Baba Suwe: As hard times fall on comic actor

Those who have been following the events in the entertainment industry, particularly in the Yoruba movie sector in the last few days would have observed that all is not well with comic actor, Babatunde Omidina, famously known as Baba Suwe.

While it is already in the public domain that the actor had been battling with ailments ranging from diabetes, partial stroke and depression, R gathered that Baba Suwe’s condition deteriorated in the last few weeks, due to lack of funds to procure his much needed drugs.

In fact, R gathered that the actor had been going and coming out of the hospital in the last few weeks, with family members rallying round to take care of him. He was said to have been admitted at a point when he could barely walk.

In a recent interview with R, the actor, who has not featured in any movie for over five years in a telephone conversation, said that he felt betrayed by those he trusted, adding that he remained in high spirits even though he was not happy with his health condition.

“I am not feeling fine. It is even sad that those I trusted could not come to my aid. They have all deserted me. I am not worried about all of that, because I know I will bounce back by the grace of God.”

Since the death of his wife, Omoladun, the actor, was said to have remarried about three years ago, but not much has been heard of the woman, who is believed to be helpless due to the health condition of her husband.

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Series of calls were placed through Baba Suwe’s in the last two weeks, the actor neither picked nor returned his calls. He did not reply text messages sent as well, a development which prompted R to reach out to one of his allies.

A source, who is close to the actor in his Ikorodu home in Lagos State, told R that the actor was not in  “good shape and it would be in the interest of all concerned to come to his aid.”

Though the source would not reveal how badly his health was, he maintained that the actor required urgent medical attention.

On Friday, R placed another call to Baba Suwe’s phone and a woman whose voice was hazy answered. She gave her name as Bukola.

According to her, “Baba is not feeling fine at the moment. We are in the hospital and we believe God will raise him back on his feet. You can’t speak with him now because he’s on admission.”

Asked about her relationship with the actor, the woman said: “I am Bukola, his wife. I have been taking care of him for months. Currently, the doctors are attending to him; he can’t talk to anyone. If you call back later, he might be able to talk to you, but as of now, he’s not in a stable condition as doctors are attending to him.”

On Friday, R gathered that The Theatre and Motion Pictures Association Nigeria (TAMPAN), led by its president, Bolaji Amusan, otherwise known as Mr Latin, was making efforts to raise funds for the actor.

Meanwhile, Vice-President,  Yemi Osinbajo, was said to have donated a sum of N1m to the ailing actor.

Osinbajo was reported to have made the donation, on Thursday through the Youth Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Idris Aregbe, who paid a visit to the actor in his residence at the Ikorodu area of Lagos and also offered prayers to him on behalf of the vice president.