‘They didn’t owe us; I bought my first car from Papa Ajasco’ — Pa James

He said even though he can feature in other projects, he is not allowed to answer to Pa James in any other production because Wale Adenuga trademarked it.

If you follow the ‘Papa Ajasco and Company TV’ series, you would know Pa James, the sidekick of the titular Papa Ajasco.

Brought to life on TV by Kayode Olasehinde, Pa James is a balding, unintelligent character whose mischiefs always get the best of him.

However, despite both characters being fan favourites, a recent report suggests that veteran Nigerian actor Abiodun Ayoyinka, who plays Papa Ajasco, is undergoing difficult financial circumstances.

In a recent interview, Ayoyinka said the public perception of wealth associated with his character often contrasts sharply with his reality.

“People believe Papa Ajasco is a millionaire or billionaire, but the remuneration is very poor,” he said.

However, Wale Adenuga, a veteran filmmaker and creator of the sitcom, in a statement, refuted the claims made by Ayoyinka.

Playing Pa James

In a turn of events, Olasehinde has provided a perspective as to why it seems the characters on the show are struggling financially.

He also debunked insinuations that they were not well catered for.

The veteran who spoke on Lucky Udu Experience expressed gratitude to Wlae Adenuga Production, stating that he gained a lot from ‘Papa Ajasco and Company’.

“To be realistic, Wale Adenuga did something for us. Especially me, the day he called me for a role in ‘Papa Ajasco and Company’. The show had been on for a long time. Peter Fatomilola was the first Papa Ajasco. But when they started the one on television, they called my friend, everybody, and me too.

“I thought it was going to be just something we’d do in three weeks, but it went on for a long time. And they didn’t owe us money. Anything we do, we get paid. If he (Adenuga) calls us for a meeting, after that meeting, even if it’s for just five minutes, he pays us. The day we clocked twenty-five years with Papa Ajasco, I was very happy,” he said.

He also revealed that he gained a lot from the show, including his first car.

“The thing I got from playing that role wasn’t small. I became popular. As for money, the man tried a lot for me. From ‘Papa Ajasco and Company’, I bought a car. I did a lot of things from that job.

Perspective

Providing a different perspective from the claim by his colleague, Ayoyinka, which suggests that they live in penury, Olasehinde said that in past, shooting was more frequent, meaning they earned more.

“The way they used to do it, it doesn’t take long before we get jobs. But now, if we record about 10 episodes, before we are called to the location again, it may take up to two years. When it was in Wale Adenuga’s hands, we didn’t have to wait long before we got called. You know they now have WAP TV, so they no longer spread their programmes across other stations like they used to. Probably that’s why.

“For me, if it is about driving, I don’t know how to drive, but the first car I bought was from Wale Adenuga. It was a Nissan Bluebird. Papa Ajasco bought a car through a loan. Me too, I bought mine and with a loan and paid back in three instalments. When I work, they deduct the car payment from my pay. That was how they did it,” he said.

Legalese

He further noted that there are constraints to getting jobs outside of the production, which gave them their claim to fame.

As he explains, even though he can act in other movies, he is not allowed to answer to Pa James in any other production because the name is registered to Wale Adenuga.

He explained that the same law binds Papa Ajasco. The only difference is that while he (Pa James) is naturally bald, Ayoyinka, who plays Papa Ajasco, is not. That means his looks also belong to Wale Adenuga, and so he cannot appear in any production looking bald.