In Nollywood, Mr. Ibu Is Unreplaceable

CharlesInojie,anactoranddirectorinNigeriancinema,hascalledthepassingofhiscolleagueJohnOkafor,alsoknownasMr.Ibu,a“irreparableloss”totheNigerianfilmindustry. Heemphasizedthatcastingthelatecomicactoralonewassufficienttoturnafilmintoahit,sayingthatheisirreplaceableinNollywood. “There’stimeswhenyouloseapersoninanindustryandyousay,well,soorsopersonwouldreplacehim,”InojiestatedinarecentinterviewwithChannelsTV. ButthereisonlyoneMr.Ibu. Mr.Ibuspearswithallofhislimbs.

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HeisarguablyoneofthefewpersonsinAfricawho,evenwhenleftsilent,couldconveyamillionideasthroughgestures,bodylanguage,andfacialexpressionswithoututteringasingledramaticdialogueword. Thatisnotinexpensive. Thatissomethingwewillmiss. “Youhaveablockbuster,youhaveJohn[Okafor].”

 

ThedeathofhiscolleagueJohnOkafor,popularlyknownasMr.Ibu,hasbeendescribedbyactoranddirectorCharlesInojieasa“irreparableloss”totheNigerianfilmindustry. HeunderlinedthatthelatecomicactorwasirreplaceableinNollywoodandthathiscastingalonecouldmakeamovieahit. InojiesaidinarecentinterviewwithChannelsTVthat“therearetimeswhenyouloseapersoninanindustryandyousay,well,soorsopersonwouldreplacehim.” ButMr.Ibuisasingularentity. Witheverylimb,Mr.Ibuspears.

Withoutsayingasingledramaticdialogueword,heisarguablyoneofthefewpeopleinAfricawho,evenwhenleftsilent,couldcommunicateamillionideasthroughgestures,bodylanguage,andfacialexpressions. Thatisnotcheap. Wearegoingtomissthat. “YouhaveJohn[Okafor],whoisablockbuster.”