LERE PAIMO, JIMOH ALIU ARE USELESS ELDERS_Jide Kosoko

Based on the many crises rocking the Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners, (ANTP), the versatile and energetic leader of the association, who is allegedly swimming in a pool of many scandals and controversies, as a result of embezzlement, Prince Jide Kosoko, recently came out to reveal the back bones of the industry that are ruining the industry. In this tête-à-tête with him, the out-going president, who is the father of another talented diva, Sola Kosoko, told News of the People’s GBOLAHAN ADETAYO, the big fish ruining the pool of ANTP, his successes, his achievement to work with wife and daughter and other interesting issues you can’t afford to miss. Enjoy it…

Congratulations on the Award you recently bagged?
Thank you very much.
So tell us what you think, bagged the award for you?
I don’t know, but I will just say I was appreciated by the organizers of the award, and I also appreciate them too, indicating that some people some where appreciating our efforts and that is a way of encouraging us to do better.
Today, people are appreciating you based on your status as a prominent personality in the Yoruba movie genre, what do you have to say to the generation to come?
I just want to tell them that they should try as much as possible to do well in all their endeavours, especially the younger ones, to ensure that their contribution towards the uplifting of the industry is noted. How do we do this? Ensure that whatever you are doing you do it well, if you are a cameraman camera well, if you are a director, direct us well, and whatever you are doing, do it rightly.
So what will you attribute the achievement to?
I will attribute that to my hard-work and determination to excel in our chosen career, you know, whatever profession you find yourself, even if it is not your best choice, endeavour to have passion for it. It is only when you have passion that you can achieve.
Sir, with the crisis in the ANTP in Nigeria, Lagos State chapter seems to have come to an abrupt full stop, as 13th of June this year was set to be the final judgment at court 10 in Lagos, but information has it that they have postponed it, what do you have to say about the postponement?
It wasn’t a judgment, it was a pre-trial, and it has to do with the Lagos State chapter alone. I am the National President and another pre-trial is also in the pipe-line. it is a pre-trial and it just the beginning.

Let us agree that it is a pre-trial, but do you see this fracas coming to revelation soonest?
Well, we call it pre-trial and it’s rather unfortunate that all leaders and elders in the association are greedy, the rift is what we should have been able to settle even without going to court, but it is rather unfortunate that we have some useless elders and I can mention their names, quote me right, elders like Lere Paimo and Jimoh Aliu, they are the most useless elders that I have ever seen in my life, they are trouble makers in the association, they are the big fish that are ruining the water even right from the time of late Hubert Ogunde; they are the dangerous people we have in the union, but we are waiting. The court will make the decision.
We learnt that at the genesis, the court made it known to every aspirant of the association not to hold any election till when the judgment is passed which ultimately split the union into many caucuses and some of the groups even went further to conduct elections?
Yes, it was Comrade Victor Ashaolu;s faction, which held the election and declared himself as the President of the association. I don’t want to talk on this issue because it is already in court.
So what should your people be expecting from you?
As far as I am concerned, we are all practitioners and we belong to one another, whatever happens when there’s crisis, we face, it squarely, tomorrow there might not be crisis and we will continue to move forward in our daily activities. It’s rather unfortunate, I am supposed to have posed the problem to the association, but because I said I am not going to re-contest and let other people come on board, which I think is humble enough, but it is very unfortunate that some have gone on imposing their own candidates, which is not supposed to be; as far as I am concerned, anybody that becomes the president is my president, but I will never accept any thing that is not legal. It must be in line with our constitution.
Before you, Oga Bello was the president of the association, and things were not like this, but these days, things have tremendously changed negatively?
I will not agree with that, the problem of ANTP has not been changed, during the time of Oga Bello, it was a period of nine years brouhaha in court.
Not what you think, I didn’t mean change in terms of crisis; everybody knows that a saint cannot rule the association?
I was a little bit nervous to that question, because I was indirectly an unseen administrator of the association, even during the tenure of Oga Bello. I was the person that was doing this and that, and you know what that means? Nothing was okay, there were court cases here and there, but I was able to confront and ensure stability.
Sir, how do you feel being on location along side your wife and daughter as cast to display talent in a movie?
Being on location with my family is a big achievement, because in other fields, people do go into the profession with their family. Haven’t you seen a family of lawyers, doctors, accountants and so on? A situation whereby husband, wife and a child practice the same profession is always interesting.
So, should we agree that it is an in-born profession?
Either an in-born or not, I am a professional artiste, which means aside from the passion and talent, I went through some trainings.
Aside movie, which other activities you are involved in?
I am now a politician, hope you know that.
There was a time that it was reported that you were aiming to become an elected political leader in the just concluded election?
Yes, I purposely dropped the idea, because of the ANTP crisis, I want ANTP to be unified and that is my sacrifice.
In four years to come, are you still going for that post?
I may and I may not, it all depends on the situation of Nigeria.
There is this complaint over the indecent dressing of the so-called Nigerian actresses, while some say that they are prostitutes who use movies to cover up, what have you done so far to change the situation as an out-going president of the union?
You see entertainers dressing crazily, and that is what our girls are trying to emulate, but we continue to tell them, especially in the Yoruba movie genre, that as culture and tradition, they must not go gaga again.
So, as the fractional president, can you pin-point to one or two things you have applied to eradicate the situation?
So many, as much as possible, I made known to my people that there is need for development, I organize a lot of seminars because what ever you are doing, you need to be updating yourself, and that is my main focus and many more.
Sir, you have not really answered the question. There are some actresses that appeared in one or two movies, claiming that they are actresses whereas they have other runs they do like prostitution and other unpleasant acts they are involved in, what have been your efforts to stop this act, in order not to tarnish the image of those that take the job seriously?
I am not a wizard, I may not know what they are doing aaside acting, but it is only what they do to the taste of people I know about, which is movie.