Veteran comedian, Mr. Abiodun Ayoyinka, who is the original Papa Ajasco in Wale Adenuga’s sitcom, ‘Pap Ajasco’ has clarified the confusion surrounding the death of Femi Ogunrombi, a fellow ‘Papa Ajasco’ cast member.
The death of Ogunrombi who played the role of Papa Ajasco for a brief period in 2006 was announced yesterday by theatre practitioner, journalist and lecturer, Dr. Shaibu Husseini.
“Femi Ogunrombi, who was a stand-in character for Papa Ajasco in the popular 1996 sitcom, has passed on.
“I have just been reliably informed that the ethnomusicologist, former Music Instructor with @National Troupe and one time stand in for the ‘Papa Ajasco’ character on the popular @waleadenugaprod Comic Series ‘Papa Ajasco’ Mr. Femi Ogunrombi is dead,” Husseini tweeted.
A digital journalist and talent manager, Mr. Mayowa Adenekan, also confirmed the report on the social media saying the late actor was a the stand-in actor when the first Papa Ajasco character pulled out.
“Veteran actor Femi Ogunrombi a.k.a Papa Ajasco is dead. I see a lot of people using images of the first papa Ajasco Mr. Abiodun Ayoyinka, but the one that died is Mr. Femi Ogunrombi, the one that took over the character when Mr. Abiodun Ayoyinka pulled out of the show. May his soul RIP,” he said.
Ogunrombi, a multi instrumentalist, music teacher, composer, actor, producer and director of music/film studied music and drama at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.
He founded and conducted a choral group called The Ayoro Voices. This group was the cultural image of OAU between 1980 and 1983 respectively.
In 1994, Ogunrombi joined the National Troupe of Nigeria as Music Instructor. By 1998, he rose to the position of Director of Music. He inaugurated and conducted the National Choir and in 1998, he left the government to pursue his own music business.
Following the obituary announcement, many people who were not aware that the late Ogunrombi was a replacement for the original Papa Ajasco, Ayoyinka, began to publish the latter’s pictures in their reports on the late Ogunrombi’s passing.
However, Ayoyinka, original Papa Ajasco, has clarified the mix up saying he (Ayoyinka) is still alive.
He spoke out yesterday and put out a video to clarify the mix-up.
“My name is Abiodun Ayoyinka popularly known as Papa Ajasco. I am not dead. I am still alive. And thank you very much my fans out there for your concern. I really appreciate you people,” Ayoyinka said in the video.
He thanked his fans for reaching out to him on the death of Papa Ajasco.
“Ojigbi-jigbi-jigbi-jigbi-jigbi-jigbi,” he signed off in the video.
Ayoyinka played the role from 1996 to 2005, and from 2007 till present.
