Nigeria News
Eulogies To An Icon
The late Justus Esiri
Movie stars recently paid their last respect to Chief Justus Esiri, a septuagenarian theatre legend who passed away in the late hours of 19 February.
On Monday, a Special Tribute Night was organised in honour of the late legendary actor. It was held at the open-space arena of O’jez Restaurant, a rendezvous located in the premises of National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
It was a dense and somber gathering anchored by two celebrated Nigerian actors/comedians, Julius Agwu and Okey McAnthony aka Okey Bakassi. When the duo mounted the podium, they ignited the venue with their rich bouquet of comic deliveries. Among the impressive guest list were artistes, fans, family of the deceased and well-wishers. It was a night of tributes as celebrities spoke glowingly about the late Esiri.
“We worked together and he is the kind of person that will call and ask if you are behaving well. He enjoyed life and he was also serious about the traditional and cultural things that are our own; whatever you think of our culture, he insisted that you get to know it. He tells people how to think,” veteran actor, Olu Jacobs told P.M.NEWS Entertainment Cafe.
Jacobs explained how his late colleague called him to complain of his son who wanted to take to music after concluding medical studies. He noted that he was delighted that despite the earlier reservations, Esiri died a fulfilled man having seen his son make a success of his music career. Jacob noted that Esiri was a thorough professional who embraced those who approached him with open minds, and he mentored such people to greatness.
The matronly queen of the screen, Joke Silva, who fondly called Esiri ‘Uncle’ reminisced that Esiri enjoyed his work as an entertainer and deserved bounteous comfort from doing it. “He was a man who was comfortable both on stage and in front of the camera, and he had an incredible sense of humour. He didn’t take himself particularly too serious and he was always looking out for opportunities of easing dense moments,” she said.
Joke further opined that Esiri had a distinctive career because of his fatherly disposition and the quality of effort he put in to realize any project he was involved in.
Besides the torrents of tributes that were interspersed with band performances, there was a praise session led by ageless diva, Kate Henshaw. Chioma Chukwuka-Akpotha, Gloria Ibru whose band provided the music, engaged guests in a dance session which Henshaw said was to celebrate the life of “Uncle Justus so that we won’t be ungrateful to God.” Speaker after speaker, especially the younger artistes, apart from eulogizing Chief Esiri, prayed against what they called “The spirit of untimely death” lurking in the industry and striking consistently in the last couple of years.
Ernest Obi remembers the deceased on two important levels. Having worked closely on different sets, Obi reported that Esiri was adept at role interpretation and his rendition of scripts. According to him, this rubbed-off on young directors as well as other actors who shared the stage or set with him.
Obi also recalled that Esiri played the role of a father to him (Obi) during his marriage. “Uncle Justus was one man I invited to my marriage via text message. He came and took over the role of my father,” he said, as the crowd let-off sighs. “I remember when I was going to marry, I invited him through text message and he attended. In fact, he did what my father would have done. He took the responsibility and saw that everything worked out well. That is what I call humility. He didn’t mind that I didn’t come to his house to inform him or invite him very specially.”
Obi added that: “If I write a script in twenty years’ time, I will still have cause to say I wish Uncle Justus was here. This is because he would interpret the role perfectly as an actor. I worked with him as an actor and a director. Uncle Justus wasn’t a difficult person. He was someone who spoke up when he saw anything wrong, unlike other actors who tolerate some things that aren’t exactly right. He would tell you ‘don’t work with someone who can’t act because such a person will bring your work down. And remember, you don’t have business with such a person,” Obi added.
Tunji Bamisigbin has worked with the deceased longer than many others who paid their respects. According to the filmmaker, who is also a qualified legal practitioner, it was Esiri’s commitment, professional conduct and longevity in the industry that accords him a pride of place in the Nigerian movie world and the arts generally. “I have been in the movie industry for the past 37years and it has been up and down. Justus Esiri was one of those people who nurtured the industry to what it is now. I’m grateful that I’m also a part of those who laid the foundation for the growth of the movie industry in this country. I have known him for ages. I worked with him even while I was pursuing a programme in school. We have always met along the line and he was one of those who advised me to do what I can do best. He was one of those who trained me 37 years ago. He is a thoroughbred performer.”
