasting. He became known as Essiet Rockyfella Nsudo of course, with a tag 'extra-terrestial rap consultant nemero uno' which became a brand for him and which he is identified with till today. Looking back, the beginning was not really that easy as Essiet had to travel from Eket where he resided to the studio at Abak weekly to present his programme which then was in the night. Beside transport to and fro for an unpaid job, how to get home after presentation became a nightmare. Some nights, he would arrive Eket between 2 and 3am if he was lucky to get a taxi cab at the park to Eket that late. Other nights, he had to squat at Uyo with friends and sometimes had to sleep on bare floor in a corridor. Some nights, he trekked alone from the studio in Abak to the park on a dark, lonely road. Fear used to grip him. With an eerie feeling of the unknown coupled with appearance of some nocturnal criminals, he almost froze on the road. This was an incredible and sordid experience but being drives by passion and focus, he has persisted till today. With the establishment of an FM Station in 1991, Essiet Nsudoh was moved to the FM Station. Eventually and luckily, few years later, he was given a 'Guinness Action Jam' programme which was sponsored by Guinness Nigeria Plc. This programme lasted for three years and added pep to broadcasting and he became a popular and famous presenter. His game however became an albatross to him as jealousy and envy also crept in from within the system. This of course had to be, for a young boy, a beginner and non-professional to rise within a few years to stardom. Human frailty it was, of course. This played out on an election day where movement was generally restricted. Having found his way from Eket to the Studio at Ntak Inyang that fateful day, he was unfortunately informed that his programme had been taken away from him. This was a great shock, an embarrassment and a serious disappointment and perceived setback for Essiet. Essiet Nsudoh moderated the MTN Reality TV Project Fame in Uyo as a judge and this further shot him to limelight. He became so dedicated and committed to his weekly presentation and rarely failed in his beat. With great inspiration and aspiration, directed by great insight into the future and anticipated sustainability of the highly appreciated radio programme, he extended his foray to interviewing celebrities worldwide in a live interview solely funded by him. With the emergence and use of the cell phone, Essiet Rockyfella Nsudoh has gone beyond the whores of Akwa Ibom and Nigeria to link celebrities at home and in the Diaspora and bring them to his stable. This is a wonderful innovation and genuinely talented initiative in broadcasting in our clime. Essiet Nsudoh truly a 'numero uno' in this respect, has established personal and official contacts with celebrities across the globe and brought them to terms with Akwa Ibom. By discussing in a live interview on radio, each celebrity is atuned to the culture of acceptance, cordiality and harmonious coexistence. The exchange of ideas during the course of the interview and mere appreciation of respective celebrities becomes always exciting and smacks of good social and inter-cultural relationship between the two and by extensions, Akwa Ibom people. Thus a fundamental fraternity is so created that stands the test of time with some celebrities even promising to pay a visit to the State sometime in future. So far, more than 2000 celebrities have been interviewed by Essiet Rockyfella Nsudoh across Nigeria, Africa, Asia, Europe and America. The number keeps counting as no week passes without such an interview. Some of the special radio guests Rockyfella Nsudoh has so far interviewed in his radio programme, 'Afternoon Ride' are Morton Jackson (USA), Master KG (South Africa), Ice Prince (Nigeria), Rugged Man (Nigeria), Toot Hibets (Jamaica), Warrior King (Jamaica), Christian Chukwu (Nigeria), Segun Odegbami (Nigeria), El Debarge Jnr (USA), Alex Zito (USA), Damon Vanzant (USA), Don Carlos (Jamaica), Max Romeo (Jamaica), Eddy Grant (Guyana), Nicole Mullen (USA), Third World (Jamaica), Bob Fitts (USA), Jackie Gouche (USA), Eric Donaldson (Jamaica), Prof Pat Utomi (Nigeria), D Smoke (USA), Tony Fernandez (Great Britain), Prof Victor Uwaifo, (Nigeria), Prof. Ngugi Was Thiong' O (Kenya), Lizzy Bassey (Switzerland), Oritz Wiliki, Kate Henshaw, Black Rice, J Martins, Sonny Irabor, Olu Jacobs, Pete Edochie, Panam Percy Paul, Omawumi, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Usain Bolt, CeCe Winas, Lerry London of VOA, Jimmy Jat, Fred Amata, Annie Idibia, Stella Damasus, Wayne Wonder (Jamaica), Joke Sylva, Onyeka Onwenu, Óbóng Victor Attah, Yemi Kuti, Sampson Siasia, John Fashanu, Emmanuel Okala, Ali Baba, Weird MC, Tony Tetuila, Henry Nwosu, Faze, Mr. Ibu, Duncan Mighty, etc. To be continued.....