Veteran
Nollywood actor, Chief Pete Edochie, clocked 70 on Tuesday and the social media
was agog with celebration. Goodwill messages flooded Twitter and Instagram,
as
appreciative movie fans across the country strove to outdo one another in
celebrating him.
One of the
revelations of the day was that Edochie possessed a string of chieftaincy
titles, real and invented, that would make most traditional Igbo chiefs go
green with envy any day.
For many, the
occasion provided an opportunity to unveil the popular actor, fondly addressed
as the ‘Igwe Ogadagidi 1 of Nollywood’, as the ultimate king of African
proverbs. While the celebration lasted, the social media was awash with proverbs
and quotes credited to the ‘birthday boy’.
Much later,
Edochie, in an interview with Punch, said he was grateful to God for making him
to live this long. “I am very grateful to God that he permitted me to live up
to 70 years. This calls for a special celebration. When I remember that many of
my age mates have gone to the great beyond without attaining this age, I really
feel grateful to God.
“I come from a
family that enjoys longevity. My father was 96 years-old before he died. My
father’s immediate sister also departed at 98 years. So, we are nonagenarians
in a sense,” he said.
Admitting that
his acting career, which officially began with the production of Things Fall
Apart, the celebrated film adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s epic novel of the same
title, predated Nollywood by seven years, the popular actor described his
experience in the film industry as warm and fulfilling.
“When I did
Things Fall Apart in 1985, Nollywood was still slumbering in the womb of time.
I think that a lot of people in Nollywood look up to me for inspiration because
I am one of the oldest people there. They see me as their mentor and father. It
is a role that I have enjoyed. So my experience in Nollywood has been wonderful
and inspiring. I worked in other places before I joined Nollywood, but I don’t
think that I would like to give up my experience in the industry for any other
thing,” he said.
Edochie, who
was honoured with a national award – Member of the Order of the Niger – in
2006, also described Nollywood as one of the biggest things to happen to
Nigeria. Arguing that the film industry had always positively advertised
Nigeria to the rest of the world, especially at a time the country’s image
abroad had taken a turn for the worse, he said, “When people keep talking about
how Nigeria has become phenomenally corrupt, there is always a redeeming factor.
That factor is Nollywood. Nollywood has placed Nigeria on the world map. It has
been so good to Nigeria that the most celebrated people in the country today
are actors, not politicians.”
Although the
actor expressed the opinion that the present situation in the country could be
better, he is worried about the part played by ethnic and religious bigots in
derailing the progress of the country.
Wishing that
Nigerians would truly imbibe the spirit of positive change, especially in their
reaction to leadership issues, he said, “The situation in the country certainly
could be better. What I don’t feel happy about in this country is the suspicion
that characterises our reaction to leadership. When a Christian is in
authority, every move he makes is misinterpreted by the Muslims. Similarly,
when a Muslim is in power, every move he makes is viewed with suspicion by the
Christians. One thing that is destroying this country is ethnic and religious
discrimination.
“A Muslim does
not think that a Christian can come up with a successful policy and vice versa.
This is all nonsense. Why do I say that it is nonsense? Look at the state of
the economy, for example. If a country has as many internationally recognised
technocrats as this country, there is no reason why the economy of the country
should be in shambles. Besides, Nigeria is endowed with vast human and natural
resources. We shouldn’t be suffering as much as we are doing now.”
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