The Soun of Ogbomosoland Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III has rejected the claim of manipulation and cheating leveled against him by veteran theatre practitioner Chief Olalere Osunpaimo (Lere Paimo) popularly known as Eda Onileola.
This is contained in a statement signed by Rev’d Peter Olaleye, Special Assistant on Media and Community Relations to Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III.
Earlier in the week, during a press conference held in Ibadan, Oyo State, Chief Lere Paimo said that the Soun approached him for the remake of his popular film “Ogbori Elemoso,” but alleged that in the end he was given a paltry N7.5m which upon the advice of his children and lawyer he returned.
Chief Lere Paimo, who is also the Aare Arobajo of Ogbomosoland, consequently appealed to well-meaning Nigerians including Governor Seyi Makinde and Pastor Enoch Adeboye (the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, whom he described as Oba Olaoye’s spiritual father), to save him from being robbed of his “intellectual property” which he lamented cost him a lot.
However, the Soun in the statement explained that Chief Paimo missed the point emphasizing no one had monopoly over historical accounts and that several movies have been remade without any infringement alleged.
The monarch pointed out the history is about the founding of Ogbomoso and that anyone could remake a movie out of it as long as the script or the title of a previous movie is not used or adopted.
“The attention of the Palace has been drawn to a series of misleading allegations credited to Baba Lere Paimo concerning the remaking of the Ogbórí Elemoso narrative,” the statement said.
The monarch however chastised Chief Paimo for taking the matter to the public domain rather than approaching him for rapprochement moreover when he is a chief in his palace.
He said, “While His Imperial Majesty, the Soun of Ogbomosoland, does not intend to engage in a personal attack, particularly because Baba Lere Paimo is a respected Chief in the Palace (Aare Arobajo of Ogbomosoland). it has become necessary to set the record straight to forestall misinformation and undue public speculation.
“It is important to state clearly that if there were any concerns or misgivings on this matter, the appropriate and dignified channel would have been direct consultation with His Imperial Majesty, rather than public engagement on social media. This is not a path His Imperial Majesty would ordinarily choose, but clarification has now become imperative.”
The monarch further said that he was informed that Baba Eda Onileola was truly contacted on the new project, but that it was not to buy the copyright of his movie rather to share his version and to offer him a role in the film while asserting that historical stories could be remade and remade and that one could only run afoul of copyright law if someone’s storyline or title is adopted especially if it is copyrighted.
He, however, said it was stated the Ogbori Elemoso film produced by Chief Lere Paimo had no copyright, nonetheless, it was revealed an entirely new plot and title are in the offing for the new project.
He said, “His Imperial Majesty had earlier engaged Baba Lere Paimo and informed him of the intention to creatively remodel the story of Ogbomoso in a manner that aligns with global storytelling standards, including platforms such as Netflix.
“In this regard, His Majesty told Baba Lere Paimo that he would like him to be part of this project and as one of the characters in the proposed movie project. The financial offer made to him was strictly for his participation as an actor and contributor, not for the purchase of any copyright.
“Extensive findings were conducted, and it was established that the story in question is not copyrighted. Furthermore, the movie currently in production bears a completely different title, a distinct and expanded storyline, and a separate plot structure. While it draws inspiration from the history of Ogbomosoland, it is a creative work that does not replicate or appropriate any exclusive material.”
Confirming the offer of N7.5m to Eda Onileola who celebrated his 85 years birthday in August 2024, the monarch insisted it was acting fee as a character in the new movie. He insisted no one has exclusive right to a historical story.
He said, “For the avoidance of doubt, Baba Lere Paimo was offered the sum of N7.5 million, an amount significantly higher than what was offered to other participants. This gesture was unfortunately misunderstood as payment for copyright ownership, which is incorrect. It must be clearly stated that no individual can claim exclusive ownership or copyright over the history of a town.”
The Soun maintains that, “As the Soun of Ogbomosoland and custodian of the people’s history and culture, His Imperial Majesty affirms that history is not static but dynamic. The intention was never to appropriate or distort history, but to allow Baba Lere Paimo the opportunity to present his own perspective within a broader, creatively reimagined narrative.
“It is on record that Baba Lere Paimo did, in fact, share his version of the Ogbórí Elemoso story during earlier engagements. The forthcoming movie, scheduled for release next year, is therefore not an exclusive retelling of any one individual’s account, but a creative production with a new name and a complete, original storyline.”
He said, “This matter does not constitute a case. His Imperial Majesty would have preferred that it not enter the public space at all. However, this clarification has become necessary to curb the spread of misinformation and to set the record straight. While the movie is inspired by the history of our town, the story remains in the public domain, and the production itself is based on a completely different script, title, and plot.”
The monarch also said that Baba Lere Paimo might have been misguided by fifth columnists into believing he has exclusive right to a historical story, while stressing his rebuttal stemmed from the need to puncture the erroneous narrative being peddled to malign his personality, thus the allegation had no merit.
Discover more from TheTimes Nigeria
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
