How I Got The State Name 'Iya Osogbo'- Veteran Actress, Grace Owoola Oyin-Adejobi Speaks On Life @ 90

 

The veteran Yoruba actress, Madam Grace Owoola Oyin-Adejobi, popularly known as 'Iya Osogbo', has made some shocking revelations about her acting career and private life at 90. Saying that though she is hale and healthy but can't act any longer at her age.

Mama, who clocked 90 years of age this Sunday (Saturday 23rd August, 2020), spoke extensively on the very beginning of her acting career and how she got the stage name 'Iya Osogbo', which has today become a household name in the Yoruba genre of Nigeria's film industry.

She was a guest on a radio program, Parrot Xtra Hour on Radio, on Space 90.1 F.M, Ibadan last week, where she revealed the secret of her longevity and good health.

"Attaining this age is nothing but special grace of God. And the fact that I have never abused my body. I always try as much as possible to live moderately," Mama submitted.

On how she got her stage name 'Iya Osogbo', which somehow has overshadowed her real name. 

''You know as an actor you could be called different names, and the fans out there may not understand the fact that you are not what you act in film. That is why we complained to our boss then, which is my husband to come up with another idea. We were told to choose suitable names for ourselves and that, that is what we will be called in all firms.

So I chose 'Langbejo Iya Osogbo', Alabi Yellow gave himself 'Alabi Yellow' and others like that."

How did 'Eran Iya Osogbo' thing then came about? Contrary to the believe out there that the film 'Eran Iya Osogbo' shot Mama Oyin-Adejobi to limelight, she revealed that she has been popular right from her late husband, Oyin Adejobi's Theatre Group, before acting in Ajileye's film, 'Eran Iya Osogbo.

"I was already popular before 'Eran Iya Osogbo'. In fact, they wanted me to act that particular role (a witch) but I turned it down. How much do you want to pay me that I will now be calling myself a bad name? I had recorded my part of the film and gone back to my house. So all you saw in the film was just a film trick."

But how did Mama really find her way into the theatre industry? She revealed that acting actually started for her right from her primary school days. According to her, she participated in race and other sporting activities back then, and won several prizes. From there, she developed interest in acting as well, but she started her acting career officially in 1953, when her husband returned to Osogbo from Lagos.

Late Oyin Adejobi, according to her, had earlier followed his elder brother, Adeleke Adejobi to Lagos, from where he started his acting career in 1948. But came back to Osogbo to form his own group (Oyin Adejobi Theatre Group) in 1953.

"It was when he came back that I joined the group and we started from there. Back then, we had what we called opening and closing glay. But because parents didn't allow their female children to come into theatre (they believed theatre was for lazy men and wayward gilrs). So I used to sew blouse and skirt and put oranges on men chests, while I stand in-between them for us to dance and perform the opening and closing glay.

We never thought theatre could be this acceptable or profitable. We were doing it for the love and passion we had for the job. The applauds and cheers we received after each stage play were enough for us.

On how she met her husband, Mama has this to say. "We were living in the same area. We went to the same school, All Saint Anglican School, Osogbo. In fact, my husband was the organist of the Church before he left for Lagos, after his standard 6 education."

Mama didn't but also used the opportunity to admonish younger generation of Nigerians on the need to work hard and be focused.

She also registered her displeasure over the indecent dressing being practiced by actresses in Nigeria's movie industry, advising them not to be deceived by the pleasures of the world but to believe that they can succeed through dint of hard work and the grace of God.

I got to attain this age because of God’s mercy. In addition, the Almighty also gave me the wisdom of preserving my body and being moderate in all I have been doing. Our youths should emulate this too. They should learn to be God fearing too.

Iya Osogbo, who has featured in films like 'Orogun Adedigba', 'Kuye', 'Kootu Ashipa', 'Ipadabo Oduduwa' and others, lost her husband in year 2000. But she has since forged ahead to act in several films after then, though not easy but she remained focused and thankful to God.

