Entertainment

My Relationship With Pastor Sam Adeyemi – Holy Mallam

Holy MallamAdebayo Ajibola, known as Holy Mallam in showbiz circuit is perhaps the only top comedian in Nigeria that strives to make politically-correct jokes. In this interview with ORUKPE NELSON, he reflects on his career.

Could you recall your first major job as a comedian?

I was an undergraduate at the Lagos State University. The Foursquare Campus Fellowship organised an event at the LASU car park. Pastor Seyi Jaiyeola was the head then and one of my church members introduced me to him. I spent about 17 minutes on the stage. I was very happy. From there, I began to get invitations to different churches, fellowships and events. There was a particular vigil where I worked as the master of ceremonies and was paid N500. I was so excited. In 1995, when I was a teacher, I earned N500 as monthly salary. But for just a night I got that same money as a comedian.

But did you know comedy will pay off for you?

I just appreciated the fact that I could make people happy and I was happy about it. It wasn’t the money that came first.

Why did you settle for comedy?

I cannot say that there was a particular thing that influenced my decision to do comedy. I just knew that I could make people laugh. It started from church and the thing grew gradually. I was engaged in other things before I decided to take up comedy as a full time job; I wasn’t jobless. And it is not just comedy I do; I am into a lot of things. I just don’t want to discuss them yet because I had said things in the past that put me in tight corners.

Did you get your parents’ support?

I got support from my mother. She was my motivation and I even got the comedy skills from her. My mother is naturally funny. She encouraged me all the way.

How was your upbringing?

My father was comfortable before I was born. We used to stay in Festac Town, Lagos, but things took a dramatic change. My father had to sell our house in Festac and we moved to Okoko (a suburban neighbourhood in Lagos). He could no longer pay my school fees and I was hawking bread. Sometimes, my classmates would see me on the streets and laugh at me. It really affected my self-esteem and I also sold eggs and pure water. When we relocated to Okoko, I saw life from a different perspective. I understood the intensity of embarrassment as a child, and I’d never like to experience it again.

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How do you come about jokes?

A lot of things happen and I get inspirations from them. I have never had any challenges in putting jokes together. But since I studied communication arts and being a Christian, I understand things that are ethical and things that are not. My faith doesn’t allow me to say some things and from the beginning God has helped me to lay down that foundation. But that doesn’t mean I don’t do events outside the walls of the church. I do events for companies in the oil and gas industry, health, information technology, among others.

Though I am a product of the church, I am not restricted to the church. Also, I am a professional master of ceremonies; I am not just a comedian. I feel that is where most people get it wrong. I am beginning not to find that funny because everything in life is about transformation. The fact that I started with comedy doesn’t mean it is the only thing I do.

Are you fulfilled?

I am not fulfilled; I am just a work in progress. And I feel this is how it should be for everybody. The day you feel you’ve arrived is the day you get it wrong. I thank God for the steps so far, but there is still a lot we have not done. I do inspirational talks; I speak to young people and business owners. For instance, Lagos Business School used me as a case study. There are lots of lives that I am yet to touch, so I feel I have not done anything.

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How have you been able to remain relevant?

It is the grace of God that keeps me relevant, I must say. And I am conscious of the fact that I know who called me. God gave me the gift and I will only stop if I say I don’t want to do comedy again. Anything from God is progressive; it doesn’t become obsolete.

You are often seen at Daystar Christian Church; what’s your relationship with Daystar?

Pastor Sam Adeyemi is one of the people I look up to. I like his leadership style and the fact that he is not cocky.

Who are your mentors?

I have quite a number of them. I don’t really want to mention names, but Pastor Sam is one.

What legacy will you love to leave behind?

I would like the whole of Africans to understand that nobody was created as a mistake or by accident. So, I would like to look back and say that because of me a lot of people discovered what they were created for. This is my primary assignment away from comedy or MAKING MONEY. The cure to challenges in Africa is for people to understand their roles or what they require to discover their potential and use it to develop the society.

Was comedy a childhood dream?

I wanted to study law when I was a child. However, I didn’t regret not studying law because comedy has taken me to where law wouldn’t have. I have met like 10 presidents and many other top personalities. I move globally. I also noticed that one may not understand what his or her calling is. In some cases, you may do the conventional, which will give you a conventional result. But the ultimate is when you do what God had destined you for.

Is there anything you would love to change if given the chance?

I would just have used my mind better than I had done in the past. If I had known all the things I now know I would not be where I am today. This is also the major problem in Africa; a lot of minds have been deprived or eroded. I feel culture and tradition has a way of pulling people down or back. So, if I had the opportunity to revisit the years I had lived I would change my mindset earlier than I did. I wasn’t exposed to certain things I am exposed to now, but I still thank God.

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Has there been a time you got tired of comedy?

I have never wanted to stop; I was even fond of encouraging people to continue. But when the time to stop comes I would not look back. The young shall grow; we must leave the stage for the younger ones at a point. What we should do is to train and make them professionals. MC may not stop so soon as comedy and there are still other things I do.

But do you think the emerging comedians have what it takes?

Of course, yes. I wasn’t the one who gave them the talent; God gave them. But what they decide to do with it would determine how long or relevant they remain in the industry. Any extraordinary ability you see in this world comes from God. Only Him has the power to give and take.

How long have you been in marriage?

By October, I would be 10 years in marriage. Though marital life is the combination of ups and downs, it is a good feeling. For the first five years, couples must learn to understand themselves. Marriage is determination and something you must work on every day.