Saturday Beats discusses with several seasoned actors Kola Oyewo, Lola Afolayan, Adebayo Salami, and Jide Kosoko about their experiences of the country’s Independence Day celebration and other topics as Nigeria celebrates her 62nd year of becoming independent.
I don’t regret becoming a Nigerian, says Oyewo
Kola Oyewo, a seasoned actor, has stated that he has no regrets about being a Nigerian performer. “I do not have any regret or tragedy being a Nigerian entertainer,” he said in an interview with Saturday Beats.
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He recalled his favorite Fourth of July celebration as follows: “On October 1, 1960, I was given a flag and a lovely plastic cup and we feasted. That Fourth of July celebration, which I attended when I was in primary six, stands out as my favorite thus far.
Speaking about the present state of the nation, he asserted that “Nigeria may improve if the people choose to elect people of integrity to govern us.” The actor listed The Palm Wine Drinkard by Kola Ogunmola, Oba Koso by Duro Ladapo, some of Baba Sala’s comedies, and plays by Hubert Ogunde among the memorable programs he watched as a child.
Additionally, he discussed what inspired him to enter the entertainment business at the time, saying, “Whenever we had a break from school in high school, I would join my uncle’s play company, the “Oba Dramatic Society,” where we travelled to perform in nearby towns and societies.
By the time I finished secondary school, I joined Ogunlade Theatre and that was how I started my career in acting.”
When asked about the significant changes in the Nigerian film industry since then, he responded, “When we started, we improvised a lot, and plays weren’t scripted. The director would simply outline the plot and provide us with a scenario, after which we would enter our lines.
We later started acting on television where we used to sing most of our lines.
“The people who worked at the TV stations told us to stop singing and be natural about our lines. So, we started deleting the singing aspect and said our lines instead. Also, when we started, there were no facilities to enable people to watch a playback. We would be playing and people would watch us at home.
“Later, we developed to the stage where we could record and play it later. Subsequently, film was introduced and we started taking part in celluloid films. However, video films took over because the cost of producing celluloid films was too expensive and that is how it has been evolving till today.”
Veteran actress, Toyin Afolayan, aka Lola Idije, has said unlike before, Nigeria’s Independence Day celebration is no longer interesting.
In an interview with Saturday Beats, she said, “There has been a lot of difference in Independence Day celebrations. In the past, the celebration was an interesting one. Then, workers would not go to work and we would move around greeting one another.
“We would go to the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, for the Independence Day celebration. Now, things have changed; it doesn’t seem like there is a celebration during Independence Day. People are just being grateful for life.”
On what she thinks about the country’s progression from independence till date, Afolayan said, “There has been civilisation unlike in the past when there was no social media. However, its progression has some negative impacts, which I pray that God should help us solve.
“The progress in the industry for me is in the area of production. We produce quality movies now, unlike before when everybody wanted to be producers. To produce a movie now, a good location, beautiful costumes and nice cameras are needed. However, in the past, that was absent; all we were after was educating people through our movies. I feel the government can be of help by giving grants and putting in place adequate censoring for our films.”
Everyone has become a boss of their own; people who were in the boys’ scout and girls’ guild in those days were seen as worthy people and their mates would also crave to be in their position. Nowadays, people are after money. A 15-year-old child, who is supposed to be tutored, now believes he has grown and that his mates own a car,” Afolayan stated.
She also advised Nigerians to embrace peace, shun vote-buying and allow people to exercise their civic responsibility by voting for candidates of their choice.
“We shouldn’t vote for money but for our future and that of our children. We shouldn’t fight or cause confusion. People should be allowed to exercise their right and vote for whomever they want because we all are one,” Afolayan added.
Nigeria will become great again –Kosoko
Veteran actor, Jide Kosoko, has said he is positive that Nigeria will become great again. In an interview with Saturday Beats, he said, “I love that we remain a nation, our cultures are interwoven and we are married to each other despite all the odds we face.”
Nigeria is home, I’ll remain here – Salami
Veteran actor and filmmaker, Adebayo Salami, aka Oga Bello, has said no matter what happens in Nigeria, he will not leave the country. He told Saturday Beats, “When I think of Nigeria, what comes to my mind is that Nigeria is my home and I will remain here no matter what. What Nigeria is going through is normal because we are facing global problems like many other countries.”
On his most memorable Independence Day celebration, he said, “My most memorable Independence Day celebration was on October 1, 1960. I was on the street holding the Nigerian flag and I was given an egg.”
He also expressed optimism about the future of the country, saying, “Nigeria will get better. All we are going through now, the United States and Britain had gone through it in the past. So, we will also get there.”
On what spurred him to go into the entertainment industry back then, he said, “I only followed (my) destiny. I have always been drawn to culture since I was a child. There have been many changes in our entertainment industry in terms of technology, talent and creativity.”