Yetty Adeyeye wrote:
I met Veteran Nollywood actor, Enebeli Elebuwa in 2009 at National theater. I was shocked when he drove in a very old Mercedes Benz car, i checked him out, he looked unkept and my mind traveled back to growing up. Seeing him on television then was always good, he displayed his God given talent like his life depended on it and he interpreted every role like he was born with it. He was one of the actors that paved ways to today's Nollywood. Why was i surprised he drove in that car? Why was i surprised he looked broke? I was shocked because i wasn't expecting someone like him could be broke or look that bad, he entertained Nigerians , he had fame but not money. He couldn't take care of himself when his sickness started. Acting wasn't fair to him or should i say life. Its very sad, i remember reading somewhere that he didn't have money to feed on, Elebuwa doesn't have money to feed on? how? what happened? is acting not paying off? what was he spending his money on? i don't want to believe they didn't pay him for all his roles in movies. So many questions and i couldn't fathom why all the things happened to him.
Someone told me and i read somewhere that they don't make money from movies, i find this very hard to believe, why do people run into movie industry then? big expensive cars, houses, money is displayed this day by our actresses and actors and you tell me there's no money in acting? Some of our actors(especially the actresses) who hasn't featured in more than 10 films rides a car of 10million, buy houses of 20million and their lifestyle is very loud. i am so bitter at our leaders, must our good actors die like rats? must they beg for money? Must they turn to objects of pity? so if an actor cannot be a gigolo and actress can't be a prostitute, they are not entitled to a good life?
Elebuwa, who died in India, had been battling the effects of a stroke for sometime and undergone treatment at some hospitals in Nigeria before he was moved to India. The illness had kept him bedridden for sometime(He had no money for treatment).
Elebuwa was well known for the role he played as Andrew in a campaign by the Federal Government in the 80s to discourage Nigerians from fleeing the country.
Pete Eneh died recently, he wasn't able to take care of his infected leg and it resulted into amputation and he later died.
I saw a broadcast message on blackberry messenger asking people to help Dento because he was sick and he needed two hundred and fifty thousand naira, i was very sad and i thought why would Dento be looking for that small amount of money to keep him alive. he died eventually and many others too.
Other Nollywood personalities who have died in the last few months include Sam Loco Efe, Geraldine Ekeocha, Ahmed Alasari, Akin Ogungbe, Ashley Nwosu, Dento, Taiwo Bello and Pete Eneh. they died due to lack of money or accident (bad roads) that led to their untimely death. These men are known locally and internationally but they have nothing to show for being famous. Their impact on the society was more than that of our president or governors.
I pray and implore our government to step into this matter. These people need not to lobby for money or contracts, they have worked tirelessly to oil our nation. So they are not meant to die like chickens because of inadequate attention given to them by our leaders.
I met Veteran Nollywood actor, Enebeli Elebuwa in 2009 at National theater. I was shocked when he drove in a very old Mercedes Benz car, i checked him out, he looked unkept and my mind traveled back to growing up. Seeing him on television then was always good, he displayed his God given talent like his life depended on it and he interpreted every role like he was born with it. He was one of the actors that paved ways to today's Nollywood. Why was i surprised he drove in that car? Why was i surprised he looked broke? I was shocked because i wasn't expecting someone like him could be broke or look that bad, he entertained Nigerians , he had fame but not money. He couldn't take care of himself when his sickness started. Acting wasn't fair to him or should i say life. Its very sad, i remember reading somewhere that he didn't have money to feed on, Elebuwa doesn't have money to feed on? how? what happened? is acting not paying off? what was he spending his money on? i don't want to believe they didn't pay him for all his roles in movies. So many questions and i couldn't fathom why all the things happened to him.
Someone told me and i read somewhere that they don't make money from movies, i find this very hard to believe, why do people run into movie industry then? big expensive cars, houses, money is displayed this day by our actresses and actors and you tell me there's no money in acting? Some of our actors(especially the actresses) who hasn't featured in more than 10 films rides a car of 10million, buy houses of 20million and their lifestyle is very loud. i am so bitter at our leaders, must our good actors die like rats? must they beg for money? Must they turn to objects of pity? so if an actor cannot be a gigolo and actress can't be a prostitute, they are not entitled to a good life?
Elebuwa, who died in India, had been battling the effects of a stroke for sometime and undergone treatment at some hospitals in Nigeria before he was moved to India. The illness had kept him bedridden for sometime(He had no money for treatment).
Elebuwa was well known for the role he played as Andrew in a campaign by the Federal Government in the 80s to discourage Nigerians from fleeing the country.
Pete Eneh died recently, he wasn't able to take care of his infected leg and it resulted into amputation and he later died.
I saw a broadcast message on blackberry messenger asking people to help Dento because he was sick and he needed two hundred and fifty thousand naira, i was very sad and i thought why would Dento be looking for that small amount of money to keep him alive. he died eventually and many others too.
Other Nollywood personalities who have died in the last few months include Sam Loco Efe, Geraldine Ekeocha, Ahmed Alasari, Akin Ogungbe, Ashley Nwosu, Dento, Taiwo Bello and Pete Eneh. they died due to lack of money or accident (bad roads) that led to their untimely death. These men are known locally and internationally but they have nothing to show for being famous. Their impact on the society was more than that of our president or governors.
I pray and implore our government to step into this matter. These people need not to lobby for money or contracts, they have worked tirelessly to oil our nation. So they are not meant to die like chickens because of inadequate attention given to them by our leaders.
