REACTIONS are pouring in following the death of the veteran actor of the ‘Village Headmaster’ fame, Mr. Justus Esiri, who died on Wednesday at the age of 71.
Prominent among his mourners are his fellow members of the Nollywood community, who released a statement on Wednesday under the aegis of the Actors Guild of Nigeria.
Bemoaning the number of great names in the industry who have passed on in recent times, president of the Guild, Ms. Ibinabo Fiberesima, described Esiri as her mentor.
She also described the death of the veteran actor as shocking, saying that the actor was fantastic and very supportive to the guild.
Mr Agility Onwurah, the chairman of the Guild’s Abuja chapter, described Esiri’s death as one death too many, saying that the latest death marked the fourth within a week.
“This is a big blow to the industry, it is getting too bad and I am short of words,” while Ibi Andrew, National Vice President of the Guild, North Central Zone, said that Esiri’s death was a great disaster and a bad signal in the Nollywood industry.
“It is a bad omen. I am surprised at the sudden death of this great actor,” Andrew said, adding that recent deaths of actors “has been on the rise since we took over this administration.”
According to Andrew, the industry is trying to contend with the barrage of bad news coming from the entertainment industry.
He advised members of the industry to seek “the face of God and his divine intervention in the affairs of the industry.”
Indeed a few actors have died in recent weeks, including Collins Ifeanyi, an Abuja based Nollywood actor, who died on Feb.15. Lugard Onoyemu, Pioneer member, Lagos State chapter of AGN, died on Febr. 14 and Goldie Harvey, an entertainer, also died.
Esiri died on Tuesday night, according to several sources in the Nollywood movie industry. The Delta born Esiri is father of rising artiste Onoriode Esiri aka Dr. SID