Appointment Of Kunle Junaid As General Manager Of BCOS: A Reward For Hardwork

By Adigun Akintayo

“Show me someone who does a good job and I will show you someone who is better than most and worthy of the company of kings.”

This Biblical allusion best describes the appointment of Kunle Junaid of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) who was appointed as General Manager in the Civil/Public Service of Oyo State.

His appointment as General Manager, dated 16th January, 2026, came a day to his official retirement from service, courtesy of the uncommon magnanimity of His Excellency, Engineer Seyi Makinde, the Executive Governor of Oyo State.

Kunle Junaid, who spent 34 years in the State Public Service, started as a producer with the famous Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State – BCOS – after undergoing series of rigorous drilling auditions under the strict professional supervision of the then head of Presentation Unit (English), Mrs Funke Taiwo – ably assisted by the duo of messrs Olaolu Olatubosun and Femi Popoola, now High Chief and Barrister at Law, respectively.

BCOS, no doubt is a reputed training ground for those willing to make waves professionally broadcasting. And, Kunle Junaid, never missed the opportunity as he grabbed it firmly with both hands.

A household name in the broadcast media space across the South West, Kunle Junaid, as a broadcaster of distinction, a versatile producer, a dexterous presenter, a powerful newscaster, a vibrant commentator cum a talented and gifted mercurial public programmes anchor, cut his teeth under the sharp cutting edge industry leaders, the masters themselves – the iconic duo of Chief Bamiji Ojo and Prince Biodun Sanda – both BCOS Director of Programmes and General Manager respectively, during that time.

A multiple awards winner, KJ, as he is fondly called, produced and presented quite a number of popular and flagship programmes on both BCOS radio(O-Y-O and FM) as well as television, while in service, like Eyi Ara (including the sports segment pioneered by erstwhile Honourable Dauda Adam from whom he took over upon becoming an elected lawmaker in the Oyo State House of Assembly, thus becoming the second ever presenter of sports in Yoruba in the entire South West)

Others were Medley, Igbalaye, Ise Oojo, Olofinntoto, Atelewo, Lotunlotun, Gbangbadekun, Gbarada, Ojukoro, Gbagede Oselu, Eleti Ofe, as well as Iroyin, to mention just a few.

As a multi-talented producer of masterclass features and documentaries, Kunle Junaid led a 5-man crack team comprising late Tunji Alawaye, Wale Rufai, Biodun Akindele and Engineer Ayo Olubode, that produced the epic, classic and money-yielding Presidential Visit Documentary, way back in 2001, when the then President Olusegun Obasanjo paid an official 3-day visit to Oyo State during the tenure of Governor Lam Adesina, with Prince Dotun Oyelade at the helm of affairs in BCOS.

Also, Kunle Junaid – as the leader of “Rescue Team”(a vibrant legacy-propelled team) – played a pivotal role along with the likes of Debo Adeosun, Engineer Yekini Ogungbenro, Layi Fatokun, Stephen Adeyemo, Bola Adeyemo, among others, to diligently, purposefully, doggedly and patriotically revamp the hitherto comatose and near bankrupt Ile Akede (Radio) Cooperative CICS Ltd, bringing it back to enviable profitability between 2000 and 2006.

Before then, however, he was from 1997 to 2000, Oyo State Chairman of RATTAWU and Coordinator of the industrial union in the entire South West, that is, from Lagos to Delta States.

A great activist and fearless union leader, Kunle Junaid, equally represented Oyo State NLC in the Oyo State Productivity Committee set up by Governor Lam Adesina, between 2001 and 2003.

This was aside from his being one of the seven frontline-spokespersons for labour teams during the minimum wage negotiations with both the then military regime of Compol Amen Oyakhire as MILAD and Alhaji Lam Adesina as Executive Governor.

Between 2007 and 2011, courtesy of Governor Alao-Akala, he was seconded to Oyo State Pilgrims Welfare Board(Muslim Wing) as Secretary.

The secondment afforded him the opportunity and rare privilege to serve on a number of high profile committees of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria – NAHCON – such as Aviation (as the sole representative of the 17 Southern States), Madinah Accommodation, Suitcases, Transportation, Feeding as well as Munah Tent.

