By Wale Ojo-Lanre, Esq.
Yes.
Never.
Never in my life would I dare to watch TVC again—not deliberately, not accidentally, not even by the carelessness of a restless remote control. And let me be clear from the onset: this is not because TVC is bad. No. It is because TVC has suddenly and irresponsibly become too good for my comfort.
When TVC started, I embraced it with the innocent optimism of a Nigerian viewer. I assumed, like others before it, that it would eventually surrender to the gallery, crave cheap applause, weaponise noise, bully guests, massage facts, and sell outrage as news. I created an interest. I watched. I followed. I even loved it—recklessly.
Then TVC betrayed me.
Instead of collapsing into the familiar swamp of media recklessness, it chose discipline. Instead of shouting, it chose sense. Instead of propaganda, it chose balance. Its political reports—annoyingly—refused to be one-legged. They were measured, calm, and irritatingly fair. Before I could recover from that shock, TVC went further and introduced a programme called Journalists’ Hangout—a programme populated by journalists who appear not to understand the Nigerian television culture of aggression.
There they were, discussing issues as if fairness mattered, as if objectivity was still fashionable, as if sincerity of purpose was not a crime. They spoke about what ought to be, what should be, and what must be—without shouting, without insulting guests, without embarrassing anyone. At the centre of this professional insubordination sat Babajide Kolade Otitoju.
And this is where my problem truly began.
BKO, as he is fondly called, is doubly offensive. He is physically large and intellectually overwhelming—fat with facts, obese with history, and dangerously endowed with security knowledge. He carries Nigerian political memory in his head like an archive that refuses to forget dates, alliances, laws, betrayals, and precedents. He speaks without notes, recalls history without hesitation, and analyses security issues with the calm confidence of someone who has seen beyond press releases. Worst of all, he does not deploy grammar to intimidate viewers; he uses simple, precise language to educate them.
He insists on facts even when lies would trend better. He challenges official narratives when numbers do not add up. He has said—publicly and unapologetically—that if a journalist sees eight bodies and authorities announce two, the journalist must stand by the truth. He has been trusted with rare access to military hardware, ridden in war machines civilians never see, and still returns to the studio to analyse issues without chest-beating or propaganda. Over three decades in journalism, from sports writing to investigative reporting, from editing PM News and The News magazine to building TVC News Nigeria as its pioneer head, the man has remained stubbornly ethical.
As an editor, as a historian, as a security analyst, as a mentor, he has gathered over 140 awards—not because he begged for them, but because excellence kept chasing him. He led TVC News Nigeria to become Television Station of the Year. He has been named Historical Analyst of the Year, Security Analyst of the Decade, Silent Hero of Broadcasting. He mentors young journalists, teaches media entrepreneurship, warns against social-media quackery, and insists that journalism must still be verified, grounded, and accountable.
And just when I thought I could tolerate all this from a distance, TVC committed the ultimate offence.
They appointed him Director of News.
Do you understand the implication of this wicked decision?
It means TVC news will now be accurate without apology, balanced without fear, ethical without compromise, and globally defensible. It means their reports will be difficult to attack, hard to discredit, and impossible to ridicule. It means Nigerians may now have access to clean, unpolluted, professionally curated news. It means decorum, dignity, and discipline will now sit permanently in the newsroom. It means journalism—not media terrorism—will prevail.
This is precisely why I will never watch TVC again.
I did not sign up for integrity.
I did not budget for professionalism.
I was not prepared for a newsroom led by a man who believes journalism is a public trust.
So yes, I will never watch TVC again—not because it is rubbish, but because it has refused to be. Because it has appointed a first-class, professionally prudent, intellectually intimidating journalist who insists on facts, fairness, and truth.
And that, for me, is simply too much goodness to handle.
Never.
Yes Never.
