KOD Quits Radio Gold

Showbiz celebrities and other achievers normally bow out of their limelight endeavours at a time when public applause is loudest but veteran radio presenter, Kofi Okyere Darko (KOD) appears to be doing the opposite this week as he leaves Radio Gold where he has been a major and admired presenter for the past 18 years. His announcement of his resignation from Accra based radio station, Radio Gold, comes at a time when his name has been mentioned in the ongoing rape saga, involving his cousin and mentor, KKD and a 19-year-old female. At the last court hearing of the case, KOD’s name popped up as being in the same hotel room where the rape incident occured. According to a media report, the prosecutor of the case, said that “in the course of the sexual intercourse, the victim was crying, prompting her friend who was in the room to attempt rescuing her; but she was prevented by KOD,  who told the girl that the victim was fine and that nothing was happening. “KOD then increased the volume of the television or radio set or the device in the room to drown the screams of the victim who desperately needed help”, the prosecutor said. But in an interview with Showbiz last Tuesday, KOD, denied assertions from some media sources that his resignation was tied to the KOD rape saga, “It’s just a co-incidence that both activities are taking place at the same time. “I’ve been considering leaving for some time now and in actual fact, I should have left last year but that didn’t take place so it’s just a coincidence that I’m resigning at the same time my name has come up in this issue,” he said. KOD explained that he was resigning after 18 years of working at Radio Gold because he believed he had paid his dues to the station and was taking time off to focus on his personal projects as well as have a feel of what else was out there. “I have a few things to take care of. My mom left a school which I have to take care of, I also have  a clothes brand, 1957, which I am nurturing and I would like to concentrate on these for a while. There is nothing like managing your own brand,” he revealed. He assured his fans that the break was only a temporary one and he would make a comeback when the time was right. “To leave radio permanently can’t happen in my life I will keep doing radio for as long as I possibly can.” KOD mentioned that he would also be embarking on a number of philanthropic activities to give back to the needy in society, starting with the refurbishment of the children’s wing of the Legon Hospital. “I realised that the infrastructure at the Children’s ward is not very child-friendly, so during my time off, I plan on renovating the entire ward in order to brighten up the lives of the children admitted to the hospital,” he said. He denied rumours that he was leaving Radio Gold or Starr FM but he confirmed that he had been approached by Bola Ray to join Starr FM although an agreement had not been reached yet. KOD described Radio Gold as a family, which he would miss during his time away but he admitted that he would always be on hand to help out whenever he was required to.  “It’s not that we are just colleagues, we are a true family. The kind of place you want to hang out even if you’re not on duty. So at any point in time we still call on our old family members to come and play roles so anytime the station deems it fit to call me to lend a hand, I would be willing to do so,” he said. He also mentioned that his wife, Ophelia Crossland, had been nominated to receive the award for Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards in the category of Best Costume Designer. “This is something we are excited about and she would be leaving for Nigeria in the coming days to attend the ceremony,” he said. Source: Graphic Showbiz