Gbenga Adeboye’s 20th Death Anniversary: Remembering Nigerian Stand-up Comedian Of All Time
At the mention of his name, a feeling of nostalgia and longing would get stirred up.
Mr. Gbenga Adeboye, who was born on September 30, 1959, was one of the Nigerian greatest stand-up comedians of all time.
He spent a large part of his life putting a smile on people’s faces with his rib-cracking jokes.
Multi-talented Gbenga Adeboye was a singer, an actor, a stand-up comedian, a radio presenter and a master of ceremony.
Adeboye popularly called ‘Funwontan’, was a good-natured person and he was extremely generous .
Alhaji Sulaiman Ayodeji popularly called ‘Akikanju Ode Ilu Ilorin’ told Team@orientactualmags.com on Sunday that Adeboye’s generosity had in many instances featured life-saving interventions.
‘I knew him in the 90s when I joined the entertainment industry , you know I started as a theater art practitioner , I never knew I would become a broadcaster, I was in Ilorin before moving to Lagos , and I had met him each time he came visiting Alhaji Dankazeem.
Later when I got to Lagos, myself , Dejo Tunfulu and Hon Muka Ray do go to meet him at the Lagos State Television, Ikeja that was where I had the opportunity to introduce myself to him that I had met him in Ilorin through Alhaji Dankazeem.
He was a very friendly person who supported people that had financial challenges, I even thought he was as rich as Chief MKO Abiola because of the way he happily gives out money to a large number of people.
I was asking if he was involved in something else apart from entertainment. There was a particular day that he rescued myself and Dejo Tunfulu from a precarious situation.
We were in Ibadan to attend the burial ceremony of an actor ,Niyi , we had left Akure for Ibadan and had no money to take care of the bus fare and we had planned to leave Ibadan for Lagos.
We got to know that Gbenga Adeboye was in Ibadan at Asewo to re Mecca’s shop in Bashorun, we trekked from Iwo road to Bashorun , and he gave us money to take care of the bus fare.
The news of his death was shocking, and I felt sad, myself and Torotoro performed during his burial ceremony in Lagos’ he added .
A popular On-Air Personality in the South West especially Lagos state, Ambassador Abdul- Yomi Mate, popularly called ‘Ifankaleluya’ also in a piece made available to Team@orientactualmags.com on Sunday called Adeboye ‘a genius‘.
‘Late Prince Elijah Olugbenga Abefe Adeboye Funwontan was actually a genius.
He was second to none during his life time. He was a distinguished broadcaster with a huge difference and an Entertainer par excellence.
The is no one handling things on radio (living or dead) particularly amongst the Yoruba Broadcasters who has not gained a substantial thing from Late Gbenga Adeboye either directly or indirectly.
He promoted many talented performers, encouraged and supported many entertainers and impacted so many lives.
Without mincing words ‘Late Gbenga Adeboye has left big shoes to fill because he was such an exemplary one’.
He was such a blessed, gifted, loaded and chosen one.
May his gentle soul continue to rest in peace (Amen)’ he submitted.
Gbenga Adeboye , an indigene of Osun state, died on April 30 , 2003 and he was buried in Lagos state on May 14 , 2003, today, Sunday, 30 April 2023 is his 20th death anniversary-Team@orientactualmags.com
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