•2nd Daughter, VICTORIA OLORUNTEGBE Tells City People
Late Pa Hubert Ogunde was a Nigerian Theatre Legend and musician whose impact and legacies remain indelible in the hearts of many Nigerians, especially those that had the privilege to watch some of his shows while he was alive. 32 years after his transition to the world beyond, many people still lay claims to his high standards of going about his theatre work which is now a reference point to today’s film makers.
With the way late Ogunde used his theatre, plays and songs to promote the cultural heritage of the Yoruba people and Africa at large, many people strongly believe that he was a traditionalist and diabolical to the core. One of his loving daughters revealed the many things people don’t know about her late father, most especially the exact religion he practised while he was alive. Read for more!
Let’s meet you ma?
My name is Mrs. Victoria Oloruntegbe (nee Ogunde). I’m the second daughter of my father, late Hubert Ogunde. I’m a nurse by profession and I rose to the rank of Assistant Director of the Nursing Services in Lagos State before I retired in 2012 from the state Health Service Commission. I’m a pastor, I love music and love to pray and give as well.
What kind of person was late Hubert Ogunde?
Pa Hubert Ogunde was a legend. He was an icon. He is a household name in the theatre industry, well known, home and abroad. We the children have tried to keep up his good legacies. You will never see any of the Ogunde children being mentioned in relation to any bad behaviour or anything that will soil the name of the great family. That was one of the things we inherited from him. He was a disciplined person, truthful to a fault. He was frank, he was bold and that was why he was able to face the then government when they were oppressing the citizens. So anywhere you find the Ogundes, you can always trust them for whom they are.
What are the things people do not know about your father?
Some people say he was a traditionalist. Some say he was an herbalist, while some say he was diabolic. What I know about him is that he was a Christian for a long time right from my school days. Nobody knows that we had a chapel, where we said prayers in our house. We had our songs we sing from the hymn book. Nobody thought he even knew God. My father will tell you he will never hurt a fly. He will tell you there’s nothing you do, either good or bad, you will reap it. So I see my father, the late Ogunde as resting in the bosom of our Lord Jesus Christ because that was the foundation he gave to us. I will not say in the beginning he was not a traditionalist. He was born by a mother who hailed from an IFA family. But then in the course of his journey in life, he knew God . That’s why I said we had a chapel in our house where we offered prayers and that was the legacies that we met. He put us in the path of God. He always admonished us to do good and never to harm anybody or think evil of other people So to me, Ogunde knew Christ before he died.
It’s not that he attended a particular church like that but we did come together as a family to worship God. There was a time when he was actually putting all these traditional stuffs together, he put everything away. He threw them away in a bush along Ijebu. He then converted where he usually kept them into a chapel. You know I told you that his maternal grandfather was an IFA priest, so, he got those things from him. He later found out that they are all the work of men. This is contrary to the general notion that my father was an idol worshipper. The moment he realized they were all deceit, he threw them away. On the day he was about to dispose the charms, he instructed us to stay indoors in order not to fall victim of the evils attached to them. He put everything in his vehicle and drove to dispose them in a bush along Ijebu, a place that nobody knows. And when he came back, he started praying and sanctifying that place for several days. What he then put in that place were packs of candles, his cross and Bible. So we all converged in that place to observe our prayers.
Which church did he worship?
My father was a member of the church of the Lord Aladura. He highly revered men of God, the likes of the Ositelus of those days.One of his wives was attending that church. He attended the church with the likes of Mama Rainbow who was a sister to that his wife. So on two occasions, my father attended that Church Of The Lord. His father was a pianist in the Anglican Church while his mother was from the IFA priest family.
How would you describe the experience of living with him?
My father was a disciplinarian. He was also a disciplined person. Though he had many wives, he would not favour one over the other. He would always tender justice even to the one that we thought was his favourite. If she did any wrong, he would scold her in the presence of the others. So, he maintained justice even amongst his wives. And he tried as much as possible to treat them equally. To the children, he did his part to make sure that we had good education. Our mothers played the major role in our schooling. Then, if you wanted to go to school, he would never discourage you. He would do all he could to support you while it’s left to you to make sure you excel.
What are the legacies of your father that have kept you going in life?
I’m frank to a fault. I will tell you exactly about what I know or think about you. You may feel offended but that’s my opinion and I’m free to air my opinion. This is what I got from my father. Also, my father was a workaholic. He was a man of standards. He would not compromise his standards. And that’s why you see in all his films, even when Nigeria was not having 32mm camera, my father had it. He would go to any length to make sure that any of his plays came out well. These are some of the things the new generation artistes are trying to meet up with. I think I learnt that legacy of standards and discipline from my father. Despite the fact that he was a polygamists, he still maintained these standards. And among his children, we are always one. Our mothers may have their differences but amongst the children, we are always one. We are so united courtesy of the legacy of love he bequeathed to us.
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