-
Without His N4 Million Retirement Benefits
-
His Unfulfilled Dreams
-
What His Family Said About Him
Barely a month after the death of a veteran actor, Olumide Bakare , another tragedy has hit the Yoruba movie industry as popular Ogun State based actor Samuel Adeshina Adesanya known as Pastor Ajidara also passed away few days ago.
Not many people know that the actor had been battling kidney challenges since 2012, after he had an accident on his way from work at Owode, Ogun State. The car was completely damaged and the accident almost claimed his life. He has been nursing the kidney problem since then.
Pastor Ajidara, who worked for more than thirty years with the Ogun State Judiciary and resigned in 2015, was a disciplinarian and someone who loved to keep his personal private. This explains why it took people another two years before they knew he was critically ill and battling an ailment.
The 62-year-old actor, who was shot to limelight after his role as Pastor Ajidara, died of kidney failure at the Mercy Hospital, Panseke area of Abeokuta.
His death came barely 24 hours after popular actor, Yomi Fash Lanso, launched a campaign to raise N15 million for his Kidney Transplant, at a time he was yet to collect his N4 million retirement benefit from the Ogun State Government.
Fans and friends were already sending money to his wife’s account before she raised an alarm that people should stop sending money as the actor gave up the ghost at the late hours of Saturday.
Pastor Ajidara was the President of the Ogun State chapter of the Theatre Art and Movie Producers Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN). Confirming his death, Ogun State popular actor Mr. Bolaji Amusan, popularly known as ‘Mr. Latin, said he died at Mercy Hospital at about 11pm. “He was a disciplined man, we tried to raise funds individually, but was in the process of involving government when he died. Together with online supports we were able to get some funds,” Mr. Amusan said.
It was during the montly meeting of TAMPAN, which was usually held at Cultural Centre Abeokuta that members became aware of his health condition and the Exco decided to pay him. a visit where the photographs which flooded the internet were taken. It was revealed later on social media that the actor was sick and needed money for surgery, this didn’t go well with him. He was said to here lamented saying he would not want people to donate money for him because of his illness. He was not happy about it.
According to Mr Adeleke Adetutu otherwise known as Seyi Crown , who is the Public Relation Officer of the Ogun State TAMPAN, he said he had always known the President was sick as he needed to feed him back on matters relating to the Association “, I always call to check up on him to see how he was and sometimes went home to feed him back on association matters , but when I called him last week friday he said he was going to hospital for a check up, I had a feeling things were not so good. I was in Ibadan when I got a call from Yomi Fash-Lanso that he needed Pastor Ajidara’s photographs which I thought he was going to use during an upcoming programme. On Saturday evening, my sister called me from Lagos that there was news on social media that Pastor Ajidara needed funds for surgery, which was on Yomi Fash-Lanso’s wall I called Yomi immediately and I told him the Oga wouldn’t like any appeal fund, launched on his behalf at all as he has warned against it but he said he had got permission from Mr Latin and Pastor Ajidara’s wife. I was still in Ibadan on Sunday when I was told the he has given up the ghost.
While speaking about the late actor, his wife, Atinuke, who is a civil servant and also has a shop where she sells food stuffs was devastated, because according to her, her husband was the breadwinner of the family. A caring husband and a supportive father, she said her husband’s sickness began shortly after an auto crash in 2012.
She explained that Ajidara was going to Owode to resume work when the auto crash occurred and was subsequently admitted at a private hospital, few days after the admission her husband began urinating blood and was later referred to the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, where he was admitted. After months of treatment, Pastor Ajidara was discharged and placed on drugs as out-patient.
According to her, the retired judiciay worker was religiously using the drugs until last February 8 when his health suddenly deteriorated and had to be rushed back to Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta.
It was at the hospital that medical examinations showed Pastor Ajidara’s two kidneys had been severely damaged and must commence dialysis treatment that will cost N120,000 per session, at a private hospital.
Two things on the lips of Late Pastor Ajidara was the news about him needing money for surgery which didnt go down well with him , and he was stressing that the Association should ensure the release of the movie shot to narrate the story of TAMPAN, this was on his lips until he was placed on oxygen to support his breath on Saturday evening.