Segun Arinze and David Odegha among other Nollywood stars identified Esiri as a role model who groomed them to successful careers in the movies.
Esiri, Member of the Order of the Niger, MON, was famous for his role as the Village Headmaster in the now rested popular television series of the same name. Born on 20 November, 1942 in Oria-Abraka, Delta State, he attended Urhobo College, Effurun in the then Bendel State, Warri. He was at the Maximillan University, Munich, German, 1964, Prof. Weners Institute of Engineering, West Berlin, 1967 and the Ahrens School of Performing Arts, 1968.
Esiri started his acting career in Germany. He was the only Nigerian male artiste performing on stage between 1968 and 1969. He also worked for Voice of Nigeria, German Service as a translator. He was performing on stage in Germany when a delegation from Nigeria invited him home to perform in a government sponsored programme.
The veteran actor had won several awards including THEMA Awards, NTA Honours Awards and AMAA Awards. He was also the star actor in acclaimed productions such as Wasted Years, Forever, The Prize, Six Demons, Corridors of Power, Last Night, The Tyrant, The Investigation and The Ghost. He was also reputed to have performed on more TV Network drama programmes than any Nigerian actor.
Esiri is the father of Nigerian fast-rising musician, Dr. Sid. Asked in an interview how he felt about his son becoming a musician, he said; “I just called him and told him both the negative and positive aspects of the entertainment industry and he has to be focused. I scolded but gave him my blessing and he picked up.”
“We in the entertainment industry are heartbroken as we announce the passing of Chief Justus Esiri OON popularly known as the Village Headmaster, following a complication from diabetes,” said Azuh Amatus, Editor, Entertainment Express.
Chief Justus Esiri OON, was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. An Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), The OtunAmuludun of the Source in Ile-IfeOsun State,and Veteran Nollywood Actor.
He is survived by wife, Mrs. Omiete Esiri, Children; Mrs. Ophlia Edewor, Mrs. Ejiro Efijemueh, Mr. Justus Esiri Jnr, Dr. Sidney Esiri (Dr Sid), Mr. Andrew Esiri, Miss Tobor Esiri and grand Children.
—Bayo Adetu, Nkrumah Bankong-Obi & Motunrayo Idris
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Posted in Nigeria News. A DisNaija.Com network.
Source: PM News
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The Kano State Government on Saturday said it has transferred 1,098 ‘almajiris’ to different states of the country.
The commissioner for local government, Murtala Garo, disclosed this while presenting a report before the state’s task force on COVID-19 at the government house, Kano.
Almajiris are children who are supposed to be learning Islamic studies while living with their Islamic teachers. Majority of them, however, end up begging on the streets of Northern Nigeria. They constitute a large number of Nigeria’s over 10 million out-of-school children.
Mr Garo said the Kano government transported 419 almajiris to Katsina, 524 to Jigawa and 155 to Kaduna. He said all of them tested negative for coronavirus before leaving the Kano State.
Despite the coronavirus test done in Kano for the almajiris, the Jigawa government earlier said it would quarantine for two weeks all the almajiris that recently arrived from Kano.
Mr Garo said another 100 almajiris scheduled to be taken to Bauchi State also tested negative to COVID-19.
In a remark, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje said the COVID-19 situation in Kano was getting worse. He appealed for a collaborative effort to curtail the spread of the virus in the state.
Mr Ganduje, who commended residents for complying with the lockdown imposed in the state, said the decision was taken to halt the spread of the virus.
Kano State, as of Saturday night, has 77 coronavirus cases, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
The decision to transfer the Kano almajiris is part of the agreement reached between Northern governors that almajiris in each state be transferred to their states of origin.
However, even before the latest agreement by the governors, the Kano government had been transferring almajiris to other states and neighbouring countries after it banned street begging in the state, most populous in Northern Nigeria.
