Veteran actor, Dejumo Lewis, who played the role of a paramount king, Oloja of Oja in the now rested NTA drama, Village Headmaster, will turn 72 on July 28, 2015. The famous thespian spoke to TS Weekend about his early life, religious and cultural beliefs, Nollywood, politics and other sundry issues. Enjoy it.
Chief Dejumo Lewis, you will turn 72 on July 28. How do you feel hitting 72?
I feel fulfilled. I feel great because I have done what I’m supposed to do for myself, my contemporaries and my country, because at a very early stage in life, I had a vision of who I am and who I was and what I wanted to do. In fact, I had a flash back that I have been here before. The idea of reincarnation became a reality to me and when I got to Benin City in 1966 for the first time in my life, it became clear to me that I have been there before; and I felt like going down and kissing the soil but I did not do it because I didn’t want to give wrong impression to people around me. It also happened to me in the old Check Slovakia. We went on tour of the country and I could vividly recollect that I was once there. I could almost identify where I lived.
Did your parents by chance tell you the circumstances surrounding your birth?
Unfortunately, I was not told, but my name suggested the circumstances surrounding my birth.
You mean Dejumo?
It is Adejumoke but I shortened it to Dejumo because most of my friends were always making jest of me, calling me ‘asewo’ (prostitute). My name is Adejumoke, so that says a lot about me. The name means ‘a crown that must be cherished by all’. The name tells me a lot about myself, because I am not an ordinary person. I am somebody special.
Did that affect your growing up?
Absolutely yes, because I’m the only one out of my siblings that pursued my line of profession and ideology.
Art-related profession?
Not just art, but culture, which further heightens my belief. I left the Seminary in 1960/61 because of my belief. I was in the Seminary during the reign of Pope John Paul the 23rd at the Vatican in Rome. That time, all the Roman Catholic Bishops converged in Rome praying and brain storming on the reforms that had to take place in the church and they came up with ecumenism. They believed there should be unity among all the religious organisations, not only the Roman Catholic Church, but all the other churches so that they would be one body of Christ. That gave me the push to start studying culture and I did a lot of researches, part of which were published in the church’s internally circulated magazine. But when I discovered that the church was not doing anything along that line, that is, contributing to the indepth study of the culture of the people, I said to myself that I’d better withdrawn, which I did because it did not alow me to pursue my own radical ideology.
Whereas the Roman Catholic faith is conservative, even when the Church thought it has undertaken some reforms by introducing drums among other things, to me, it was not reforms but scratching the surface. Those that introduced the reforms did not know that culture is about the entire life of the people, who they are and what they do. By doing so the church could have come up with the Nigerian Catholic church or African Catholic church and make sure they adapt the culture of the people into religion so that wherever we go, we will be identified as Africans by culture. And this should have started from the church because the church could have corrected what colonialism did to our culture.
Was that why you joined the Village Headmaster, to express your cultural belief?
Yes, that was why I joined the Village Headmaster crew. When I saw the first episode, I knew from the outset that the programme was meant to propagate the true African culture. I went for the auditioning and I was given a role by Mr. Dosunmu now Oba Dosunmu, the Olowu of Owu, Abeokuta, Ogun State. He was the one that gave me the role of ‘Kabiyesi, the Oloja of Oja’. In fact, the role was initially that of a ‘Baale’ (community head) before it was upgraded to that of first class oba. I played the role very well and I played the role of oba until the programme was rested. I also had an oppurtunity of producing a series of the Village Headmaster. I equally had the opportunity of bringing the programme back in 1984 as the New Village Headmaster.
We started production in 1984 and we started broadcasting on Thursday, January 1, 1985. I produced the programme for about four years, which later formed the basis of my research work on culture at the Master degree level. I’m also writing a book entitled, Communication and Culture, which would be published soon. The book explains what culture is and not what the English and Arabs make us to believe. Culture is our life and it has to be the basis of our development.
You played the role of a king but you never became a king like some of your counterparts such as the late Oba Funsho Adeolu, late Oba Wole Amele, and reigning Oba Dosunmu…?
(Cuts in) There is another Oba Fatona; there is also Oba Segun Akinbola of Alade.
In the course of acting in Village Headmaster, most of these actors-turned kings prostrated for you, how did you relate with them when they eventually became king?
That’s very intresting (laughter). You know, right from day one that I watched the Village Headmaster, even before joining the cast I discovered that the programme was not ordinary. It’s the only programme where people have come out to take the position of a king in real life; mind you, not one or two persons but about four or five, and these are the people who have prostrated for the Oloja of Oja in the programme (laughter). I could remember during the corronation of the late Oba Funsho Adeolu, each time we met, he would say jokingly, ‘Dejumo come and dobale all the dobales I have done for you in the past, meaning Dejumo come and return all the courtesies I have accorded you on the programme in the past’. And of course, I will lie flat on the ground and he would lift me up. You know, we don’t take note of things that have happened to us in our life. Another funny thing is that I was even the youngest because Uncle Funsho (Adeolu) was about 10 years older than me; so also the late Oba Wole Amele and others.
