Chief Eddie Ugbomah's death which
rocked not just the entertainment industry, but millions of people
across the country, at the weekend, has left yet another vacuum in
the annals of contemporary Nigerian movie industry. He died at the weekend, after a protracted illness.
Eddie Ugbomah served as a bridge
between the old and younger generation of Nigerian film makers. He
was one of the film makers in the class of late Hubert Ogunde, Jab
Adu, Ola Balogun, Moses Olaiya (Baba Sala) among other great
filmmakers of yesteryears that began what is today known as the
Nigerian movie industry, otherwise called Nollywood in the 60s.
While most of his contemporaries were
either dead or have quit the business of film making, Ugbomah until
his death was very much involved in the business. In fact, it was one
of his big dreams to build a world class film village in Nigeria.
Ugbomah had approached Delta State
government under the watch of Dr. Emmanuel Udugahan in 2014, for a
collaboration to build a multi-million naira film village in the
capital city of Asaba.
According to Ugboma, the proposed
project, which was expected to last for five years, and fashioned
after Hollywood, would be constructed by a United States-based
Nigerian company, Califco Corp Nigeria. But the project never saw the
light of the day, just as the late film maker did not give up his
dream no matter the odds. Celebrating his 76 birthday, in 2016,
Ugbomah planned to launch his autobiography and non-governmental
organisation, as well as establish two Film Villages in Lagos and
Delta States as his parting gift to the industry.
The concert, according to him, would be
“a Goodbye Concert” because I’m just going to end up with this
art foundation. I look forward to Lagos State government giving me
land to build a film village. It will be different from the existing
one. Discussions are ongoing with investors from America to build it.
In fact, they are already here to invest in our entertainment sector
and our economy,” he said.
Looking back at his contributions in
the movie industry, Ugbomah said “I feel sad that with my over 50
years on stage, no group is coming forward to celebrate me or
organize a special event for me, not even the Association of Movie
Producers. It’s unfortunate that I came from a minority group in
Delta State. Can you not see how Prof. Wole Soyinka, Sunny Ade and
Ebenezer Obey are being celebrated? There is even a Wole Soyinka
Week. I am in the same category of achievement with them if not more,
but I am not celebrated the same way like them because I’m from
Delta State, not just Delta State, a minority group in the state.”
Also, his Filmmakers Hall of Fame was
another project he was passionate about, but which he did not
accomplishe until his demise. “I was so impressed to see such
historical records that I began to think of replicating it in
Nigeria. The idea, however, saw the light of the day in the year
2000. I am saying the Movies and Music Makers Halls of Fame should
have been established since 1960 and not for me to establish it with
my own money. I had the first induction in 2006 and the second in
2009, which is seven years now. I tried to move it to Lagos or Abuja,
but nobody wants to give me the money to hire a movie house, where
all the portraits would be hung for people to see, “ he said.
Ugbomah would be remembered for his
love for the industry. In 2015, he initiated a move to restore
peace and sanity in the movie industry following the unending
bickering and factionalization trailing the industry then.
The veteran film maker set up a 15-man
committee that cuts across the three major film markets that make up
the Nollywood industry; Yoruba movie sector, Kannywood and the
English movie sector. Speaking on the development, Ugbomah who
doubled as the chairman, Board of Trustee of the Association of Movie
Practitioners,AMP, frowned at the idea of multiplicity of groups
within the industry, stressing that the ugly development has
seriously hindered the growth of the industry.
He revealed his plans to form a unified
body which would be known as Motion Picture Professionals Council
that would represent all the interests within the sector. ‘Nigeria
is awash with all manner of names like Kannywood, Yorubawood and I
think we should put a stop to this. If we want government to take us
seriously in what we do, then we should be seen to be unified and
speak with one voice.’ Motion picture covers everything in the
industry and we have made extensive contacts concerning the formation
of the proposed council,” he said.
Ugbomah's passion for filmmaking and
for Nigeria were evident in his films. The desire to expose the ills
in the society in order to bring about positive changes led the
veteran film maker to use filmmaking as a channel to address the
ills of the society.
Eddie’s enthusiasm in filmmaking was
fanned at age 18 by a statement made by late American actor, Charlton
Heston during the premier of Ben-Hur, an American epic historical
drama film at the Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos Nigeria. According to
Eddie, Charlton said it was a shame that Nigeria (in 1959) had no
film industry. This led him to pursue a career in film making. The
desire to pioneer a film industry that will tell the Nigerian story
by a Nigerian to Nigerians led to the formation of Edifosa Film
Enterprise, Eddie’s film production outfit. He had directed and
produced films such as the ‘Rise and Fall of Oyenusi’ in 1979,
‘The Boy is Good and Apalara,’ a film about the life and murder
of Alfa Apalara in Oko Awo, Lagos. The plot of some of his films are
loosely based on real life events, The Rise and Fall of Oyenusi is
based on the career of a notorious robber, Ishola Oyenusi.
Ugbomah’s films usually tackled
contemporary social and political issues. In 1979, he produced Dr
Oyenusi, the film’s plot taken from the headlines is about a
notorious robber, Ishola Oyenusi who terrorized Lagosians in the
early 1970s. The film also delved into the menace of armed robbery in
Nigeria. Oyenusi featured Ugbomah as the lead actor. Ugbomah’s next
film, the Mask was released in 1979. The film’s material was based
on looting of Africa’s artefacts by colonizers and the quest to
return those artefacts back home. In the Mask, the protagonist Obi,
played by Ugbomah tried to sneak into the British Museum to steal the
Benin ivory mask and return it to Nigeria. Some critics likened the
character of Obi to James Bond.
Ugbomah’s career flourished in the
early 1980s producing such films as Oil Doom, Bolus ’80 and The Boy
is Good. Most of his films were shot in 16mm with the exception of
The Mask. Later in his career Ugbomah turned to Yoruba video films.
In 1988, he was appointed chairman of the Nigerian Film Corporation.
There was also an attempt to raise N50 million from the sale of his
autobiography, ‘Eddie Ugbomah by Eddie’, in January to cover for
his medical bills but it did not materialise.
Ugbomah, a native of Village Ashaka
area Aboh in East Ndokwa, Delta State, Local Government, grew up in
the Obalende and Lafiaji area of Lagos. He was educated at St
Matthias, Lafiaji, Lagos and City College school. He traveled to
London for his college education and attended various colleges
studying journalism, drama and later film. Ugbomah lived his life for
the film industry that he loved so much.
