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Well-known Nollywood actor Femi Ogunrombi passed away on January 15, 2023. He was famous for portraying Papa Ajasco in the comedy show Papa Ajasco and Company.
Theatre practitioner Husseini Shaibu disclosed the news on Twitter and wrote:
“I have just been reliably informed that the ethnomusicologist, former Music Instructor with #NATIONALTROUPE and one time stand in for the ‘Papa Ajasco’ character on the popular #wakeadenugaprod comic series ‘Papa Ajasco’ Mr Femi Ogunrombi is dead.”
Femi’s role was originally played by Abiodun Ayoyinka and after the latter left the show, Femi was cast as a replacement. This was what initially caused some confusion among netizens, many of whom thought it was the original actor who passed away.
Femi’s cause of death has not yet been revealed.
How was the confusion regarding the death of Papa Ajasco cleared?
Femi Ogunrombi’s death was mourned by the public on social media.
However, there was a lot of confusion regarding the news. This is because several people initially thought that the actor who passed away was Abiodun Ayoyinka, who first portrayed Papa Ajasco.
Digital journalist and talent manager Mayowa Adenekan clarified things while paying tribute to Femi and wrote that he spotted many people using pictures of Ayoyinka when one who died was Femi.
Ayoyinka himself also posted a video to clear up the confusion, saying:
“My name is Abiodun Ayoyinka, popularly known as Papa Ajasco. I am not dead. I am still alive. And thank you very much my fans out there for your concern. I really appreciate you all.”
A few news websites also issued an apology towards the end of their pieces for using Ayoyinka’s pictures in their stories.
Femi Ogunrombi also had a successful career in the world of music
Femi Ogunrombi joined the Obafemi Awolowo University and formed a choral group called The Ayoro Voices. He was also a music composer, producer, and director of films.
He had a successful career in the music industry for around 25 years and was a recipient of many accolades, including a gold plaque and a Diploma Certificate in Creative Composition in North Korea in 1995. He developed an interest in the introduction of creative art in schools, and believed that it will be helpful for children to build an entertainment sector.
He was cast as Ajasco after Abiodun Ayoyinka left the show. Femi once mentioned in an interview that audiences could connect better with Ajasco when Ayoyinka was playing the character. Later, he too left the role, saying that he never felt bad about it since people loved Ayoyinka more than him. He continued:
“Also, considering the market target of the sponsors, they felt they were losing viewers and money, I nicely told and I reasoned with them and left.”
Femi added that he was satisfied with the time he played the character and the cast members became like family members at one point. He even reintroduced Ayoyinka when the latter returned as Ajasco once again.
