GOLDEN VOICES AWARD: IBC PENSIONERS MAY BOYCOTT THE SECOND EDITION

GOLDEN VOICES AWARD: IBC PENSIONERS MAY BOYCOTT THE SECOND EDITION

By Peter Uzoma.

Barring any changes, the 2026 World Radio Day celebration comes up on February 18th, 2026.

Of recent, here in Imo State, precisely in Owerri, the pioneer radio House, IMO BROADCASTING CORPORATION (IBC) OWERRI, has been celebrating the World Radio Day in a grand style.

In 2025, the Radio House under the Directorship of Chief Ify Onyegbule, an astute broadcaster, went the extra mile by initiating a programme “THE GOLDEN VOICES”, a platform the Corporation used to celebrate her retired STAFF whose efforts during their work days gave the Station her identity.

Attendees of the maiden edition of “the Golden Voices” (tagged 1.0 edition) commended the IBC Management for honouring their retired Staff.

The attendees and awardess alike had expected the honorees would have smiled home with a monetary token but that was not to be.

Now the second edition of the “Golden Voices 2.0” comes up on 18th February, 2026 but there is palpable fear if the awardees would honour the programme.

Trumpeta investigations reveal that the awardees are spoiling to shun the show because of the unfair treatment meted out to the awardees of the maiden edition.

In a write-up, on 9th February 2026, by an IBC PENSIONERS ASSOCIATION leader( names withheld) to the IBC MANAGEMENT, which has gone viral, part of the write-up said, “I am constrained to remind you that the promise to the first batch of awardees of some remuneration to at least offset transport fare for the live-shows in the build up to the event was not kept.”

Trumpeta recalls that, in a chat, most of the awardees have complained of borrowing transport money to attend the function and had hoped on an honorarium which would have assisted them transport themselves back home, but unfortunately, that was not to be.

The write-up also observed, “We are aware that IBC MGT used the event to raise a lot of fund.

Till today, one year after, no word has been heard from IBC mgt.

We are still expectant.”

The write-up further said, “We are in touch with our members who made the list for the 2nd edition and they are asking questions.

We don’t intend to discourage them, but wish to remind you to use the opportunity of this 2nd edition to make good that promise.”

According to the write- up, “We believed that IBC as a professional outfit was going to use this well thought out program to honor their own of yesteryears who made their mark in the industry and have a ‘hand shake’ with them.”

The viral write-up also observed, “We also believe that the new trend of Organizations /groups using Awards events primarily to make money from the public and awardees, robs such Awards of their actual value.”

Calls put across to some 2026 awardees indicate they may not attend due to none availability of transport fare as majority of them have not even started receiving their pensions not to talk of gratuity.

However, a chat with an IBC Management Staff, indications that the Management may right the wrongs before the event date.