Until his redeployment back to BCOS in 2011, Kunle Junaid was the Secretary of the Forum of Chairmen and Secretaries of State Boards, Agencies and Commissions in the country.

In fact, despite his redeployment back to BCOS by the state government in June, 2011, Kunle Junaid – based on his track record of due diligence, transparency and accountability along with ability and proven integrity – was nevertheless invited by NAHCON, to serve as the National Secretary of its maiden National Feeding Committee.

In the course of his sojourn in the Civil/Public Service of Oyo State, Kunle Junaid, was privileged to attend a number of workshops, seminars, trainings and manpower development courses, prominent among them being a week-long executive course on Fraud Detection at the famous Administrative and Staff College, ASCON, Topo, Badagry, Lagos State, in 2002.

Again, he was one of the Oyo State Government’s sponsored 3-man participants in a top-class Batch 4 National Course(with other participants drawn from Defence, Foreign Affairs and Federal Finance Ministries as well as, CBN, NAFDAC, NDLEA, Academia, et al) at the very prestigious National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru, near Jos, Plateau State, in December, 2025, where he again emerged as the unanimous Batch 4 Team Lead/Ambassador.

The very fascinating CV of KJ, which stood him shoulder high, might have been an important factor in his well deserved appointment as General Manager in the Civil/Public Service of Oyo State.

A man of destiny, humane, humble, gentle, likeable, affable, unassuming and easygoing, Kunle Junaid’s attainment of the peak of his chequered career in broadcasting, courtesy of the uncommon magnanimity of His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde, is definitely a veritable lesson to those still in service that hardwork, professionalism, dedication, undiluted patriotism, pursued with humility, level-headedness, honesty and perseverance, does not go unnoticed but rather pays off.

Adigun Akintayo is an Analyst with broadcast experience.

