When Hope Obioma Opara woke me up early this morning with the heartrending news of what suddenly happened to Mr. Ogbonna Amadi yesterday, time stood still as I gasped in shock. How could this happen to the charismatic Entertainment Editor of Vanguard Newspaper of Nigeria?
Yes, people die. But sudden and untimely deaths make us to raise eyebrows of shock, because God does not wish anyone to suddenly pass away when He created and wired us to live beyond 70 years as He said His wishes for us are of good and not evil. So, we don’t expect, pray or wish for the worst when God our maker has made us for the best.
That is why the news of sudden death of Ogbonna Amadi has left me angry and sad, because such unfortunate occurrences would have been prevented if we have well equipped and well staffed healthcare centres, clinics and hospitals in every community in Nigeria and if the evil and wicked rogues in government have not misappropriated the revenue allocations meant for these provisions for the CommonHealth of all Nigerians.
Ogbonna Amadi contributed to the success of many people in the entertainment industry, especially in Nollywood and music, and I will never forget that he did his best to promote and secure the recognition of our annual Eko International Film Festival. And he also supported me in the publicity for the screenings of Faruk Lasaki’s Changing Faces movie at the cinemas in Nigeria. The last time I saw him was at the press conference for Changing Faces at the popular rendezvous for Nollywood stars and other entertainers, the Ojez Restaurant inside the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos. He was looking dapper in his suit as he joined me and Victor Akande of The Nation newspapers to coordinate the press conference. We are going to miss him and I hope everyone will support an initiative in his memory, like an annual Prize for the Best Nollywood Movie Review.
As a special tribute to Ogbonna Amadi, I play the following video of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On. It was Gaye’s 11th studio album released on May 21, 1971.
