Popular gospel musician and broadcaster, Yinka Ayefele, says he has never sacked any of his workers since founding Fresh 105.9 FM ten years ago.
Ayefele made the disclosure on Wednesday at a press conference marking the 10th anniversary of Fresh FM.
Ayefele, who owns the radio station, recalled that his journey to success began after a life-changing road accident he had in 1997.
I worked at Radio Nigeria, Ibadan, producing jingles. I used the money I earned to buy a Beetle car, and on my way to Abeokuta in 1997, I had a terrible accident. That incident changed my life completely, he said.
He explained that Fresh FM began as a live streaming venture on Facebook, which grew in popularity among fans abroad before becoming a licensed station.
I started live streaming on Facebook, and my fans outside Nigeria loved it. That gave me the idea to start a radio station to change the face of broadcasting, he said.
Ayefele recounted how security agents once stormed his office demanding to see his broadcast licence.
It took me seven years to get the licence. If other radio station owners were investigated like I was, many wouldn’t exist today, he said.
Speaking on his management style, Ayefele said:
I have never sacked anyone in the last 10 years. The only time I did something close was advising one person to resign.
He also reflected on when the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi ordered the demolition of his music house in 2018.
The demolition brought global attention. BBC and CNN called me. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise because Ajimobi later rebuilt the station, he said.
He added that former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife also supported him in obtaining the station’s broadcast licence.
