Nostalgia as Kasimu Yero takes a bow at 70

Oond memories of television dramas of yesteryear have emerged, following the death of foremost Northern Nigerian actor, Kasimu Yero who is dead.

The veteran actor, according to his eldest son, Mansur Kasimu Yero, died at his residence in Magajin Gari, Kaduna, on Sunday after a protracted illness. He was 70.

Since the news broke on Sunday, Nigerian filmmakers, and art enthusiasts who are familiar with the deceased heydays have been immersed in discussions regarding the impact of the actor on stage and television, while others have been sending tributes on social media.

Yero is well noted for his role as ‘Uncle Gaga’ in the ’80s sitcom, ‘Cock Crow At Dawn’, and TV series, ‘Magana Jari Ce’, a TV series by Abubakar Imam.

‘’Magana Jari Ce…I remember this, oh my heart!’’, lamented filmmaker Justin Morgan. ‘’He was also a great story teller, alongside Bala Miller, who I recently met…this is our heritage, personified! This man is iconic; his poise, classy disposition was everything!’’ He said.

For another filmmaker, Uzodinma Okpechi, Yero was ‘’Confident in his abilities even when it was evident that he was in pain.  He delivered. He delivered well,’’ he declared.

Recalling that ‘Magana Jari Ce’ was adapted from a book of the same title, Kabat Esosa said: ‘’I grew up in Kano watching him on such great series like ‘Magana Jari CE’ which incidentally was part of our literature texts in school those days. He was indeed a colossus. Non like him. May his soul rest in Peace.’’

In his tribute to the deceased, Northern Nigerian actor and filmmaker, Sani Muazu said, ‘’ I had the pleasure of working with Kasimu Yero on several projects but none brought recognition and rekindled interest in our work like a radio drama we did more than 10 years ago, KARAMBANA – A DAWO LAFIYA, where I featured him as a fun seeking truck driver that had a close shave with HIV.’’

According to Muazu, ‘’No actor of Northern extraction measures up to Kasimu Yero. None had the versatility to have lasted like him. None established a cross-generational cult following like him.’’

Continuing, Muazu said, ‘’Kasimu had played serious roles like Uncle Gaga so seriously, just the way he played comic roles like ‘Karambana’ so humorously. He was simply an actors’ actor with a capacity to hold diverse roles in TV series like ‘Magana Jari Ce’ and its English equivalent ‘Wisdom Is An Asset’, keeping these gigs on the front burner for as long as they ran.’’

He noted that the deceased worked till the last few days of his life doing what he loves doing. ‘’…and doing it well until the stage curtain dropped on him today in a life drama in which the Almighty is the Director. The end. We mourn him. He was loved and will be missed by all his fans and the industry,’’ said Muazu.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has expressed his condolences to the friends and family of  Yero.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Monday, the minister described the late Yero as an iconic actor who, along with other thespians like Samanja, laid the foundation for Kannywood.