Nigeria Is Fighting A Wrong Battle For Its Peace & Development- Pastor Ituah Ighodalo

The Senior pastor of the Trinity House Church, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo has said that unless it goes back to history in addressing some fundamental issues, Nigeria may not achieve the desired peace and development. Saying that the history of the past is the foundation that guides the activities for today and the future.

The stylish pastor made this revelations in Ibadan last week while speaking on the topic "History As A Catalyst For Peace And National Development". As Guest Speaker at Pastor Dotun Ojelabi's 51st birthday and inauguration of the James Adekunle Ojelabi Foundation (JAOF).

History, according to pastor Ighodalo, is an umbrella term that relates to past events. Which he said is regarded as memory, discovery, collection, organization, presentation, and interpretation of information about events.

"I used Dr. Ojelabi's book for history at King's College in 1970s way before the Babangida era and it was interesting to know that even in this present edition, there are write-ups on the Babangida era, including a section on Book Haram. 

"The activities of yesterday have suddenly become history, the history of the past is therefore the foundation that guides the activities for today and the future."

The now historical agreements of yesterday have now formed the basis of our economy and activities of today. For example today, the Jews are fighting for peace, and at the same time they remained one of the most developed and economical strong nations in the world. This antecedent is based on their history, but peace eludes them even till today because of historical conflicts with the Philistines now known as Palestinians in the past even since the time of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their economy is strong based on the historical principles of restructuring their values in the Torah and the leadership style of David and Solomon. Past history has directed their present.

Similarly, Europe is relatively peaceful today and their areas are very well developed largely because of the historical antecedent of the Europeans, who rose from centuries of Medieval wars that metamorphosed into an industrial revolution and they all concluded at the end of World War II in 1944/45 that peace was an important criteria for industrial development.

Coming nearer home to Nigeria, it is deeply unfortunate that a lot of our leaders did not take the history band antecedents of this nation into consideration before making any unresearched quest for national leadership.

A political friend of mine who is doing a program on African/Nigerian history at the Oxford University recently admitted to me that the lessons he has learnt have been invaluable, so much so that he attests to the fact that peace may elude some parts of Nigeria based on a deep seated mistrusts among people as a result of the activities of the slave trade.

Why do we have such unrest and underdevelopment in Nigeria? Ethnic problems, mistrust among tribes, issues of Boko Haram, a fractionalized leadership, an underdeveloped economy and calls for restructuring? The truth is that history tells us that Nigeria is made up of different nations of different cultural and societal values whose natural evolution were truncated by the British and European invasion. Part of whose collateral damage was a destruction of our cultute and values.

For example, a great friend of mine Yemi Candide-Johnson SAN, told me recently that one of the challenges we are having with our legal system is that, while the British legal system evolved out of the historical practice of their culture, the Nigerian legal system was imposed on us by the British without any reference to our cultural values and traditional system of justice.

He again explained that our present constitution is largely flawed because a constitution is a simple document contributed to by different federating unite based on their history, background and values as a foundation of their agreement, to co-habit, co-operate and co-participate together in the building of a nation that will promote their various interests.

There must be mutual agreement between federating units for there to be federation. The present constitution that guides our democracy is not a product of any agreement between any federating units.

The last proper constitution in Nigeria to which the various units participated and agreed was in 1963 and the military truncated it in 1967 and from then till now, Nigeria has known now.

Hence, the massive calls especially those who understand a bit of the history of the nation for restructuring and a general ignoring of same by those who want to mischievously change our history.

History determines economy, the peace and progress, the thriving economy of Singapore is based on their history.

The progress of China and even India is based on their history.

Our leaders should learn our historical past so that the can properly shape our economic future.

History is not just a catalyst for, it is advancing the foundation of peace and national development.

If you are not able to understand where you are coming from, it will be difficult to determine where you are going. May our history give us peace."