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Veteran Actor, DELE ODULE Opens Up
Many always forget that veteran actor, Dele Odule was one of the ANTP leaders who led the break away faction to set up TAMPAN.
In this recent interview with City People, he revealed why he and others left ANTP to form TAMPAN, plus how he became the 1st President of TAMPAN.
Below are excerpts.
You started your career 47 years ago. At the time you started off, who were your contemporaries?
Well, that’s a very good question. I met some, you know, along the line. So I would say, okay, for real, I would agree that these are my contemporaries. The likes of Chief Kanran, I met him along the line, I met the likes of Remy Shita Bey. Yes, you know, he’s been there for a while too. Then, when I was in Abeokuta, Ebun Oloyede. He is prominent You know him. He was active in Abeokuta then. So I would refer to him as my contemporary. He has been in the system, for a very long time too. Then, along the line, I met the likes of Yinka Quadri, then Ogogo, Bolaji Salami. Those were my contemporaries then, Bolaji Salami, Lukuluku, and some others have, decided to go into some other things. Maybe when they, started seeing that, we were not achieving our ambition, you know, because, Theatre is survival for the fittest.
Why did you not opt out at that time?
Well, I won’t opt out for anything. I won’t opt out for any reason. I believe that when I start something, I just have to end it, and I must strive to do my best. That has been my Philosophy. I know that if I choose today to go into something else, I will still make it. That’s my life. I don’t give up easily. And that is why some people think I am a very tough guy, because they see me as somebody who is so tough. Well, I am not tough. I am too emotional for anyone to be described as somebody who is tough. The toughness in me is when compared to the emotional side of my life, nothing to write home about, honestly. But when I say I want this, I just have to get it. And life itself is just like that. It’s like when one is cycling a bicycle, you know, to keep your balance, you have to keep moving. That’s the way I see life.You have to keep moving.
You’ve also been very active in the politics of the Theatre industry. How have you found it? What has been your experience?
Well, it has been very, very tough.There is no doubt about that, especially when, you see some people who cannot really understand why you are in to what you are doing. They thought maybe it is because I want people to call me President or call me this, call that. No, no, no. I am a, I believe, I believe in Live and let Live.
I always want the rights of people to be given to those who deserve it. And that is why I have been involved in the politics of Theatre for a very long time.
I became the Secretary General for ANTP in 1982 when Baba Ogungbe was the Chairman. We were having just 4 or 5 people, you know, managing the affairs of Theatre. Then. I joined the ANTP. Baba Oyin Adejobi was in charge of old Oyo State, which, you know and Oshun, that sort of thing.
So he was in charge of old Oyo. Baba Ogunde was in charge of Ogun State, which I was the Secretary. Baba Ogundele was in charge of Kwara State. Ah, then in those states, Baba Jimoh Aliu, Jimoh Aliu was the youngest of all the chairmen there. Baba Ogunde himself was the National President.
Maybe because of my little education then, you know. This, idea of considering me for Secretary. One of the reasons must be they actually made me the Secretary because we had very few people who are educated.
So, because of the little education I have as a Grade 2 Teacher. I was a Grade 2 Certificate holder. So, I was able to get that position as the Secretary of ANTP.
Well, in 1995, because of my radicalism, in 1995, I decided to contest as the President. I was persuaded not to go for that. I overdid it a bit. But later I became the, the Vice President to Chief Jimoh Aliu, and that was 1995.
And so, I’ve been very, very active in the Politics of Theatre, especially the Yoruba own.
How did you find the transition from ANTP to TAMPAN?
There wouldn’t have been anything called TAMPAN today if not for the series of litigations today, litigation tomorrow that was actually orchestrated by one of us. You know, he had been a terror on almost everybody, especially all this Balubalu stuff. So, I decided to just face it squarely.
I just said what is wrong with this man now? How can you be rubbishing all these elders? It was because you had the opportunity of going to the University to go and study Theatre Arts. He has a Diploma in Theatre. He was actually using that as a weapon to deal with these people. So I really really really faced him, but unfortunately, the last one that broke the association was the last litigation that we had in 2000. We were in court for about three and a half years. We had one that we were in court for nine years, then another one that was about three and a half years. The case was not favorable, you know, the High Court Judge then said I said you actually won and I said how happy I funded the court case. At least 80 people testified to that, that I spent almost my fortune, the little that I had on the association because 80% of the money spent during that litigation, the last one, came from me.
Yeah, I can say it boldly. And there are people who knew about that who can attest to that. So when the case was not favorable, the lawyer just said if you know you are in the Majority, why do you need this ANTP? Form another association, this man cannot continue to hold you to ransom. And that was how we broke out. But we never knew that people would follow us and, you know, they just decided to follow.
That is how ANTP metamorphosed into TAMPAN because majority of those who were in ANTP are the people that are actually in TAMPAN.
So when we broke out, we decided to just go and get another one formed. We said, okay, let us just look for some people to stay in the association to, you know, send a committee that will effect the registration of the association. We said who are those who can be the board of trustees and organize an election? So it was after the election, you know, unanimously and unopposed, I became the first President of the association. How do you say it? It was a solidarity vote somewhat? I guessed I think it was like this guy, he has been struggling, trying to liberate people, trying to do this. We just had to give this one to him.
I just felt okay. It’s one of those things when you really want to be ready when there are some things that you have to pass through, and those are the things that I actually passed through. So I don’t really see it as a big deal. The only big deal is that this is not the kind of TAMPAN I envisage.
Yeah, when I got there, people were clamouring that I should run for the second time. I said it’s not all about being called the President. I just thought I’ve gotten a structure.
We have the template that we can work on. So my first four years is just like structuring the association. I thought somebody who is going to take it subsequently will now work on that and start moving it but I’ve not seen anything moving in there. This is the first time I’m saying this publicly. I’ve not seen anything moving in there so far.
Yeah, I thought we would have comfort that this, volume of membership is our strength and I think we should have explored that. We ought to have moved far, far, far from where we are today.
Looking at the industry, what would you also say about the state of the industry?
Honestly speaking, the young girls have come through well, they have opened the eyes of actors because we are now, I’m not saying people are being renumerated accordingly, but at least it’s quite better than the way it was when we started. People now enjoy, people can now live a little bit comfortably. You know, they can, those who enjoy startups among us now, they can feed their children, they can put one or two things together, and they, you know, that will make them feel that, okay, I may not be rich but I’m on average.
So the young ones have done that and I have to give it to them, compared to when we started. I think relatively there’s improvements, especially that area of commerce and that area of quality.
How We All Left ANTP To Form TAMPAN was last modified: September 24th, 2024 by
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