Saturday, March 15, 2014

Why I Was Left Out of the Centenary Awards – Pete Edochie

THE Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) which took place last week honoured over 29 African entertainers during included veteran actor, Pete Edochie, who was honoured with the Industry Merit Awards and was presented with a Hyundai car to go with the award.

In a telephone interview with Tribune, the celebrated actor said on the award “It required MultiChoice/DStv to give me that recognition, good, you know, it’s a good thing for DSTV to do. By the time I did Things Fall Apart, there was nothing like Nollywood. Things Fall Apart was shot seven years before Nollywood came into existence and yet, during the Centenary Awards, I was left out. I really don’t mind, but anything that belongs to you will eventually come to you. I was told that when my name was called on Saturday, the entire place went on uproar; and this really humbles me. So, all those other little conspiracies don’t bother me. Whatever you will be in your life, you must be.”
 
On why he was not present at the event, Pete Edochie said, “I am doing something for the church and I can’t give it up for anything – not even a million carats.”
 
Asked if he had received the car, he said “I think my son will collect it this week. He ought to have collected it on Tuesday, but I heard it rained heavily in Lagos. I thank God for the recognition. I am grateful to all the viewers who voted and said ‘this man is entitled to this; let’s give it to him. There are a lot of things that are supposed to come to me, but eventually get twisted in Lagos. I have heard all the stories and I don’t mind them. I thank God for everything.”
 
 
Other actors also lent their voices to congratulate him.
 
Mercy Johnson Okojie
While congratulating the actor on the recognition, A-list actress, Mercy Johnson-Okojie told Saturday Tribune “He is a wonderful father figure as he has acted as my father countless times. He is a fantastic actor, and as we know ‘as the wine gets older, it tastes better’. I cannot but celebrate him.
 
Ibinabo Fiberesima
Also congratulating him on the merit award, President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Ibinabo Fiberesima, on a telephone interview with Saturday Tribune said, “He even deserves a centenary award. He had done us proud in the past and is still doing us proud; and I know he will continue to do us proud in the future. He totally deserves the merit award.”
 
Victor Olaotan
Lead actor in MNet series, Tinsel, Victor Olaotan, said, “I congratulate him on the honour well deserved. He started when none of this glamour existed. I wish him all the best and also longer years on earth.
 
Mercy Aigbe Gentry
In her own congratulatory remarks to the actor, Nollywood actress, Mercy Aigbe Gentry, who also won the Best Indigenous Actress award, said, “Those are people who actually paved way for people like us; they suffered for us. When they started, they built Nollywood from scratch. There was no money; in fact, there was nothing. It was just the passion they had for it that kept them going. They actually suffered for us, no doubt.
 
He is a Nollywood trailblazer and icon, and it’s a good thing for him to be recognised and I think Africa Magic did a fantastic job recognising and honouring him. It was just their (Africa Magic) own little way of saying thank you for the contribution to Nollywood. I am very happy for him, and I pray that God will continue to bless him and strengthen him.

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