What the movie industry would miss about Eddie Ugbomah!

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.