So, you enjoyed playing the role of a king?
Of course, yes. That was an indication about the role I would be playing in real life.
That you would become a king one day?
No, do you know that in Erijiyan Ekiti, my hometown, I belong to one of the ruling families? I’m not cut out for that because my mission is for Nigeria and Africa as a whole. Mind you, I left the priesthood because it will restrict my professional and operational base, so also the kingship stool will restrict me to my domain. For example, the Village Headmaster gave me a wider platform to get the idea I needed to understand culture, which has been my guide since. Then, I was acting and at the same time producing and directing. This has been my guide all through my life. I gave up priesthood, which had a very bright future. Even when I left, they were still asking me to return. In fact, I dont know of any student who was highly favoured, well treated than me during my seminary days. But I opted out. From all indications, I knew that I would be well positioned. But I opted out because of my ideology.
Coming from a royal family, do you think you could become a king someday?
No, despite coming from a royal family, my mission in life was not to become a king. Now, I’m planning to relocate to Erijiyan Ekiti to help develop my town and state of origin, with the hope of building a cultural foundation that will help others and be a model for Nigeria and other parts of Africa. This I hope to leave behind for comunity and my children. And I hope to develop this as our culture dictates.
If the Village Headmaster returns today, would you still act?
There has been public outcry; anywhere I go people keep on asking me ‘when are we bringing back the Village Headmaster?’ If it comes back, I would love to be part of it, if it potrays what the old Village Headmaster stood for. But my candid opinion about the return of Village Headmaster is that we should have a programme that potrays African cultural values and sets agenda for what Nigeria should become in the future. That was what Village Headmaster stood for when I was handling it. I was making serious social commentaries with the programme until I ran into trouble with the powers that be. I was questioned on two occassions.
By who?
Don’t let us go into that.
You left a very promising career for art, so what have you gained and what have you lost?
The art gave me an opportunity to pursue my ideological goals. But in the process, I came in contact with some people, who did not believe in my ideals and they were trying to castigate me for who I am. But I raised standards and I can now stand tall. This did not come easy because in the course of my career, I have stood up against evil people.
Your face is not too prominent in Nigerian films, why is this so?
I still act some prominent roles. I don’t just act, I call for the script and if it doesn’t conform to my ideals, I’ll reject it. I just rejected one recently though, it was a good script, at the end it potrays whites as more superior to blacks. I see it as a serious cultural conflict.What’s your impression of Nollywood?
Let me say this for record purpose, I dont like the name Nollywood being used to describe the Nigerian film industry. Is it because the Americans call theirs Hollywood or because the Indians are so gullible to accept Bollywood from them? Indian films are now totally westernised, it is a deviation from the culture we used to admire that time. Nollywood is also westernised – from scripting, dressing and other things. Nollywood is total nonsense; it is part of brainwashing we get from the Western world and from colonialism. What is being espoused in Nollywood is western ideology, nothing cultural. That’s my grouse agaist it, though it has brought us to the limelight in terms of movie making.
You recently hit hard on Nollywood practitioners for being used by politicians to campaign. Why?
The past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan dented the image of Nollywood by giving them money to campaign for him. They also celebrated Nollywood at 20 shamelessly when the film industry started in Nigeria in the ‘50s.
Despite your popularity, you have not been given a national honour. Why?
I was given seven years ago when I turned 65, but I rejected it because I did not want to take a national honour from a corrupt government.
With your ideology have you really made money?
(Laughter) You don’t expect a person like me to make money. Let me tell you, I’m right now in debt to the tune of millions of naira. That’s why I have not been able to publish my book on communication and culture, which has been ready for over five years. I have tried to talk to people and organisations for sponsorship; at first they will be enthusiastic about it but they are always scared of the content.
And you are happy about that?
I am absolutely fulfilled, particularly when you are doing something for your society. There is that depth of fulfillment and I’m at peace with myself. I voted for President Buhari because I see a resemblance of me in him, but I’m dissappointed in APC, the party that is a proponent of change having internal fracas.
Are you happy that none of your children has stepped into your acting shoes?
When they were young they showed enthusiasm but later they dropped the idea. I’m happy they are successful in their chosen careers. I have children who are lecturers, lawyers, economists and civil servants; I have another one in communication and advertising.
As a popular actor, what has been your relationship with women?
I love women; I love them (Laughter).
At 72, are you still active in bed?
Where is the woman? (Laughter).
Chief Lewis you are not growing any younger but we pray you stay longer on planet earth. When you might have gone, what do you want to be remembered for?
As a proponent of sanitised world, a world free from corruption, injustice, perversion, and everything that is evil. I also want to be rememberd for being a man that fought for the rights of others; that liberated others from inhumanity to humanity.
How do you want to be buried when you might have gone?
(Paused and laughter). I prefer cremation because I hate the money being wasted on burial nowadays.
Culled from Daily Sun.