By Agatha Emeadi
In the last 44 years, Abia State-born film actor and director, Ejike Asiegbu, has been entertaining other Nigerians on the screen with great talent and passion.
Having been endorsed in the hall of fame of acting by the likes of the famous late Prof Ola Rotimi, Paul Ureworika and Prof Wole Soyinka, Asiegbu has never looked back.
Asiegbu, who was also a personal assistant to the late Biafran warlord, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (Ikemba Nnewi), in this interview with Sunday Sun, said that he is an authority in his chosen profession. Excerpts:
What was your relationship with the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (Ikemba Nnewi)?
I was Ikemba’s Personal Assistant (PA) for four to five years during the national constitutional conference of 1994. A lot of people do not know that being a PA was a great deal of a job. My job then entails managing him, his time, privacy and being his public relations officer as well.
Having worked closely with Ikemba, who can you say he was?
A lot of people do not understand he is a humanist. Give it to him that he is an orator who loves his people and Nigerians as well. His only grouse which people did not understand about his personality is that on several occasions, he talked about what was needed in this country to move forward. He has preached for unity of purpose, justice and equality, then the periods he thought it was wise to have some unitary system of government, which some people today are clamouring for, making the centre weak and empowering the regions. One also would agree with him because if the regions are allowed to develop on their own with a weak centre, we would have gone a long way by now. But understandably, the North would not have any of that because they feel and preach marginalization. It is also understandably that for them, education and their understanding of education by virtue of things that happen where the downtrodden will always pay a hero-worship to the high and mighty, depend on them for their daily meal. That system regrettably has continued to be used to pauperized some of them till tomorrow. It is a sad situation and we just hope that with what is happening, the truth that some of their most privileged people have realised that education for their people is key instead of depending on people. But it is just unfortunate that some of these politicians used religion, politics and sentiments to deceive others. I believe that a lot of work need to be done particularly on the constitution for this country to get better now and let’s tell ourselves the truth. We need to revisit the constitution which did not capture the inclusion of women as it should have been. Again, my boss, Ikemba, was a man who clearly knew what was wrong in Nigeria. He wanted Nigeria to be better as a unit. Yes, we do agree that some people might not be enamoured towards operating the same frequency with other zones, but there are things that other zones can do to help and introduce certain rules and laws that can help the development of other regions. But the few of them who are the aristocrats will always refuse because they want their children who they train abroad to come back and occupy the same seats that the poor person will never have the opportunity to occupy.
With the spirit of your late boss resonating vibrantly in you, are you still in touch with his family?
Yes, I am very much in touch with them. We were three persons that planned Chief Ojukwu’s marriage to Mrs Bianca Ojukwu. These include Chief himself, Chikwelu Oyawunne and myself. Oyawunne and myself were his personal assistants. Whatever you saw at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja then was planned by the three of us. Do not also forget that respected Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu was the former president of world defunct Biafra, very experienced in leadership, handling and organizing things, that was why he had the confidence in my colleague and I to be able to discharge and work with him.
What do you have to say about Chief’s marriage to Bianca even that Bianca’s father allegedly was not comfortable with that marriage?
Do not forget that Bianca was an adult at the time. I understood the feeling of Chief Onoh, Bianca’s father. He had known Ojukwu who was his personal friend. For Chief Onoh seeing that his friend was going to marry his daughter was not what he expected. But the daughter has made her choice. At the end of the day, Chief Onoh approved them to go ahead. Initially, when it started, yes, Chief Onoh said, his friend should have told me, but what mattered most was what Bianca wanted because she was also in love with what she saw in Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. Meanwhile; a lot of people have forgotten that prior to this period even in Igbo land, in different traditions, a man can marry as many wives as he can so long as he can take care of all of them. He is entitled to marry as long as the parents do not have anything against that. Bianca was a very matured adult at the same time to have made that decision. If you have listened to some people who asked her opinion, you would hear her say, she preferred people who were far much older than her in age. Both of them found themselves worthy, married, had children together, respected and enjoyed their marriage before Chief passed on to glory.
You have been a veteran in the industry, what attracted you to film, Cinema, acting production and finally Nollywood?
