Depleting rank of original cast of good old Village Headmaster

The recent demise of popular actor Dejumo Lewis has further depleted the ranks of the original cast of The Village Headmaster series. The actor who became a household name playing the Oloja of Oja in the defunct Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) drama series ‘Village Headmaster’ passed on December 23. He was aged 80. Clearly star of the drama programme that started as a radio programme in Ibadan in 1958, with the late Chief Segun Olusola as creator and producer, like the creator and now Pa Lewis, the bulk of the prominent members of the cast and crew of the Village Headmaster have passed on. Chief Elsie Olusola (Sisi Clara) passed on over three and half decades ago. Others who have transited include Chief Wole Amele (Councilor Balogun), Sam Agbebi (Lawyer Iyanda), Chief Funso Adeolu (Chief Eleyemi), Joe Layode (Teacher Garuba), Jab Adu (Bassey Okon), Chief Femi Robbinson (Headmaster), Ted Mukoro (Headmaster), Chief Justus Esiri (Headmaster), Jimmy Johnson (Okoro) and Yinka Ogundaisi. Only a few members of cast including Ibidun Allison, Dele Osawe, Lara Akinsola, and Kate Adepegba are still around and in active practice. Celebrity salutes some the stars of the series that are still active…

Ibidun Allison (Amebo)
The story of the good old Village Headmaster would not be complete without the mention of the veteran actress Ibidun Allison aka Amebo. The 82-year-old actress etched her name in the collective memory of the nation playing Amebo, the character in the series who is hailed as a gossip. The mother and grandmother is very active although she does more of commercials and being a brand ambassador. Born in Sapele, Delta state, Mama Ibidun, as she is called by close colleagues, joined the entertainment industry early, at 12. She revealed in an earlier interview that she declared her own destiny after she saw a performance by the late doyen of Nigerian theatre and cinema Chief Hubert Ogunde. A product of Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where she revealed that she honed her skills in drama, broadcasting and scriptwriting, Mama Ibidun also attended the London School of Music and TV production where she further enriched her craft. Holder of the title of Otun Iyalode of Remo in Ogun State, Mama Ibidun spends her spare time visiting her children and grandchildren, and actively participates in church activities.

Albert Egbe (Lawyer Odunuga)
NOT too many people know that notable Nigerian actor and producer Albert Egbe featured in the good old Village Headmaster. The Warri, Delta State-born actor who is best known for his TV roles as the original Mr. B in the defunct sitcom, titled, Basi and Company was in the original cast of the long running series. Egbe, who is currently based in South Africa, played Lawyer Odunuga in Village Headmaster. A former executive member of the Pan African Federation of Filmmakers (FEPACI) and at a time accountant with Deloitte and Michelin Nigeria, Egbe who is still very much active as an actor and producer has built a career in entertainment by producing short films and television movies, many of which are adaptations of literary works by Nigerian writers. Egbe left Basi and Company halfway through production following a dispute with the creator Ken Saro-Wiwa and produced the television series Jagua Nana’s Daughter based on the novel by Cyprain Ekwensi

Lara Akinsola (Doyin)
A STAGE and screen actress and a Fellow of the theatre profession, Lara Akinsola featured as Doyin in the rested Village Headmaster. A committed thespian, thorough bred professional and star of some of NTA classics including, Play of the Week, and Mirror in The Sun. Lara has so many radio plays to her credit and has worked extensively on stage and on television. The former banker cut her teeth as an actress at the PEC theatre Onikan, where she was a resident artiste and she has not looked back since she ventured into the thespian vocation a little near four decades ago

Kate Adepegba (Folake)
AN actress of long standing, who is totally committed to the arts, Kate’s journey as an actress started on stage and then during the good old days of television. Many still recall how she spiced up all the episodes of New Village Headmaster she featured in. Kate it was, who lived delightfully the role of Folake, one of dutiful girls who served as apprentice in Sisi Clara’s shop in the New Village Headmaster. Even Kate agreed that it was her role in that NTA drama that brought her fame and opened doors for other acting opportunities. Described by close friends as humble and friendly, Kate had her early education in Lagos and worked briefly with the Nigerian Tobacco Company before she joined the cast of Village Headmaster in 1983. Prior to that, Kate did some acting on the NTA Channel 10 drama programme ‘The Arm Chair Theatre.

Dele Osawe (Teacher Fadele)
A THESPIAN to the core, Dele Osawe is one of the surviving members of the cast of Village Headmaster. The graduate of Administrative Management from the University of Ilorin, who was raised in Iyin in Ekiti, Ile-Ife in Osun, and Lagos State respectively is easily remembered for playing the exuberant and boisterous Teacher Fadele in the Village Headmaster series. An actor of the stage and screen, the Edo-born veteran actor was inspired to venture into theatre practice by theatre greats such as, Chief Hubert Ogunde and the late Duro Ladipo, had his big break on screen playing Teacher Fadele in Village Headmaster. When the series was rested, Osawe who is a trained screenwriter returned to his beat at the NTA until he retired. Now retired but not tired, Dele has traversed the various media of the performing arts.