What a lovely composition by you. What inspire your song for the REMO people, the place you also hail from?
When the Akarigbo was about to be crowned, one of the members of the coronation council called me and said it will be nice to have an anthem for the Remo people.
What has kept your interest in children entertainment?
My religion says let children come unto me for there is the kingdom of God. My interest is in entertaining them; because I look around then and nobody is interested in taking care of them. I am a children too (laughs). Again, when you have things to do with children, they will rejuvenate you. You will never misbehave if you are in the area of children entertainment.
How did you start the children entertainment?
I was lucky- when I was growing up, each time we went on holiday in the village, our uncles will gather to tell us stories, I started collecting, I started storing the stories. So, each time I came to Lagos then after my holiday, I will act the stories to my friends who did not go to the village. Then again, there was a radio program in Ibadan where some elderly men will call me and say “come and tell stories for our children”. Later on, I went to America, the story drama continued and it was massive there. When I came back to Nigeria, I taught I will be going back- I then went to unilag (University of Lagos) staff club with some of my group members, we went to have children’s program there and entertain them. Tell them stories upon stories and they really enjoyed themselves. LTV8 (Lagos Television) was there with camera and recorded everything and when they edited it, they were able to come up with two episodes from it. Those were the 2 episodes that started my television story telling program in Nigeria. Once they started showing the 2 episodes to viewers at home, the feedback was so much and they called me and it all started at LTV8. We were doing that until NTA invited me and AIT too called me which was the African stories on AIT. I am building a center where we will train people about story telling; It is situated at my home town - so people can come and see where I am from.
How do you feel seeing all your awards which is up to 400 if not more?
Each Morning I see those awards, it humbles me. Because as far as I am concern, I have not done anything, I have just started to do something. If you are a person like that and you tell God that you plan to do more, you will not look at the past. Thank you Lord, I am humble.
Do you have any of your children who have taken after you?
I know they are all talented. Even one of my daughters got a PHD in theater arts.
What is it that people don’t know about you?
I am afraid of food. I will not rush for food anywhere. My uncle who died at 170 years - when you take yam to him, he will call people and start giving it out. He will tell you- (speaking in Yoruba: Atenuje lo paa eyan). The only person who can say come and eat is my wife; if she is not around, I am on fasting and prayers (Laughs).
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