I started out as a very young man when I was 17. For me, Nollywood started in 1992, but I have been in the industry in the last 44 years. Back in the days of old Anambra State, I was in New Masquerade, Bassey and Company, Beyond the realm which was a series. These were all on Anambra Broadcasting Services (ABS) when Chief Jim Nwobodo was the governor of Anambra State. Beyond the realm then was directed by Uzo Amadi. Back in those good old days too, late Amaka Igwe and Nkem Owoh among other great thespians were on stage and television contributing through their writing and acting as well. Then we were found between ABS and Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). If you look back to old NTA during the times of NIFETES’ production. I was a student at Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu, where I started my Advanced levels. After the A ‘Levels, I gained admission to study Marketing. At a stage, I abandoned all this and went to University of Port Harcourt where I started with a certificate Diploma in acting which I also continued with a degree in Theater Arts. Back in those days, my father then while he was in Enugu as a District Commercial Manager with NEPA wanted me to study Business Administration or Engineering, but because I failed mathematics serially, it was a bit difficult. Clearly, I was arts inclined. So, behind me, people told him that they saw his son on television and he was very good. He relaxed with me. Now, the then late Director of Bassey and Company, Mr Paul Ureworika who was always on set and a Theater Arts graduate told me, Ejike, go to the university and study Theatre Arts; you are good at what you are doing. You have the arts, but theoretically, it will be good for you to empower yourself. So, Ureworika who was a doyen in the industry then from University of Ibadan took me to Port Harcourt with my father’s permission to see the late Prof Ola Rotimi, author of the Gods Are Not To Blame. At Uniport, Ola Rotimi was on set conducting a rehearsal and I sat back to watch. At that moment, even with my talent, I saw the greatest acting and realized that everything I did was child’s play. I asked my sponsor if these people were graduates and he said they were certificate holders, then after their 18 months training, they would be qualified to go for their direct entry into the university. That was it, I told Mr Ureworka that this is where I want to belong. After the rehearsal, he formally introduced me to Ola Rotimi and he looked at me and asked if I was desirous for it to happen immediately, and I said yes. He advised I pick the diploma course and luckily after the audition among over 1,500 students, I came tops on Ola Rotimi’s audition which was not any how auditioning. University of Port Harcourt produced great names in the industry, especially those who passed through Ola Rotimi before his retirement and passing on to glory. That was how I started my journey in the entertainment industry.
What opportunities has it brought to you?
Basically, one finds out that at the time we have Nollywood, which is a name that was just given to a film making industry; it was given by a French journalist who visited and saw when we were starting, telling our story in our own way without any interference. The originality of what we did then back in the days of beta-camera, which we used to shoot. That journalist complained we were not shooting on cinema. In terms of storyline, Nigeria has been at the fore front. Thank God there has been so much development and things are improving now.
Which particular film brought you to limelight?
It is a problem. I cannot even say which one. Some people would say the preferred me in a particular movie, while another would say, I did so well in another movie. It then becomes a case of which one is the best.
After 44 years in the industry, are you retired?
I have not retired and not thinking of retirement now. One of the greatest things that people do not know about the entertainment industry is that acting and movie making is ageless as long as you are still cerebral, the older you are, the better you become. It is a profession that is ageless.
Parents then wanted their children to become professionals like lawyers, Doctors, Engineer etc. What was their feeling when you joined the entertainment industry and now that you have made it?
I lost my father two years ago at the age of 101. He was a very understanding man who encouraged me when he saw what I wanted. He just let go and was proud of me before he left the scene. I am glad that I am doing what I love to do most which comes with passion, dedication, discipline and staying focused. Now, I can rightly tell that I am an authority in the entertainment industry.
Which is your latest movie now?
Well, we are working on ‘Finding Messiah’ that we started shooting since last year and still on it because we took a break and hope to start again. It is one movie that will blow minds because of the legends involved. We have Pete Edochie, Alex Usifo, Segun Arinze, Ngozi Nwosu, Taiwo Ajayi Lycette, Majid and I all there. We will do justice to it and Nigeria will be proud of us.
In all the beautiful colorful stories in the last 44 years, has there been challenges?
Of course, there were challenges. We were the ones that laid the golden eggs which a lot of young people are enjoying today. Challenges of lack of payment even though right from the onset as a fresh graduate, we had then been set free and asked to go into the world and showcase the stuff we are made of. I believe in artistic excellence and economic survival because then we were doing it to be happy, very passionate with what we do. Along the line, when people see us dressed in borrowed robes on television, they feel we are rich. But contrary to that, we are still the same people like others. It also means we are not compensated adequately. But now, things have changed, we made a lot sacrifices, and call for the industry to begin to have a rethink. A lot has really changed and we must give kudos to our Igbo and Yoruba brothers who did a lot then to take the risk of marketing. There has been a lot of collaboration between Nollywood and Bollywood and that is good news for us.
The Asaba Nollywood, is it a faction of the industry?
It is not a faction, rather an open market. They have been able to put food on the table and create a lot of employment opportunities. So, one can imagine that what they have started has also materialised. Most of the movies are on YouTube and that is where the money is. The new media has brought in a lot of opportunities for the industry.
Say something about the production of Adamma Luke that took the life of Junior Pope.
It was a sad incident. These are some of the things we should as film makers prevent from happening. We have always made sure that insurance is put in place, protecting the rights of actors and artists. There must be insurance policies for actors and everybody. This particular incident came to me as a rude shock. There were stories and all that. Be it as it may, we cannot bring back the dead, but the producer regrettably should have made sure that anyone who gets into the boat must wear the life guard. There should have also been a professional swimmer within the crew who would have been able to guide everybody. These are the areas that should have been taken precaution. Lives are dear, reason precaution should be at the forefront. Actors also should protect their lives, no matter how much one is paid. Life has no duplicate.
What advice do you have for the upcoming actor who want to be like you?
I advise young ones to have fear of God. Be disciplined and be passionate about it. Passion comes first before money though money is good. Stay focused, be disciplined and learn. All these would arm one. Do not sell yourself cheap, know the kind of family that you come from, stay focused, humble and know you will always get there.
