Why I have no plan to retire in entertainment – Saka

Nigerian comic actor and lecturer, Afeez Oyetoro, has effortlessly gained popularity and millage in the entertainment industry for his infamous exploits as Saka, and his fans don’t have to worry about seeing him as he says he plans to remain around for a very long time.

He revealed in a recent interview, “The secret of my agility is God. I believe that it is the grace of God that adds value to one’s lives and makes one relevant. When one is blessed with such grace, one would be disciplined, hardworking and have the wisdom to live a productive and positive life.

“I do not sing because I don’t have the voice to sing. But I compose and write songs very well. I dance but not professionally because I have being privileged to study theatre as my first and second degrees. I’m currently studying for a PhD. I have been able to go through all the nuances and rudimentary of the art of theatre.

“As an academic and civil servant, I would retire after I must have served for 35 years or I’m 65 years old. But entertainment does not have a retirement age. Even in one’s grave, if one still has the opportunity, one can do something. I do not intend to retire from the entertainment scene. I want to be there for as long as I can.”

The actor also said that he had been saving for a rainy day so as not to have to beg for funds from the public for any eventualities.

“I have taken care of my lifestyle. I don’t smoke, drink alcohol or engage in anything that would endanger my health. I also try to invest so that whenever there is an emergency, there is something to fall back on.”

On his relationship with his family, the theatre arts lecturer said, “My children relate with me as their father and my wife relates with me as her husband. All of us watch ‘Saka’ on television because it’s just a character that was created. But at home, I am Afeez. There is a difference between the roles I play and my personality. I don’t take Saka home because Saka does not live there. On the other hand, Afeez lives in the house as the head of the home. Afeez is not snobbish; he relates well with everyone, though there is time for everything.

“God has granted me the grace to identify my comfort zone, which is the entertainment industry. I have also undergone several training.

“I have gone through the alarinjo tradition of theatre and the academic side of it. The combination of the two makes me a total theatre practitioner who is not only good in theory but also in the practical aspect of my field.

“God gave me the grace to identify my calling on time and having identified my potential, my parents also helped in training me. I have met a lot of trainers in the form of teachers, directors, producers, who have also worked with me and added value to my potential.”