Ferdinand Ekechukwu
Fortune smiled on Prince Adeleke Ogunkomaiya as he emerged winner of the maiden edition of Wheel of Luck TV Game Show launched last Sunday at Terra Kulture, Lagos. Ogunkomaiya won the star prize of N2 million presented to him by Bi Communications Ltd, producers of the novel television programme.
Aired live on Lagos Television, LTV, the knowledge base television show drew participants from various regions across the country with age consideration from 18 years and above having applied online www.wheelofluckng.com with just N500 per ticket.
Ogunkomaiya, who had barely N2,000 prior to journeying to the venue of the event, was pretty delighted upon receiving his cash prize as he thanked the organisers. The game show which takes participants through quiz sessions where they are tested on their general knowledge about Nigeria’s history and current affairs had about 12 other people that won different prizes like TV sets, fridges, phones, generators, etc. As they advanced on the show they get to spin the Wheel of Luck (a wheel with different amounts of money inscribed on it) that gives them the chance to either move on to the next level or win instant cash prizes.
For the television show, ‘Everyone is a Winner’ in that it’s just not limited to knowledge base questions thrown at participants.
Speaking during the cheque presentation to the star prize winner at a press conference held in Lagos last Thursday, the Managing Director of Bi Communications Ltd, Dr. Aisha Tosan Agberebi, well known for their Television Security Programme, Crime Fighters, stated that “What we try to do really and that’s why the tag ‘Everyone is a Winner’ we didn’t just limit it to knowledge base on IQ, the ability. There are some people also that are not also quite educated. We allow them to roll the wheel. And if you roll the wheel where your wheel stops, you get something”.
Agberebi, who is also the Executive Producer of the show, gave reporters her reasons for creating the show. She explained that the reading culture is fading especially among young people in Nigeria to a shameful extent that people do not have the slightest idea about things happening around them not to talk of their history. It was for this reason that she created Wheel of Luck, which hopefully will encourage Nigerians to seek to know about themselves and their history.
Dr. Agberebi added: “Apart from that, we have general questions that were thrown at the audience. A woman won a fridge just for answering the questions that were thrown at her. Another won a phone. Unfortunately the student that was expected to win for they would need the money, the student couldn’t answer simple questions. It was as bad as that.”
“I knew growing up, that one of the things we did then, we challenged ourselves, and then we throw questions to ourselves. And we answered these questions, even when you were on the playground. You know you could just throw a question at your friend and said ‘who is this?’ And then the person answers. Perhaps I think the introduction of social media or because all of us are extremely over busy chasing money. We seem to forget the very basic necessity of being a Nigerian.”
She further noted that the essence of the television game show competition is to close the knowlwdge- gap among Nigerians. “We have realized that a lot of us; not just children, including me that we are totally doing away with quiz competition.”
