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As He Prepares For His 85th Birthday
On Tuesday 27th August, 2024, a City People Magazine Team, led by its Publisher, SEYE KEHINDE visited Theatre legend, Chief Lere Paimo (MFR), alias Eda Onile Ola, at his Iwo Road residence, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The visit was part of the current activities marking the 28th Anniversary celebration of City People Magazine. The plan is to visit 28 Movie Legends, across the South-West to say Thank you to them and acknowledge their remarkable role contributions to the Movie Industry.
It was a fresh looking Baba Eda, that came out to usher us into his modest residence, which had old photos, awards and various memorabilia on display, on the walls of his living room. He was ably accompanied by his pretty wife, Deaconess Abiola Paimo, who played the perfect hostess. She is over 70, but she doesn’t look it.
Baba Eda looked fresh. There was nothing to suggest that he will be 85 soon.
For 2 hours, Papa entertained us with never-heard off stories about his life. He spoke about how happy he was to receive City People Team into his house for the 3rd time running, over the last few years.
Chief Lere Paimo says he feels fulfilled as one of the world’s greatest and eminent Thespians. He is happy at his outstanding accomplishments spanning several 7 decades. He has been around since the 60s when he was with late Chief Duro Ladipo, one of the founding fathers of Yourba Theatre.
To mark his 85th birthday, Chief Lere Paimo is to be honoured by the current Soun of Ogbomosho, Oba Ghandi in Ogbomosho. Baba will also be honoured by Agbarijo Egbe Odo Yoruba at the University of Ibadan, on Mondays 23rd, September 2024 as part of its Yoruba National Day.
Many don’t know that Chief Lere Paimo was born on 19 November 1939 in Ogbomosho, Oyo State.
He is an Actor, filmmaker, Producer-Director.
Chief Lere Paimo, (MFR) was born in Ile Ikoyi Odan, Osupa, Ogbomosho, a city in Oyo State.
His father was a Tobacco and Yam farmer, the leader of the local farmers’ organization. His mother was a Trader. Chief Lere Paimo was sent to primary school in Ogbomoso, but then left for the Gold Coast (current day Ghana) where he continued his education up to Teacher Training College where he obtained Teacher’s Grade 2 Certificate. He eventually returned to Nigeria and decided to stay in Osogbo where he worked as a Classroom Teacher in a Baptist Missionary School,
He began acting in 1958 after he joined the Oyin Adejobi Theatre Group, a theatre group founded by Pa Oyinade Adejobi before he later joined Duro Ladipo’s Theatre Group where he featured in a stage play, titled Obamoro with the role of “Chief Basa”. He became popular following a lead role as Soun Ogunlola played in an epic Yoruba film titled Ogbori Elemosho, which brought him into limelight. He had featured, produced and directed several Nigerian films since he began acting in 1963. Around 1960, while working as a Teacher in Osogbo, he decided to join Oyin Adejobi Theatre Group, a theatre group founded by Pa Oyinade Adejobi which was an organization performing plays for churches, schools, and cultural and social clubs. A year later around 1961, Duro Ladipo invited him to Mbari Club, the cultural centre founded by Ulli Beier to take part in an art production. He was interested in Painting as well as in Theatre, so he accepted the invitation.
From the beginning, Lere Paimo’s talent as an actor was recognised and he was given leading roles. In Eda, he played a key role himself, so memorably that up till today his nickname has remained Eda Onile Ola.
On the 24th of January, 2004, he was made the Aare Arobajo of Ogbomosoland by late Oba Oladunni Oyewunmi Ajagungbade, the then Soun of Ogbomosoland.
Also, on the 20th of December 2005, his very good friend, former President, Olusegun Obasanjo conferred on him the Member of the order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in recognition of Baba Eda’s outstanding virtues, and in appreciation of services to his dear country, Nigeria.
Watchout for the interview as from tomorrow on City people Platforms.
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