Kolawole Atanda Adejojo popularly known as Kasnaty on most of his numerous Television and Radio Programmes is a well-known Freelance broadcaster who knows what his onions worth in the Nigeria’s broadcast industry. He is a popular presenter for TV and Radio shows on Ogun State Television (OGTV), Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC), Paramount FM, Rock city FM and host of other broadcast mediums. Kasnaty as fondly called by his ardent admirers and listeners is a full-time freelance broadcaster with several shows to his credit. During a recent chat with Ogun correspondent, AKIN ALADE, Adejojo who dwelled on his travails and successes in the broadcast industry told us how he was professionally trained by ace broadcaster, Yemi Sonde who is also his mentor after attending Olalomi Amole Institute of Communications and more. Excerpts…
Could you tell us more about yourself?
My name is Kolawole Atanda Adejojo, most people call me “Kasnaty”, let’s just say that is my stage name, I am from Osun State but my mother is from Ogun State. I was brought up in Lagos State before moving to Ogun State. I started broadcasting in 2004. I later joined Yemi Sonde who is the person that trained me; sent me to FRCN Training School. I started my career from OGBC and I also run programme on other stations.
What do you do for a living?
Well, I am into so many things, at least legal things (laughs) aside being a broadcaster, I equally runs a foundation where smiles are being put on the faces of the less privileged Nigerians.
What gave birth to one of the programmes, street voices with Kasnaty which runs on the social media platforms concurrently?
Creativity should be the soul of every profession no matter how little and whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing absolutely well, I always endear myself to creativity.
When Nigeria just like every other country of the world was hit with the outbreak of covid-19, I devised another means of bringing up fresh information to the door steps of my listeners, to give report about what was happening in different parts of the state. Ten years ago, there was a programme called ” Street Voices with Kasnaty “, that is taking radio to the people; having people to come, asking people to come and see how we do it on radio. So, during that covid-19, I said let me go and take radio to the people. So, I now started moving from one place to the other to give reports about what was happening in different parts of the state. You recalled that then, there was the lockdown as government totally restricted the movement of the people and we went to check if people were really complying. Were they really covering their noses as the government directed. That was how it all started.
Street voice with Kasnaty on Facebook” has been more of humanitarian gesture as it is used to alleviate people’s suffering, what does it mean, pioneering this type of broadcast journalism and where are you taking this dream to?
Truth be told, God is the one driving that vehicle, no one but God, It would be according to God’s direction and instructions because the programme is beyond my thinking; it is beyond my knowledge. I believe that God is taking us higher than we can even imagine.
Can you take us through some of those things that your programmes have invented and how you have been able to achieve your set goals in terms of humanitarian assistance?
God has been doing wonders because Street voice with Kasnaty on Facebook is almost 19 months now and we had one year anniversary at Lepers Colony. That was when we bought uniform attire for all the lepers at the Colony. Also, Street Voice with Kasnaty has celebrated Prophet Israel Ogundipe when he was in prison. We held an elaborate birthday party for him, which cost over 10 million naira. And, on that day, someone even presented him a Prado Jeep, 2020 Model, worth N60 Million. So, this programme has spread across the South West. From, Ibadan, to Akure, Osogbo and all that. Through this programme, people have built house for someone in Ibadan. Through this programme, we have helped to establish over 200 market women. We have touched so many lives. I recall the story of ” Mama Saheed Oniroba” . I met one man under the bridge, he was 77 years old and he has been sleeping under the bridge for seven months. Through the programme, the person got back home; through this programme, we had met an okada rider who needed money to balance for his motorcycle and we brought his plight to the attention of people and he was assisted. I recall how the programme was used to bless Adewole Oniluola, the Lead drummer of Ayinla Omo Wura before his demise. Also, Yekini Oloyede, Baba Legba before his demise was blessed through this programme. Later, we moved in to assist Papa Ajirebi, Tafa Oloyede and now Pa Tunbosun Odunsi, popularly known as” Baba Amoye”. Through this programme, Baba Amoye is now a proud owner of a brand new car worth 2.4 Million naira. And we had our end of the year party with about 150 elderly people where we distributed free uniform attire to them with the sewing cost fully paid and some people also went home with cash prizes ranging from N50,000, N30,000, walking sticks, food items and so on while each attendee went home with N5,000 naira. God has done wonderfully well for our people through the programme.
How often do you receive support and assistance from members of the public?
In terms of support, we don’t receive much support from the Nigerian public, I guess because of the poverty level in the country but most of the assistance we get comes from abroad but like I said earlier, it is God’s project and success has been at every corner.
Sometimes on your programme, you vowed to make veteran actor Baba Odunsi popularly called Baba Amoye a car owner and you did not relent until the dream came true, tell us more about that project
Baba Amoye’s case is a unique one, I have been looking for the man for over six months. So, when I got to his house, I observed that his vehicle had a bad tyre and I said to myself, we can help this old man change the tyre of his vehicle. And people started taking up the challenge that they would buy the tyre. I later said that they should even buy a new car for him instead of the tyre. God just answered my prayer.
How many states in the South-West have you covered so far?
In this South-West, there is no state I have not visited. I have toured the entire South-West.
Tell us about your financiers especially those in the Diaspora and how do you ensure transparency in what you do?.
I have so many people that are supporting me. Each time we run the show, we have new supporters. I won’t say that I have a major sponsor. I have a lot of supporters abroad. Don’t let me mention names in order not to offend some people. I have so many of them and I am transparent to them.
