03/09/2026
@🇬🇭 OTWINOKO - The Radio Presenter Who Once Owned the Airwaves of Kumasi💯❤️
There was a time in Kumasi when one radio presenter could practically bring the whole city and its surrounding communities to a standstill. When his program was about to start, people tuned their radio sets because they knew they were about to hear something different.
His name was Linford Kwabena Asare, popularly known as Otwinoko or Odifour Asare. For many people, especially those who grew up in Kumasi in the 1990s and 2000s, Otwinoko was not just a radio presenter. He was an experience.
I remember those days when I was a child living with my mother at Kumasi Kronum Abuohia. The moment I heard the intro song “Nsɛm Pii” by Smart Nkansah, fear would immediately come over me because I knew what was coming next.
For many children, the program was frightening. Some of the stories, investigations and spiritual matters discussed on the program were enough to give you nightmares. But strangely, even though we were afraid, we still wanted to listen.
That was the power of Otwinoko.
He was born at Kokomlemle in Accra. His father, the late Owusu Asare Bediako, was a police officer, while his mother, Martha Agyeiwaa, was a petty trader. He grew up in a strict and disciplined home, and that discipline later became part of the qualities that shaped his professional life.
His educational journey was not very easy because of financial difficulties. He experienced interruptions during his sixth form education, but his challenges did not stop him from discovering his talents and eventually finding his way into broadcasting.
Otwinoko's journey into radio began in Kumasi, where he initially got an opportunity through a friend who was presenting a reggae program on OTEC FM. Being a musician himself, Otwinoko performed live on the program.
His voice and presentation impressed listeners so much that callers began asking the station to give him a permanent opportunity. That small opportunity eventually became the beginning of a remarkable broadcasting career.
He later moved to Radio Mercury, where he introduced the program that would make his name unforgettable “Nsɛm Pii.” The program dealt with family problems, social issues, disputes, investigations and mysterious matters that captured the attention of thousands of listeners.
Then came the moment that completely changed his status.
In 2004, his investigation into the murder of a palm w**e tapper at Nyinahin reportedly helped uncover important details surrounding the case. His reputation grew rapidly, and Otwinoko became one of the most listened-to evening presenters in the Ashanti Region.
At that time, there was hardly any social media to compete with radio. Facebook, TikTok and YouTube were not part of our everyday lives. Radio was the main source of information and entertainment for many people.
And Otwinoko understood how to use it.
When his program started, homes became quiet. People sat beside their radio sets, waiting to hear the latest story. Drivers listened in their cars, traders listened at their shops and families gathered around their radios.
His popularity eventually attracted the attention of the Multimedia Group, and he moved to Nhyira FM. There, his famous program was rebranded as “Ewiase Mu Nsɛm.”
The name changed, but the power of the program remained.
For many people in Kumasi, Ewiase Mu Nsɛm became another household name. His ability to tell stories, investigate difficult matters and discuss sensitive social issues made him one of the most powerful voices on Ashanti Region radio.
Interestingly, Otwinoko's story was not only about success. At the height of his career, he went through a serious illness that eventually resulted in him losing his sight completely.
Despite this devastating setback, he refused to allow blindness to end his career.
He returned to radio, first working with Fox FM in Kumasi, before moving to Hot 93.9 FM in Accra in 2013. There, he hosted programs including “Nya Asɛm Hwɛ” and “Reggae School.”
Think about that for a moment.
A man who had already conquered radio in Kumasi, lost his sight, faced a major health challenge and still returned to the microphone to continue doing what he loved.
That alone makes Otwinoko's story remarkable.
He eventually returned to Kumasi and joined Ezra Communications, where he became the host of “Ma Ko Sem” on Ezra FM and Ezra TV, reconnecting with the audience that had followed him for decades.
His influence went beyond entertainment. He used his programs to speak for ordinary people, expose social problems, discuss family conflicts and give a voice to people who often felt ignored.
And this is why when people compare today's popular radio programs with the old Otwinoko era, many older listeners will tell you that the experience was different.
Today, programs can spread across the whole country within minutes because of Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and WhatsApp. But Otwinoko achieved nationwide attention at a time when radio was the main weapon available to a broadcaster.
Even the sound of Nsɛm Pii by Smart Nkansah can take many people straight back to their childhood.
For me, hearing that song was enough to know that it was evening and Otwinoko was coming.
Whether you were afraid of his stories or fascinated by them, you simply could not ignore him.
Otwinoko was one of those rare broadcasters who did not just present programs he created memories.
And decades later, his name still reminds many Ghanaians of a time when one man's voice could capture an entire city.
What do you remember about that "Nsem Pii" Program
