Culture aficionado and activist, Chief Adebayo Faleti, is dead.
The poet, writer, broadcaster and actor reportedly passed on in the early hours of Sunday at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.
He had health challenges in his last years, with rumour making the rounds in 2014 that he had died.
The rumour ended after he declared in an interview that “I am alive. I am alive. Long life will be my lot”.
After obtaining a certificate of proficiency in French Language and Civilization from the University of Dakar in Senegal in 1966, Faleti later graduated from the University of Ibadan with an honours degree in English.
A former teacher; general manager at Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) and film editor at Western Nigerian Television (WNTV), now known as NTA Ibadan, Faleti transited between writing, broadcasting and acting.
He acted in, wrote, and produced a number of movies, which include: Saworoide, Agogo Eewo, Thunderbolt: Magun, Afonja, Basorun Gaa, and Sawo-Segeri.
Renowned filmmaker, Tunde Kelani, among many others, drew inspiration from him.
Faleti was responsible for translating Nigeria’s National Anthem from English to Yoruba.
He was a recipient of the National Honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) among several others.
A husband of three wives and up to 15 children, his first and legally married wife was Mrs. Moteniola Faleti.