Despite the transfers, however, no concrete step has been taken to ensure such children do not return to Kano streets as there is freedom of movement across Nigeria although interstate travel was recently banned to check the spread of the coronavirus.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
By Ugochukwu Alaribe
Operatives of the Abia State Vigilante Service, AVS, popularly known as ‘Bakassi Boys’ have arrested 24 market women hidden in a container truck, at Ekwereazu Ngwa, the boundary community between Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The market women, said to be from Akwa Ibom State, were on their way to Aba, when they were arrested with the truck driver and two of his conductors for violating the lockdown order by the state government.
Driver of the truck, Moses Asuquo, claimed he was going to Aba to purchase stock fish, but decided to assist the market women, because they were stranded.
A vigilante source told Sunday Vanguard that the vehicle was impounded while the market women were sent back to Akwa Ibom State.
Commissioner for Home Land Security, Prince Dan Okoli, who confirmed the incident, said that smuggling of people into the state poses great threat to the state government’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID- 19.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
Operatives of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Yaba of the Lagos State police command have arrested one Mrs Nene Steve for allegedly killing her maid, Joy Adole
The maid was allegedly beaten to death by Nene for requesting for her salary at their residence located at 18, Ogundola Street, Bariga area in Lagos.
Narrating the incident, Philips Ejeh, an elder brother to the deceased said that he was sad when they informed him that his sister was beaten to death.
He explained that the deceased was an indigene of Benue State brought to Lagos through an agent and started working with her as a maid in January 2020.
‘’She reported that her boss refused to pay her and anytime she asked for her salary she will start beating her.
She was making an attempt to leave the place but due to the total lockdown she remained there until Sunday when her boss said she caught her stealing noodles and this led to her serious beating and death,’’ Ejeh said.
He called on Lagos State Government and well- meaning people in the country to help them in getting justice for the victim.
The police spokesman, Bala Elkana, stated that the woman and her husband came to Bariga Police Station to a report that their house girl had committed suicide.
Detectives were said to have visited the house and suspected foul play with the position of the rope and bruises all over the body which confirmed that the girl had been tortured to death and the boss decided to hang up the girl to make it look like suicide.
He said: “The police moved on with their investigation and found a lot of sign of violence on her body that she has been tortured before a rope was put on her neck.’’
He added that the police removed the corpse and deposited it in the mortuary for autopsy to further ascertain the cause of the death.
Elkana said the matter has been transferred from Bariga police station to Panti for further investigation while the couple have been arrested and will be charged to court.
Ostensibly alarmed by the latest killings of dozens of soldiers by Boko Haram insurgents, President Muhammadu Buhari has summoned an urgent meeting of Service Chiefs to find ways to stop the trend.
He has also dispatched the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali, to the neighbouring Republic of Chad for an urgent meeting with President Idris Deby and his defence counterpart.
Knowledgeable sources said in Abuja on Friday that the president is worried by on the deterioration of security situation on the Nigeria – Chad Border that has led to the recently increased Boko Haram terrorism in the area.
The sources which did not want to be named in Abuja said: “Nigeria has a Chad problem in the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) put together to secure the Lake Chad basin areas and repeal the Boko Haram terrorist attacks against all the countries neighbouring the Lake.”
The sources noted that Chad is believed to be having their own internal security challenges and this has reportedly led to their pulling away their own troops manning their own border around Lake Chad, saying: “That lacuna is being exploited by the Boko Haram terrorists, who go in and out of Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon to launch terrorist acts. This is a clear illustration of the fact that terrorism is beyond national borders.”
When contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, confirmed that the Defence Minister is going to Chad but said he is unaware of the purpose.
Meanwhile, the military authorities are said to be in the process of identifying the families of the latest victims with a view to making contact with them.
Credible sources revealed that it is the reason the president is yet to make any pronouncement on the matter.
“The President has called an urgent meeting with the Service Chiefs, as well as the fact that families of the latest victims of the Boko Haram are being identified and contacts made before a government pronouncement on the tragic attacks. This, it is understood, is the reason for the silence of the government over the incident,” the source said.
Sourced From: Tribune
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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