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Veteran actor Abdulsalam Sanyaolu, also known as Agbako and Charles Olumo, chats with BANKOLE TAIWO about his career, life at 101, and other topics.
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Let me start by congratulating you sir for clocking 101 years old earlier this year. Did you ever think you would attain this milestone?
(Laughs) How could I have ever thought I would be this old or celebrate 101 years on earth? I never thought of it.
Why didn’t you envisage it?
There are a lot of troubles in this world. It is a life of uncertainties, so, how can someone think he could survive all the challenges in Nigeria, and live to be 101 years old and still counting? I have just received mercy from God. It is God that is doing wonders in my life. I have not done anything spectacular.
Does this kind of longevity run in your family?
None that I know of. God has just decided to favour me, and here I am bouncing and still active to a reasonable extent. I will forever be grateful to God.
Some people think that your longevity could be a result of concoctions or charms you might have used in your heydays. What’s your reaction to that?
There’s nothing like that. I don’t have any charms, neither have I taken any concoction so that I can grow old. All those thoughts are just fantasies; they don’t exist. It has been God all the way. Some people used to think I would be full of charms, because of the way I acted in films. But, all that was just stage action to thrill the audience. My trust is only in God Almighty.
Do you still go to film locations?
Yes, I still go to film locations if I am invited.
Do you go there to act, or just to watch what is being done?
I go there to act. They are always surprised that I am still full of action. It is in the blood, and it is God’s gift to me.
What kind of relationship exists between you and the younger generation of actors?
I have a good relationship with them, as a father and one of the elders in the industry. I advise them on what to do, and what not to do. Sometimes, they consult me on some issues, and I gladly offer my counsel.
Do these actors offer you any form of support?
Yes, they are trying; the likes of Mama Rainbow, Foluke Daramola, Doyin Amodu, Fatimo Amodu, and Kunle Afod. The popular juju musician and respected man of God, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey, has been very supportive too. I am grateful to all of them.
How would you describe your relationship with Ebenezer Obey?
We are like siblings. We are both from Egbaland (Abeokuta). I had known him since he was with the late Fatai Rolling Dollars, so it’s been a very long relationship. I pray God will continually bless him for his love and support for me over the years.
When you look back at your life, is there anything you wish you had done differently?
One can make mistakes in life because no one is infallible. Sometimes, the spirit could be willing, but the flesh might be weak. It is only God who is perfect, so whatever error I might have committed belongs to the past.
