* His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye,
Soun of Ogbomoso,
By Ibidapo Olowolayemo, Ibadan
Saturday December 20, 2025
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Soun of Ogbomoso, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, has explained the circumstances surrounding the proposed remaking of the epic story, ‘Ogbori Elemoso.’
The traditional ruler observed that contrary to the stories doing the round, the amount of money being offered to Chief Olalere Osunpaimo, popularly known as Lere Paimo, was not for the purchase of copyright, but for his proposed role in the film and his partnership that was sought.
There had been social media appearances of ace veteran actor, Chief Paimo, calling on eminent personalities to come to his aid so as not to be cheated.
In what was believed to be a success cinematography, Chief Paimo had packaged the historical ‘Ogbori Elemoso’ story many decades ago.
But in a statement at the weekend by the Special Assistant on Media and Community Relations to the monarch, Reverend Peter Olaleye, Oba Ghandi made the clarification that the story of Ogbomoso could not be the copyright of an individual.
“His Imperial Majesty had earlier engaged Baba Lere Paimo and informed him of the intention to creatively remodel the story of Ogbomoso in a manner that aligns with global storytelling standard, including platforms such as Netflix.
“In this regard, His Majesty told Baba Paimo that he would like him to be part of this project and as one of the characters in the proposed movie project. The financial offer made to him was strictly for his participation as an actor and contributor, not for purchase of any copyright.
Extensive findings were conducted, and it was established that the story in question is not copyrighted. Furthermore, the movie currently in production bears a completely different title, a distinct and expanded storyline, and a separate plot structure,” Reverend Olaleye said.
He, however, agreed that the new movie drew inspiration from the history of Ogbomosoland which did not replicate or appropriate any exclusive material.
“For the avoidance of doubt,Baba Paimo was offered a sum of N7.5 million, an amount significantly higher than what was offered to other participants. This gesture was unfortunately misunderstood as payment for copyright ownership, which is incorrect. It must be clearly stated that no individual can claim ownership or copyright over the history of a town,” he explained.
The monarch maintained that he was only carrying out his duty as the custodian of his people’s culture and history without the intention to infringe on anybody’s right.
“As the Soun of Ogbomosolandand custodian of the people’s history and culture, His Imperial Majesty affirms that history is not static, but dynamic. The intention was never to appropriate or distort history, but to allow Baba Lere Paimo the opportunity to present his own perspective within a broader, creatively re-imagined narrative.
“It is on this record that Baba Paimo did, in fact, shared his version of the Ogbori Elemoso story during earlier engagements. The forthcoming movie, scheduled for release next year, is, therefore, not an exclusive retelling of any one individual account, but a creative production with a new name and a complete, original storyline.
“His Imperial Majesty is of the view that Baba Paimo may have been misled into believing that the history of Ogbomoso is exclusive to him. This is not the case. The story of Ogbomosoland belongs to the public domain, and the script of the movie in question is entirely original.
“This matter does not constitute a case. His Imperial Majesty would have preferred that it did not enter the public space at all.
“However, this clarification has become necessary to curb the spread of misinformation and to set the record straight. While the movie is inspired by the history of our town, it remains in the public domain; and the production itself is based on a completely different script, title and plot,” Olaleye concluded.
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