People Stigmatised Me Because Of My Hands — Dancing Corps Member Osaplin

Osawere Austin Dayo, popularly known as Osaplin, is a graduate of theatre arts from the University of Ibadan. He is a comedian and event host. Osaplin, a corps member in Lagos, went viral recently when he taught over 200 students of Kings College, Lagos calisthenics dance, stunt and others. He attracted the attention of netizens, government officials, captain of industries, the Commissioner for the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, who pronounced him an ambassador of youth in Lagos, while the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo- Olu, rewarded him with a sum of N1 million and offered him a job. In this interview with

ENIOLA DANIEL, he spoke about his humble beginning, dancing and passion.

Tell us your story, family and educational background

I’ M the last child in the family of four. We were five, but we lost the only girl. I have no parents again. I lost my parents when I was four, so, going to school and graduating was a lot of sacrifice. But with the help of God, I was able to pull through. I finished from the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, in 2022, where I studied theatre arts.

How did you start dancing?

I started dancing when I was a kid, but I joined a dance group at 15. I noticed that people were always happy whenever I danced. On a fateful day, we did not have anything to eat, and my brother told me that he had tried his best and he couldn’t raise money for us to cook food that evening. I felt bad and I decided to take a stroll in my street. I got to a barbing salon and I started dancing when a song was being played. People started giving me money; that night, I made a lot of money and went back home. And I was able to provide the money to ensure that we didn’t go hungry that night.

Dance also got me a scholarship to continue my secondary school education at the Atanda International High

School, Ibadan, Oyo State. Everything was paid for including my uniform, and textbooks. I didn’t pay anything. I then proceeded to the University of Ibadan.

How did they discover that you were a dancer at Kings College?

I was surprised when I was called to teach the students on how to dance. At that period, the school was preparing for their inter- house sports. I wondered if someone told the school management that I dance or if I’ve been dancing in Ibadan. So, when they told me, I took up the project.

How did children receive you?

The children received me wholeheartedly. The vice principal introduced me to the students at the assembly on that fateful day. The students laughed at my surname, Osawere.

Before I started our rehearsal, I was asked to go to the classes of all JSS 2 to tell them that I would be the one to teach them callisthenics dance. As I was moving from one class to another, I discovered they were all happy. In the process of talking to them, I heard them shouting Osawere and I just laughed. They got along with me and working with them was not difficult.

What is your relationship with the parents of King’s College students?

The parents are awesome. On the day of the Inter- House sport in the school, the parents rushed to me and gave me money. They started putting money in my shirt and my trouser pockets to prevent people from taking money from me. Imagine having 40 parents surround you. I couldn’t breathe. They showed me gratitude and love. They were happy seeing their children doing what they never imagined they could. A parent told me that she could not believe that her child could dance and impress everyone.

When I got home after the event, I noticed bruises on my body because they stuffed money in my shirt and they were new notes, so, in that process, I was injured. After the event, some of them reached out to me and expressed their gratitude.

How did the school management feel about your performance?

The school management commended me. Kings College Lagos Old Boys Association ( KCOBA) commended me and promised to give me N1 million on their prize- giving day. The president of KCOBA also said because of what I did, that they will include the best corps member award in their year prize giving day event.

How did the Lagos State government find you?

The Lagos State government reached out to me through the state Commissioner for the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende. He got my number from my Twitter ( X) page and he reached out to me. The commissioner told me that the governor was interested in what I did. And he’s willing to see me. He also represented the governor at the Kings College interhouse sports event and after that, he called me to meet with the governor. I met the governor and I had a good and nice time with him.

The governor gave me N1 million and also promised me a job. He told Mr. Ogunlende to take me to the commissioner of education and that I should be working in the ministry, and training the students in Lagos State on dance. After the meeting with the commissioner of education, the commissioner told me that I couldn’t work in the ministry with a Bachelor of Art ( BA) and that I needed to get another degree, and they said they would get back to me.

Do you have a letter backing your appointment as youth ambassador in Lagos

State?

There is no issuance or any written document issued for me to sign or any legal waiting document. Nothing is backing the ambassadorial appointment. The commissioner of youth and social development announced it openly but no document backing it.

I noticed that a lot of newspapers carried the news of my appointment, a lot of people called me an ambassador and people who are close to me thought there was any incentive attached to being an ambassador. No office, no letter backing it.

What happened to your fingers and how have people been reacting when they meet you?

I was born this way, with my fingers joined together. It’s not an accident, not a fire accident. If it is fire, it won’t be moving but, in this case, my fingers are flexible and moving. I wash my clothes by myself. I fetch water by myself. I wrote my notes myself while in school. I wrote my exam. I did everything myself. But the only challenge I have with my hands is that my nails grow underneath and once it happens, it pierces my flesh. Once that happens, the only thing I do to suppress the pain is to use antibiotics and pain relieve medication to suppress the pain and there is nothing I can do until the nail develops to a stage it can be pulled out. This pain is always excruciating and it happens at least twice a year.

Apart from that, this comes with social stigma. It’s also something I can call part of the pains I bear. Whenever I meet new people, and they try to get along and once they stretch out their hand to shake me, they withdraw after seeing my hand. Whenever that happens, I feel the pain because it makes to remember that I have a disability. Dancing gets me carried away at times and forget that I have a disability.

Somebody suggested that I go for an operation outside the country, but there is no money. The financial cost made me not to try an operation

What is your advice for the youth?

My advice for the youth is that whatever they do, they should be persistent and they should be consistent in it and should not feel like nobody is watching them. If I had felt like that, maybe what gave me a whole state recognition might not have come to be. I believe that there is a big eye somewhere that watches everything we do.

The Youths need to be diligent in what they do and be consistent. A day will come when they will be rewarded.

Don’t wait to start big. Start where you can, where your ability is needed and where your capacity can achieve something tangible. Start and do it well. One day, you will be rewarded for your good work.

I will say thank you very much to His Excellency, Governor Babajide Sanwo- Olu, for his fatherly love, for the financial gift and the recognition.