Sunday Olamilekan Ojo, is one of Nigeria’s actors that has
been around for over three decades in the entertainment industry. Having trained under Otunba Adebayo
Salami a.k.a Oga Bello for five years, and graduated in 2004, he has been able
to carve a niche for himself. His movie production kicked off barely 24 hours
after his graduation; coming out with a movie titled Ojo oro. In quick
succession, he had the following movies to his name; Emi nire kan; Wonyosi,
Salaye and a host of others with a total count of 14 different interesting
movies.
The Ilesa born movie Act taking us down memory lane said, “I
started acting in1982, with a group in n’Ibadan. We tried to shoot a drama for
BCOS television, then the TV Station just came, but unfortunately we could not.
I moved on and found myself in Lagos.
“In 1990, I joined another group MASCOTT Troupe, we were
doing stage plays, taking it around towns and places in Lagos. The leader of
the group later relocated to Port-Harcourt and that’s how my relationship with
the group ended.
“In the course of pursuing my passion, while on training as
an apprentice, I met another wonderful man that used to take me to national
theatre to sell ticket, it was on one of those trips there that I met Arupe. He
introduced me to Segun Philips, one of Mama Rainbow’s children and through him
I met my boss, Alhaji Adebayo Salami a.k.a Oga Bello.
“I was to spend 2 years with this great man of honour but I
ended up spending 5 years.
“Also my beautiful wife who would always hold forth the home
front for me, her trust in me has always kept me going.”
Recounting one of his dark days in the industry, Olalekan
Ojo said, “One of the days I will always remember in my sojourn in the movie
industry was the day my car got burnt. People did all they could but no one
could stop the fire. While this was going on, I stood perplexed and what people
noticed in me was a bright smile on my face. Some thought maybe something was
wrong with me, but right inside me I was giving all thanks and adoration to God
that I wasn’t stuck in the burning car. That day was the day Mama Awero, Madam Lanre
Hassan released her first movie; Aayo Okan.
Having been privileged to travel far and wide, Gbatami has
called on Nigerians, especially youths that crave to try their luck in other
shores to think twice and make better the opportunities they have around them in
Nigeria.
Reacting to our question on the opportunities many believed
await them as they plan leaving for greener pasture outside Nigeria, Ojo in his
words said, “In the course of taking my movies far and near. With what I have
seen and encountered, I will advice our youths to wait for their time, don’t
take short cut, short cut leads nowhere.
“Nigeria is a better place for all; the problem bedeviling
this country is bad leadership. Nigeria is cool, and better than most of the
country our people rush to. I have been to South Africa, sometime ago I was in UK,
now in America. With my sojourn here and there, what we need in Nigeria is good
leadership that could control our resources and make the existence of Nigerians
worth it.
Those videos out there about different maltreatment our
people experienced were real. My advice is always be patient, wait for your
time and make good of opportunities around you. I waited a long time before I could
go overseas. Many of my colleagues have had the opportunity of going overseas,
which I never had then, but I had to wait until God said yes.”
“They are our business partners, they have always been
around to support us and create an enabling environment for movie producers.
What I would like to point out here is, not every phone user has internet to
watch movies online, but in almost every home, there exist a DVD player. So that
is where our distinguished marketers make positive impact in the lives of
producers and also the end users- those watching our interesting movies. A
movie already on youtube, those involved in piracy may not see it as business
value any longer, because already; it has been watched, some people might have
downloaded it and shared amongst friends. So having to pirate such movie might
not be as lucrative to them as it used to be when people have not taken to
social media to watch movies.
These days, internet has really helped us to fight pirate,
meanwhile, marketers remain valuable to us in the industry.”
“I have good numbers of projects am coming home to complete.
I have a program on campaign against Rape; there are many out there that suffer
in silence after been raped. This is part of education we should give to people
in our community through different communication channel. The program shall
dwell on its menace in the society, how it can be curbed and necessary action
that must be taken against perpetrators. People with such dastard act shouldn’t
be left unpunished.
“Another project is celebration of special ones 2019 (COSO) and
three big movie titled Isin, Ikorita and Dark wall that will be shot in English
language.”
Meanwhile,
preparation is in top gear on our annual award of recognition that has become a
household name in South Africa. With the support of
these great people in South Africa, Victorist; Prince Fubes; Fred, Adebowale
a.k.a Gunshot; Otunba Olufemi Jaiyesinmi, MD/CEO Luliluli Hotel; Otunba Wale
Balogun; Matoldi and I; we have been able to float a special award of recognition
for distinguished celebrities in the entertainment industry. This includes
those in music and theatre arts. It is called Theatre art and music video
African awards (Tamvaas Award)
The award will come up
in a couple of months, March 2019 to be precise in Pretoria, South Africa.
We have top entertainers on our list that would be coming to Pretoria in South Africa next year March for the annual prestigious award organized by Tamvaas. Our quest is to celebrate people that are keen in making our society a better place through the work of arts.
