•A remarkable actor, script writer and producer is gone!
It over 80, he reportedly said he was still chasing his dream of doing a masterpiece. But JAB Adu was already well-respected as a master artiste and his reputation didn’t need further validation. His thespian talents were recognised as far back as the 1960s when he wowed television audiences across the country with his must-see performances in the long-running drama series, The Village Headmaster.
Adu’s remarkable career as an actor, script writer and producer was all the more impressive because he successfully switched from the staid world of banking to the creative world of drama.
His death at 83 on February 28 particularly rekindled memories of his inimitable role-playing as Bassey Okon in the now rested The Village Headmaster. The fictional character was a rural untrained doctor, medicine seller and grocery store proprietor in a village called Oja in Southwestern Nigeria.
The beauty of Adu’s role was based on his flawless interpretation of the Efik character, although he was Yoruba. His name was Joseph Abiodun Babatunde Adu, and it is fascinating that his initials were stylised to form what many thought was his first name. Adu’s acting prowess in the drama series reflected a detribalisation that is good for the country’s pursuit of unity in diversity. It remains a useful lesson today.
As a result of his father’s transfer from Calabar, where Adu was born, he had his primary and secondary education in Lagos. He attended the primary section of Baptist Academy, which was then located at Oil Mill Street, Lagos; and from 1946 to 1951 he was a student at St. Gregory’s College, Obalende, Lagos.
He travelled to Britain after a stint at the British Bank for West Africa, now First Bank Plc, and studied Banking at the Westminster City College, London, where he qualified as an Associate of the Institute of Bankers, UK. It is curious that Adu then enrolled at Morley College of Drama, South London, but it was a path that led to personal and professional distinction.
His passion for drama led to his resignation from the Central Bank of Nigeria where he worked on his return to the country. Following his debut in The Village Headmaster, he embraced full-time acting. It is a testament to his impact that a co-actor in The Village Headmaster, Dejumo Lewis, who played the role of a village traditional ruler, said of him: ”He was a mentor in the industry. He was one of the very few true models we have here. JAB was a perfect gentleman who was professional to the core.”
Beyond The Village Headmaster, Adu had other notable creative credits. He wrote, produced and featured in the 1978 TV social drama series, Adio Family; and also wrote and produced Bisi, Daughter of the River, a 1977 film that was shot in Lagos. Adu was a script writer on the platform of the African Radio Drama Association (ARDA), and he contributed to the radio series, Rainbow City, which addressed issues related to good governance, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. His creative talents were of use to the BBC World Service on the award-winning radio drama series, Story Story – Voices from the Market. He was also involved in the BBC WST TV drama series Wetin dey.
For his creative services, Adu was in 1978 honoured with a national decoration, Member of the Order of Niger (MON), by the Federal Government. He was a member of a ministerial committee to harmonise the functions of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) and the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB). It was fitting that he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2008 edition of Zuma Film Festival for his contribution to the development of the Nigerian creative sector. Adu played his various roles with a sense of the stage.
