Veteran Actor, Chief Samson Eluyemi popularly known as ‘Jinadu Ewele’ was a guest on Parrot Xtra/Ayekooto broadcast live on Splash 105.5FM, Ibadan anchored by Olayinka Agboola recently. During the interaction, He made some mind-blowing revelations. Excerpts:
We know who you are sir…but do you wish to properly introduce yourself sir?
I am Chief Samson Eluwole popularly known as Baba Jinadu Ewele. I was born in Ile Ife, the present-day Osun state.
You are looking younger and radiant despite that you will be celebrating your 70th birthday very soon. (He already celebrated it)
It is the grace of God that is sustaining us; I am satisfied with the blessings of God in my life.
How did you start your acting career?
I started in 1969. When I first started my acting career, my father did not believe in me even after 10 years. It got to a certain time that he asked me if I was into armed robbery, because he did not believe in acting as a career.
Some of the times also, when we get to certain places, the people would be asking us if we have parents. One day, we went to one of the army barracks in Enugu to stage a play and after the performance, people were so happy and they commended us. But one of my mother’s younger brothers who was a soldier in the barrack called me and told me frankly that I should stop what I was doing because it is not a profession that I can make a career out of…and that I should look for a job to support what I was doing.
You are still talking about how you first started sir?
You see, many filmmakers then loved my work and always loved to see me in their movie production. I started from Ogunsola group, I have known my boss since he was with late Pa Ogunde in the early 60s and he was also a friend to my brother; Professor Tunde Awoyele. We were very close and he saw the qualities in me but he allowed me to acquire a vocational skill, in which I learnt mechanical work within the period of 5 years. I have been driving since the 60’s.
At the time I was training, I was very young and my boss always required the service of a driver because I did not have a license but most time those drivers don’t know how to drive perfectly despite the fact that they were older than me; my boss would ask me to take the wheels from them and drive.
After few days, those drivers would run away because they could not withstand me and it got to a certain time that my boss stopped hiring drivers and asked me to concentrate on driving. In the process, he learnt how to drive also and we both used to drive the group to places we were having performances.
So, how did your interest in acting really develop?
The story is long but I will start from 1972, when we went to Ondo High school to stage a play, immediately we finished, my boss called me and said he wanted me to be the General Manager of the group, which I obliged. I was very consistent and I loved the profession passionately. Love is very important in everything; when we do our work as expected; it will pave the way for success and blessings for the individual.
What were challenges you encountered while growing on the profession?
The first challenge I had was my father who seriously believed I was engaged in armed robbery. He did not believe in what I was doing and many mothers in our area then did not want their children to be associated with me because they believed I was a drunkard due to the various roles I acted on the movie set, meanwhile I do not even consume alcohol.
One day, we went to Ilesha for a stage production, the king requested that I should visit him and upon my arrival at the king’s palace, the children were happy to see me. We were offered alcoholic drinks but I declined the offer. The king was shocked that I rejected the drink and I told him ‘Kabiyesi, I do not take alcoholic drinks or smoke’. He later called his Olori (wife) to hear my submissions because she had been of the opinion that I was a bad influence to the younger generation. The King later prayed for me that I would succeed and excel in my chosen career.
You must be a millionaire now sir…
It is not compulsory that one is a millionaire before we can sincerely say he or she has succeeded in life. It is peace of mind that I requested from God and He has always been my provider. I am very contented; I bought my first car in the 1980’s.
Many people believe that money ritual is fast becoming an acceptable phenomenon in our society due to the lifestyles of our theatre practitioners and movie actors. What is your view on this?
All these beliefs are very wrong and not appropriate; the older generations when they watch movies do not accept the negative side but will rather see the good lessons from such production. When we write a story that involves someone engaging in money rituals, his or her end is always bitter and full of regret. When you engage in money ritual to become wealthy in life, it is either the person runs mad or die prematurely. People who engage in such never live to enjoy their wealth because of its adverse effects. It is only God that can make one to be wealthy in life.
I always advocate that people should endeavor to have a good plan for themselves and be determined to succeed in life. Every scriptwriter is a prophet because we do display through our work what will happen in the future. It is only wise men that will learn from message we are passing across. When you are dubious to become rich, such person will eventually end up as a failure.
People do call you different names, how did you come about those names?
Yes, I have been called so many names according to the roles I played in productions so far. Among them is Kasali Onikoko, Omo Olawale, Uncle Jimmy, Baba Roger, Jinadu Ewele among others. The Jinadu Elele name has been with me since 1970. I got the name Jinadu from one of my roles in a stage production, my real name is Samson (laughs).
What is your view concerning the rate at which younger people are in hurry to acquire wealth?
I will urge them to be careful with the way they are live. They should avoid taking shortcut. The journey of life is not as smooth as it seems. Be good to others and stop looking for shortcuts and dubious means to become rich.
You are now a Jerusalem pilgrimage (JP); do you wish to become a Pastor?
I am an elder at Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C) and I am satisfied.
Which of your productions do you think brought you to limelight?
I have done so many works, I cannot even remember vividly. During the time of stage productions, everybody knew Kasali Onikoko and Jinadu.
How can you describe the late icon Baba Hubert Ogunde?
He was a good father figure, there was a time he came to our group that he wanted to be doing stage drama despite the fact that he had started motion picture production/movies. He wrote a letter to our group that we would journey with him for a whole year but when my boss told me, I asked him how we were going to survive for a whole year.
He told me that his coming into the group would be a great benefit to us and I told my boss to forget about it that I would not go with them except I know the financial implication attached to the proposal. Later on, they thought I was joking, immediately they left I rebranded my car to taxi and started using it to get my daily income.
Can you share your experience with us as a taxi driver?
One day, I was driving a car and suddenly armed thugs ransacked Challenge, Ibadan motor Park, which was my route, and the chairman was beaten mercilessly, while other were injured but I was the only one remaining watching the whole scenario like a drama production. Prior to that, I had acted a play that had that kind of setting and my name in the production was Roger.
So, when the leader of the rampaging attackers asked his boys if they knew me, they then shouted ‘Roger’ and he asked me what I was doing at the motor park and I responded that I am a taxi driver.
He later told the garage executives that they should bring me to meet him in his office and on getting there, they requested that I should pick a position from among the executives aside the post of chairman and secretary but I refused the juicy offer.
I told them that that I had little challenges that prompted me to be driving a taxi and that I was not interested in taking over the affairs of the park or to be a member of the NURTW. That was how I rejected the opportunity to become an NURTW kingpin.
