It is no more business as usual —Mr Latin

Bolaji Amusan, popularly known as Mr Latin is the new President of Theatre and Motion Pictures Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN). The comic actor, who has been in the industry for over three decades, in this interview conducted by SEGUN ADEBAYO, speaks on how he will change the face of the association among other issues.

You recently emerged the president of Theatre And Motion Pictures Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN). You have been in this struggle for a number of years, what exactly is the attraction?

Life is always about challenges. When you overcome one phase, you must get into another one in order to keep growing and learning. I guess the same thing applies to me. The decision to be the number one person in TAMPAN stemmed from my determination to do instill discipline in the association and improve on what my predecessor has done. You will get to a certain stage in your life when you want to try something new. When some of your colleagues are doing something and you feel you can do it better with the support of the people, you might consider throwing your hat into the ring. TAMPAN has been around for sometime and I feel I can do better and return the association to the path of glory.

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Are you saying the man who handed over to you has not done well in office?

No, that’s not what I mean. I just feel I could also do it better. That is why it is a tenured position. When you have done your best, at end of your tenure, another who emerges winner, should also come in to contribute his or her best for the betterment of the association and the people.

 

So as the president, what are the things you want to change?

You will agree with me that in the Yoruba movie industry, there is no more discipline. We don’t have respect for culture, and it is so sad because without our culture, we can’t achieve anything. How do you portray your culture to the world if you don’t even practise or believe in it. I want to try as much as possible to bring back that culture of respect, despite the advent of social media, which many people now lay claims to. Before the advent of the social media, there was the culture of respect and tradition that our forefathers taught us. So, I believe that with discipline we can achieve a lot of.

 

We have observed how some of your colleagues always try to paint a picture of what they are not on the social media in order to win over more fans. They always fail to separate their personal lives from the social media drama. How do you want to correct this anomaly?

It is true that some of our people have caught the bug of social media, but we can still put things right. Every member of TAMPAN knows there are laid down rules that you must abide by. You will recall that Nkechi Blessing had to come on Instagram recently to apologise for alleging that a colleague of her was trying to arrest her and all that. We told her she must put an end to the drama and apologise. It is not easy to change people to new ways of doing things, especially when they are used to a particular style. But all of that is changing now and you will begin to see changes in the next few months.

 

It is believed that making the kind of change you are preaching is not always easy in an association that has people of different backgrounds and interests. Don’t you think you will be stepping on toes enfrocing your agenda?

If you want to make changes, you have to step on toes. That is the only way things can change. I am not scared of stepping on toes, even the bigger toes as long as it will bring about the much needed change that we all crave.

 

You are ready to step on the toes of those who made you the president?

Those who made me the president saw my agenda when I was campaigning. They knew what I was going to do and they agreed to support me. So, if you want to make changes, you would have to step on big toes. I said it when I was sworn-in that it is not going to be business as usual but business unusual. I am not afraid of stepping on toes even powerful toes. Before stepping on their toes, I would have given them reasons things can no longer go the old way.

 

What can you say about your career over the years and how far you have come?

To God be the glory, I have been in the industry for over 30 years and I have never done any other job apart from acting. I have produced more than 60 movies and appeared in over 1000 movies. I am a well-known actor and I have travelled far and wide. I have paid my dues.

 

Did you see yourself becoming the president of the association when you joined the industry?

No one could tell what would happen to him in life when he starts a journey. We always want to believe that all will be well. That’s just the truth of the matter. Having said that, I have always put myself up for leadership positions because I know I have the qualities every leader should have. I did not pay attention to becoming a leader when I started; I just wanted to do my job and be happy. So, along the line, people started appreciating what I do and how I contribute to the the development of the industry in my little way. I think with the level of acceptance that I enjoy today, I can go far.

 

Dele Odule handed over to you as president. What’s the relationship between two of you now?

Before I became the president, he has always been my brother, my hero, mentor and leader. We sat together and met a couple of times.He is someone I hold in very high esteem even till now. He is my leader.

 

It is believed that the elders in the association are not doing enough to help the industry. Some people have alleged that they always want to be everywhere. How are you going to handle their matter?

It depends on the people you refer to as elders. We have a lot of elders in the industry, who have made tremendous contributions  to the industry and even beyond. People like Adebayo Salami, Yinka Quadri, Jide Kosoko, Iya Awero, Ogogo, Dele Odule and many others. My plan is to bring everyone together for the progress of the association.

 

What is your vision for TAMPAN?

My vision is to carry everybody along and make the association great again. I have teamed up with some of the best brains in the association, those who are young and could use their influence to help us get better. Odunlade Adekola is the Director of Motion Picture.  Femi Adebayo is our Legal Adviser, Fathia Balogun Williams is the National Treasurer, while Ayo Adesoya is the National Representative, There is also Abbey Lanre, who is my deputy. We have a lot of great actors who want the progress of the industry. We really want to change the face of the industry, and our members believe in us and we believe in them also.

 

What would you like to achieve in two years?

I want to raise the profession to a reasonable level. I want everyone to know that we are not just acting but also passing meaningful messages across to our viewers. Many people have this belief that because our ladies dress in a particular way in their movies, that’s the same way they dress when they are not on set. There is life outside acting and we wish to educate the young ones who fall for what they see in movies that it is just a make-believe. You can’t copy what you see in movies that are not good and believe that is how things are done.

 

How will this new role not affect your acting career?

I am still acting and still doing my entertainment job as a compere of events. I am only fortunate to be the president. I am just the first among equals not that I am special, but I am just fortunate to be there to make some changes.

 

As the general election approaches, there are insinuations that some political parties have reached out to TAMPAN to convince its members to use their strength and popularity to sway people for votes. How do you react to this?

I don’t believe such thing is happening. TAMPAN is not a political party that will campaign for any politician. If someone approached me to work for them as Bolaji Amusan, I will do my best. I won’t go there as TAMPAN president. If I do that, I will be going against the rules and regulations of the association. Any member of TAMPAN is free to work for any political party as long they don’t go there as representatives of TAMPAN. The association is not a political party and nobody will come and approach us for such obligation.