Anchor of the popular personality radio programme on Splash FM 105.5, Temilade Aloko, has narrated how the synopsis of her show was adjusted to feature the late energetic gospel singer, Bolaji Olanrewaju, popularly known as Big Bolaji.
Big Bolaji died on April 19, 2025, at the age of 50.
In her heartfelt piece titled “My Special Tribute to Big Bolaji,” Aloko recalled how the late gospel singer played an instrumental role in her successful journey as a broadcaster.
My Special Tribute to Big Bolaji
On Wednesday, when I got to the office, I saw a tribute book opened in the name of Big Bolaji.
I stopped to write something but later changed my mind. I thought, Will I be able to write my tribute the way I would have loved to? So I decided not to write at that moment, and that’s why I am doing it today.
In 2016, when I first worked with Splash FM, after a few months, Mr. Kola Ladoke called me and said I would be anchoring WAKATI IYIN (A Christian Program) on Sunday Morning in a month’s time.
I rejected it immediately.
“Emi o mo Bible o, mi o de kin se Pastor,” was my response.
Booda Kola said, “Wa ko naa ni, just start understudying Titilayo,” and he left me with my own thoughts.
Omo, how would I do it? This one no be Street Vibes na!
I understudied Aunty Titi for a month, and she even gave me some of her airdubs. After a month, I took over the programme.
Since my programme came immediately after Turn It Up with Big B, I often met him as he was coming out of the studio. I told him to please monitor my programme.
So the next Sunday, I went into the studio before he signed out so he could tell me where I needed to adjust.After his programme, he said, “Mama Pentecostal, Titi Akinsola is Iya Woli,” and he gave me some observations. I took to his corrections.
Big Bolaji was like my producer until I left Splash. He would give me guests’ contacts and different songs and preachings that made my programme run smoothly.
I left Splash that same year for Jamz FM, and I was told that I would be anchoring Oke’Badan with my producer, Femi Oderinde, who is also my brother from Ogbomoso.
One day, Femi called me and said, “Temi, se ki a invite Big B?”
I said, “He is under 50 o, and you know the content doesn’t allow for anyone under 50.” In fact, then we didn’t interview anyone under 60.Femi convinced me that Big B had already made his name and impacted a lot of youths in Ibadan. I said no problem, let’s do the interview.
That was how we did the interview, and it was packaged by Femi Femi Floboss Fakolujo , now the Head of Production at Splash FM.
We laughed and had the best moment that day.
Big B was just a loving and interesting person to be with.
You couldn’t sit with him and not laugh. He was very humble and straightforward.
I remember one day we were in the recording studio at Splash and he said he would be traveling after his recording. Jokingly, I said,
“Egbon, e ba mi ra wara bo o.”
I was surprised that after a week, he came to the office just to give me the wara.
I said, “Egbon, mo de n sere ni o.”
You might think what’s so special about wara, but the fact that he didn’t forget and had me in mind meant so much to me.
It’s so unfortunate that you left us so soon.
Because of you, Big B, I will have to review the age of people we interview on Oke’Badan.
I know a lot of young people making Ibadan proud that I couldn’t interview because of the age limit.
For you, I will review it, because truly, nobody knows when the time will come.
I am happy I have your interview with me…It was so interesting that while editing it on Thursday, I started laughing and forgot for a moment that you are no longer with us.
Join me tonight by 7pm on Splash FM 105.5 while we broadcast the interview that was done in November 2017 to pay my last respect.
Big B, sun re o.
We will miss you.
