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| Baba Sala |
Baba Sala dies at 82, FG, others mourn
* How my father died – son
* Learn from my dad’s mistake, Baba Sala’s son urges artistes
Seasoned comedian, Moses Adejumo, popularly known as Baba Sala, has died at the age of 82.
Baba Sala died in Ilesa on Sunday evening and his body was deposited at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex Annex in Ilesa ( Wesley Guild Hospital).
His media assistant, Mr Isaac Hastrup, confirmed the death of the popular comedian to our correspondent on the telephone on Monday morning.
Hastrup said, “Baba has died. He died some minutes to 10pm on Sunday night. His remains had been to the morgue. He died of old age related sickness.
“He came to church two Sundays ago and he was the one that said the benediction. Baba has gone to be with the Lord and he will be missed by many people including his fans.”
Baba Sala was rumoured to have died around November 2017 and the news went viral but his son, Emmanuel debunked the news that time.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, expressed profound sadness over the death of the icon.
Describing Baba Sala as an incomparable Thespian and a trail blazer, Mohammed noted that the comedian, along with his contemporaries, laid the foundation for the theatre and comedy that have now taken Nigeria’s creative industry by storm.
The minister said, ‘’Baba Sala’s sacrifices, contribution and commitment played a great role in launching an industry that is now a huge employer of labour and a significant contributor to the nation’s economy. Through it all, he lived a life of honesty and service that qualified him as a great role model.’’
Mohammed condoled with the family of the late comedian and prayed that God will grant repose to his soul and also grant his family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
How my father died – Baba Sala’s son
One of the children of late Moses Adejumo, aka Baba Sala, Emmanuel, has said that the foremost comedian died in his sleep on Sunday night after taking his last supper.
Emmanuel told our correspondent that his father ate his last meal at around 6:pm and took a rest for a while before he went to bed but he died in his sleep.
He stated that Baba Sala’s youngest wife, Funmilayo, went to his room to tell him something when she discovered that Baba Sala had died.
He said, “Baba died last night. He died at 81. I was not there but his wife called the eldest son of the family immediately it happened and that one called me and narrated everything to me. His body had been taken to the mortuary. We will need to hold a meeting before we can fix anytime for his burial. Some of the children are just hearing about it this morning.
“I will miss so many things about my dad. He was a very lively person. He was always advising us even those who were not his biological children, he advised them equally. He would tell you what to do and guide you.
“Though he was not wealthy, he was rich in the knowledge of God and he had a wealth of experience. He would tell us that his own father did not encourage him to be a comedian, that he didn’t have anybody to advise him when he was growing up but he was always guiding us and praying for us.
“He was a prayerful man. He was a Godly person He never missed morning and evening prayers. If there was anything he was expecting, or any grip he wanted to undertake, he would instruct all of us to pray and fast for the thing to happen. We all learnt this from him.
“We were together with him two Sundays ago because that day was his Family Harvest Day. He was the minister in charge at the Cherubim and Seraphim Church Idasa No 1 but that Sunday was set aside for him as his own family harvest and we were there. After the harvest, we played with him before we departed.
“He was not sick. I was told that he ate last night. He did not die of any sickness. It was just the time for him to go and be with the Lord. One of my younger ones talked to him on the telephone on Saturday and he was okay. His wife, Iya Rhoda, told me that he ate around 6:pm and rested for a while before he entered into his room to lie down on the bed.
His wife went inside the room to tell him something and she discovered that she was not responding. She started calling him, ‘Chairman, Chairman, ‘ but no response. She shook him and discovered that he had gone.”
Meanwhile, the Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Dr Najeem Salaam, has described the death of the comedian as ‘the end of an era’ in the Nigerian entertainment industry.
The Speaker said this in a statement Issued on his behalf by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Goke Butika.
Speaker Salaam expressed gratitude to the ace comedian for putting Nigeria and Osun State, in particular, on the global map through his exploits as a comic actor of international standing.
The statement read, “Late Apostle Adejumo was an enigma who redefined comedy and brought many people to work in the entertainment industry. The way and manner Baba Sala unleashed his talents from 60s was so maverick that Nigerians in thousands will continue to remember him for bringing them therapeutic laughter and lessons of life.
“We owe Baba Sala a debt of gratitude for he unleashed his talent to make people happy and learn through his comedy and his comedy exploit brought our country, particularly, our state to a good map in the entertainment universe.
Salaam further expressed condolences of the family of the deceased, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran; state parliament over the demise of Baba Sala, describing the deceased as a good ambassador of the state who brought glad tidings to the world through his talents.
Learn from my dad’s mistake, Baba Sala’s son urges artistes
Emmanuel Adejumo, the son of late veteran comedian, Moses Adejumo, popularly known as Baba Sala, on Monday urged Nigerians to learn from his father’s achievements and mistakes.
Adejumo told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that his father was a hardworking man who contributed his quota to the development of the movie industry in Nigeria.
According to him, one of the greatest mistakes that befell his father while alive and active is the misfortune of piracy that financially crippled him.
“My dad was strong till he died. He died of old age and nothing was wrong with him, health-wise.
“My dad was well known in the movie industry and I urge actors to learn from his achievements in the industry as a comedian.
“Actors should also be careful of piracy, because it is an evil menace that is stunting the growth of the industry,” he said.
Adejumo said that Baba Sala died in his house at Ilesha, Osun State, on Sunday night after his supper.
“My dad passed on out of old age and not sickness. He was a very active person, someone who loved his job so much and knew what he wanted.
“He has finally gone to rest with the Lord and I pray that he should rest in peace,” he said.
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