Lest We forget: With Makinde’s Reform, Pensioners Now Have A New Lease Of Life

by InsideOyo

July 7, 2026

By Sulaimon Olanrewaju On Tuesday, June 26, 2018 in Ibadan, the Oyo State High Court corridors were filled not with lawyers in crisp suits, but with weary and worried pensioners clutching faded documents. Their faces told stories of decades of service in classrooms and council offices, now overshadowed by years of waiting. It was the hearing of a suit filed by the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Oyo State Council, against the then governor of the state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, and five other top officials of the state. The union had dragged the government before the High Court over ₦42.3 billion unpaid gratuities and pensions for retired primary school teachers and local government pensioners. The figure was staggering, but for the retirees, it was beyond mere numbers; it was meals they couldn’t afford, the medication they couldn’t access, the responsibilities they couldn’t meet, and the dignity they had lost. The union’s counsel, Lasun Sanusi (SAN), painted a grim picture of the pensioners’ plight before Justice Maruf Adegbola. He said: “Primary school teachers and local government pensioners are dying almost daily because they cannot afford medications for their health challenges.” The courtroom fell silent, the words echoing the desperation of thousands of senior citizens. Outside, the pensioners gathered in clusters, some leaning on walking sticks, others supported by their children. They spoke of promises broken, of agreements to pay arrears in instalments that never materialised. Representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress stood with them, amplifying their cries for justice. Speaking at a press conference, the then state chairman of the union, Comrade Gbadegesin Akande, said the decision to institute a suit against the governor and others was a consequence of the roguish disposition of the government towards pensioners’ welfare, which resulted in the hoary heads, who had invested their youthful years in the service of the state, being subjected to agonising hardship and excruciating denigration. He explained that their recourse to the courts became a Hobson’s choice following the failure of the government to attend to the series of letters that had been written, endless pleas that had been made, and even countless protests that the union had embarked upon to get the government to address its plight. But despite their resort to litigation, not much changed for the pensioners; pensions were still owed and gratuities were still unpaid. At another press conference jointly addressed by the Secretary of the NUP, Comrade Segun Abatan, and the Secretary of the Association of Retired Primary School Teachers, Comrade Tunji Ogunwale, on May 4, 2019, the duo lamented the plight of pensioners and accused the outgoing administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi of owing N62.5bn in pensions and gratuities. Speaking at the press conference, Comrade Ogunwale said: “Today, Oyo State Government is owing us N62.5billion. That is the amount of gratuities left unpaid. I am personally being owed 35 months pension arrears. They are owing some of us 60 months, some 55 and some 40 months. It varies from eight to 60 months. He (Governor Ajimobi) has never paid anybody any gratuity in the last eight years. If we had not gone to court, that means he would not have deemed it fit to pay a dime for eight years.” So, for pensioners in Oyo State, up to May 2019, life was rough, tough and torturous. It was marked by hardship, uncertainty, and indignity. Many retirees who had served the state faithfully for decades suddenly found themselves struggling to survive, as their pensions and gratuities were either delayed or paid in fractions. The government owed billions in arrears, and the elderly were left to bear the brunt of financial neglect. Their plight became a recurring headline, with protests and court actions reflecting the depth of their suffering. For many of these senior citizens already in the twilight of their lives, with children already grown and independent, there was no steady support system. So, feeding became a major challenge and getting money to buy the needed medication for their ailments became a nightmare. Many retirees sold property to survive, and some even died while waiting for what was theirs. The situation robbed many of them of the dignity and honour of old age. They were forced into begging or, for those of them who could muster enough strength, taking up menial jobs as security guards or gatemen. But when Comrades Abatan and Ogunwale held the press conference in May 2019, little did they realise how close the pensioners were to the change they had always wanted. On the 29th of that month, while being inaugurated as the Executive Governor of Oyo State for the first tenure at the iconic Liberty Stadium, Engineer Seyi Makinde made a promise that no longer would pensions be delayed or paid in percentages in the state. He then donated his entire salary as governor to the state for pension payment. He also promised to clear the backlog of unpaid gratuities. That marked the beginning of the end of the woes that retired civil servants had been subjected to over the years. Governor Makinde kept his promise to the pensioners and began the implementation immediately. While full pensions were paid alongside workers’ salaries, the governor, in 2019, approved the release of ₦500m monthly for gratuity. This was later increased to N1bn monthly in 2024, N1.5bn in 2025, and eventually N3bn monthly in January 2026. Till date, over N25bn gratuity backlog has been cleared with almost 5,000 retirees benefiting. Makinde did not stop at that. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor approved the free enrolment of pensioners into the State Health Insurance Scheme, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to ensuring accessible and affordable healthcare for senior citizens. The governor also raised the minimum pension in the state to N25,000. In addition, Governor Makinde approved that all pension increases since 2007, such as the 33 percent pension increase of 2010 and the consequential adjustment of 2019, be factored into the pensions of affected pensioners. With that, Oyo State pensioners became the highest paid in the country. The consistency in pension payment and commitment to outstanding gratuity defrayment have transformed the life of many a pensioner. For many retirees, the moment they received their gratuity was life-changing. Mrs Modupe Akinola, a retired teacher said, “The day I got my gratuity, I cried.” She added, “It was like a burden lifted off my shoulders. I could finally repair my leaking roof.” Equally transformative was the prompt payment of monthly pensions. Unlike what it was in the pre-Makinde era, retirees no longer have to wait for months to receive fractions of their pension. Salaries and pensions are paid side by side, restoring confidence and stability. “I can now buy my drugs without borrowing,” said Mr. Adewale Oladipo, a retired civil servant. “Before, I used to skip medication because I couldn’t afford it. That nearly killed me.” To express their gratitude to Governor Seyi Makinde for his commitment to their welfare, members of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Oyo State Council, organised an appreciation rally in front of the Governor’s Office, Oyo State Government Secretariat in 2025. Speaking at the rally, the Secretary, Comrade Olusegun Abatan, said: "16 years before you took over the mantle of government in Oyo State, pensioners had no government that was sympathetic and empathetic to their plights. Gratuities were not paid as and when due, pensions of those times were withheld or paid in instalments and all entreaties to the governments fell on deaf ears, resulting in massive deaths of our members. "At one point, Oyo State pensioners were referred to as dead people and in actual fact, we were dying like fowls afflicted by Newcastle disease. When you contested for the first term, we just wanted anybody that would liberate us from the shackles of death and we went ahead to vote en masse for you. We did the same thing when you threw your hat into the ring for a second term....