Papa Ajasco Stand-in Actor, Femi Ogunrombi, Is Dead

Veteran actor and former Music Instructor with the National Troupe Of Nigeria, Femi Ogunronmbi, is dead.

The former music instructor, who once played the role of ‘Papa Ajasco’ in the Wale Adenuga Productions (WAP) comic series, was said to have died on Saturday evening.

The sad news was disclosed in a post by writer and theatre practitioner, Shaibu Husseini, on Saturday.

Dr. Shaibu wrote, “I have just been reliably informed that the ethnomusicologist, former Music Instructor with the National Troupe Of Nigeria and one-time stand-in for the ‘Papa Ajasco’ character on the popular WAP Comic Series ‘Papa Ajasco’ Mr. Femi Ogunrombi is DEAD!”

According to him, “I am told that the actor, singer, highlifist and trained Nurse whom we fondly called ‘Uncle Ogurombo’ (not to his hearing though) passed on this evening.”

The late Femi Ogunrombi took over the character of ‘Papa Ajasco’ when the former character, Richard Abiodun Ayoyinka, pulled out of the show and he carried the light very well while it lasted.

The TV comic series, Papa Ajasco and Company (formerly The Ajasco Family) is a Nigerian family television sitcom created by Wale Adenuga in 1996. The show is a spin-off of a feature film of the same title produced by Adenuga in 1984, which in turn is based on the comic Ikebe Super.

The story revolves around the Ajasco family and their comedic interpretations to major societal issues. The main characters include womanising patriarch, Papa Ajasco, his long-suffering wife, Mama Ajasco, their mischievous son, Bobo Ajasco, local playboy Boy Alinco, promiscuous gold-digger, Miss Pepeiye, and illiterate ne’er-do-wells Pa James and Pa Jimoh.

At its prime, Papa Ajasco was widely considered to be Nigeria’s most watched comedy series, viewed weekly in 12 African countries.