Few days before his death, Yomi Fash-Lanso posted on social media that Pastor Ajidara needed N15 million to enable him undergo kidney transplant to save his life.
Fash-Lanso in his post had said: “Please I’m so sorry to disturb you with this request for I know it’s truly none of your business, but if you find it good in your heart kindly lend a helping hand.”
“I don’t do this often, but at times critical issues need quick attention. Just like the man in the picture – a Nigerian film actor – Mr. Adeshina Adesanya, popularly known as Pastor Ajidara, from the film Abela Pupa needs quick attention,” the film artiste pleaded.
He stressed: “He’s seriously sick with kidney failure and in need of financial aid from me and you. No amount is too small even if it’s N100.”
He explained that the illness has not just started, but that Adesanya has been battling the kidney problem for long without raising much noise about it.
“He’s been on it for years with the family attending to his needs and bills coupled with help from friends and relatives, but its eaten deep into their pockets reason why they are seeking, for assistance from all corners,” Fash-Lanso stressed.
He maintained: “This broadcast was initiated by his wife otherwise we wouldn’t have done this.
Pastor Ajidara’s first born Mrs Ogunsina Adebayo Adeshina , who is married with kids and also works at the Ogun State Judiciary said in a brief interview that ” I was my fathers favorite , people call me Omo Baba E (daddy’s girl ) , we talked more than once on the phone everyday and we joke a lot too. I will miss him so much because he was my confidant and adviser, he always put me through how to live life in a peaceful and simple way , how we must not be in haste for the love of money , because he believes in hardwork and we take to all his advice, I was in the house when he died because I came home from the hospital to check my kids and my sister at home, but I got to the hoapital at 12am and I was told he is dead. My father dosen’t compare himself with anyone and he abides by the law, which I see him do everytime considering the fact that we worked in the same place before he retired.
Adesanya Adedamola Oluwaseyi his second born and only son also said “I would have said a lot right now because he is my father, although we are not as close as he was to my elder sister , I am a very quite person, I dont talk like he use to because of his profession as an actor, but I learnt a lot from him. I was with him when he died , he was in pain for four days, but it was so unbearable that Saturday night and we all got scared, I took my sister home around 8 30pm , on getting to the hospital I saw that my dad was placed on oxygen to support his breath , that was when I knew something was about to happen . My dad was a caring father and always advice us a lot”.
One actor that is very close to Late Ajidara is Tajudeen Edun popularly called Baba Mogaji or Olori Ebi , they worked together at the Ogun State Judiciary, speaking on Ajidara’s death, he said “Pastor Ajidara was my boss at the Ogun State Judiciary, he loves me so much and took me like his brother and I saw all I wanted in this great man , that was why I took him as a father. Some people dont even know we are not blood related , we were so close beyond expectations. In the industry I can say he is my boss and I can say he is not my boss , because he is older than me and also started at a younger age , but while he was in the English industry, we were doing our yoruba industry , he was a good leader that can be flaunted anywhere, I see him everyday until his death. I will remember him for a lot of things, on the job and our friendship. He was the Chairman of Ogun State Judiciary before he retired in 2015 , and he did everything in his power to make sure I was elected on the same post as the Chairman Ogun State Judiciary. He was not born with kidney diseases, not until 2012 when he was coming from work, then he was with the Magistrate Court Owode while I was in Sagamu , the car was a total write off but he was alive and we thanked God then ,that was what led to the kidney problem which was discovered later , he was always going to the hospital for check ups , it was few months after the accident that he started urinating very well.
Late Pastor Ajidara was an Ijebu born,married to Mrs Atinuke and the union is blessed with three children. Although, he started acting when he was young, but featured mostly in English movies, before the late Ahmed Alasari gave him a the role of Pastor Ajidara in his movie, Abela Pupa, which was a hit family and TAMPAN are making plans to give him beffiting burial. His dreams was to see that the movie shot in honor of the Association TAMPAN , which the story line reflected the story and birth of TAMPAN was released into the market and also his 4million naira retirement benefits.
–BUNMI MUSTAPHA
