Samuel Ajibola, the actor popularly known for his role as Spiff on the popular comedy show The Johnsons caused quite the stir earlier this year when he announced that he would be leaving the show to focus on other things in his life.
Now, a couple of months later, it seems Spiff is ready to reveal what those other things were. The actor recently announced that he graduated with a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Ajayi Crowther University in Oyo State.
In an interview with Saturday Beats, Sam Ajibola opened up about his graduation, his relationship with ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, and his now-former show, The Johnsons. Here’s what Sam said.
READ ALSO: IK Ogbona Blast Ghanian Singer Shatta Wale For Insulting Nigerian Artists
Posting the announcement of his graduation to Instagram, Samuel Ajibola wrote saying:
So over the weekend, I was more than glad to achieve one of my lifelong dream that I’ve nurtured since I was in primary school. My dad had always let us know then that he wanted all his kids to further their education to at least the master’s level and as the firstborn, I was determined to set a good example for my siblings. Apart from Him, I’m grateful to the Almighty God for giving me the grace to fulfill that dream. I’m also grateful to Mrs. Busola Tejumola for ensuring that I had the time to fulfill it in my busy work schedule. I want to thank Dr @itshelenpaul for not just motivating me but also pointing me in the right direction to achieve it and finally Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for his encouragement and Mentorship. Thanks to everyone for the congratulatory messages. I can guarantee you guys that I won’t be stopping here.
Then, in a separate interview with Saturday Beats, the actor when asked about the graduation said:
Achieving this goal means a lot to me as it had been a dream I planned to achieve since primary school. I graduated from the university in 2012, so this took me almost a decade to achieve because I started working on The Johnsons around then.
Then, speaking about some of the people in the industry that motivated him and helped him along the way, Sam cited comedienne Helen Paul and ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo saying:
Dr. Helen (Paul) has always been a big sister to me in the industry. We both attended the University of Lagos but we weren’t acquainted then. She motivated me to finally begin the process and pointed me in the right direction. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on the other hand, has been a mentor to me in leadership. His encouragement was instrumental to me furthering my education as I only had a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science.
Finally, speaking about leaving The Johnsons and how he has been finding no longer playing the character of Spiff, Sam said:
It has been easy for me to break free from the Spiff character by simply stopping to practice it. The only thing I miss about playing the character is the actors I acted with. The cast of the show practically became family because we saw one another almost every day for about 10 years. They are all fantastic actors and they made the job very easy and enjoyable. I have portrayed a lot of memorable roles but the Spiff character stands out because of the number of lives it touched tremendously in the last decade. It has restored laughter to homes and health to sick bodies.
A massive congratulations to Sam Ajibola on his recent graduation and the recent birth of the baby girl he welcomed just a few weeks ago into the world. This has been quite the year for the actor. What do you think?
