By Tim Cuttings Agber
Sarwuan Gusah Gedege Awuadi Bagu assisted Jerome Tile Gyado to become one of the earliest Tiv millionaires; and when Tile started doing serious business, interdictors and emotional dissenters said he will not go far but he went very far. Incidentally, Denen Tofi Anyia, Shaakaa Nomigo Andôôr, Ierkwagh Kajo, Chaverkper Mondo Abeva, Gboko Adanyi, Mbakaan Tsenzughur Tyungu, Kasar Ija and Fave Chichi went through this same experience. It is aching to know that so many Tiv people have been dissuaded from doing or even venturing into any business with daunting statements that “Ú hii kpa ú za mape ga!” (You can start but you won’t go anywhere).
Unom Chichi Igbe was one of the oldest men in Mbayiôn, if not actually the oldest. On 14th April, 2014 he told me while we were discussing the problems surrounding the Tiv Nation that “My son, what you have started, do not stop and nobody should discourage you; you will go far and end it well!” He further narrated a story to me that when Tarungwa Afee was ruling over the Mbagwaza in Ukan, Alumuku Ude Ikyaa was pursuing for the independence of Mbagba. One day, a man who later became the King of Iwarev in Gaav visited Tor Alumuku when Kuha Ingbianjôv came to greet them. Kuha was a man of articulation with some sense of humor, who told Alumuku and his visitor Yiye “Any good thing you start; there are people who bring dissuasions; but never stop.” This story was later in 2021 confirmed by the grandson of Alumuku Ude. Moreover, it is this Kuha Ingbianjôv who later succeeded Alumuku; and Yiye whose grandson now owns ASKiNG RADiO.
ASKiNG RADiO is the first Online Radio in Nigeria, now structuring a template to go terrestrial. The radio broadcasts internationally in Tiv Language, the first international messianic struggle to redeem the language from extinction. When the radio started, people said “Mbayev Tiv mba hiin kwagh mba ze ica ga; ngun kpa un á za ica ga!” today, ASKiNG RADiO, an offshoot of ASKiNG Media powered by SPY Center has world class structure and broadcast facilities like BBC, VOA, Radio Dutch and Radio France among other world class state of the art radio stations.
In June, 2020, an old man saw me in Bako – this is not Bako Kpire in Mbagen or Bako Gberkyon Atser in Mbangur, it is Bako Pila Aliwe in Ningev – and said to me “King James Yiye, employ my son, let him work for Sun Rays FM Korinya City.” I told him sorry Orvesen, King James is my Executive Director, I work under him; I am not King James, I am Tim Cuttings Agber; if it is by the afro that I keep, King James’ afro is much heavier than mine, and don’t mistake Senator Suemo Chia for King James, Chia’s afro is white.
The effrontery with which King James Yiye has suffocated dissuasions resiliently to survive emotional, psychospiritual and other attacks to bring his dreams to where he is today is such ambrosia stamina that the youths must school themselves with. Most importantly, Tor Yiye, as he is called or KJY has love for young people and he supports them for any good dream or ideas, one of the reasons for which he initiated the SPY Center. He hates to see people suffer natural or artificial predicaments – like his friend Shagbaor Engineer Terhemba Inga – so much that anytime he hears of a problem anywhere, he tries to lend a voice through the tool of broadcast journalism.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY KING JAME YIYE
© Tim Cuttings Agber, 2022
