Help is needed urgently for notable Nollywood actor, John Okafor, who is popular known as Mr Ibu. The actor of vast credit is in dire need of financial assistance to enable him treat an undisclosed medical condition, which as the actor said, may lead to the amputation of his legs. Okafor was seen on Monday in a video that has gone viral on a hospital bed, appealing for prayers and financial support while expressing concern that his legs might be amputated if he doesn’t get help in time.
Okafor’s adopted daughter, Jasmine Okafor, who has been with the actor since he was admitted, hinted that the actor’s condition was worsening. “My father’s condition is not improving and we have spent all we have on him, still no improvement,” Jasmine said, adding that the appeal for financial support is to facilitate his medical treatment abroad.
Reactions from fans, colleagues and well wishers alike have trailed the video, which revealed Mr. Ibu on the sick bed wreathing in pains. A number of notable entertainment personalities including, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Charles Inojie and Peter Okoye of the Psquare fame have taken to their social media handles to pledge their support for the ailing actor.
Peter Okoye wrote: “Our very own @realmribu (John Okafor) needs our help as he goes through a medical challenge. Our Nollywood legends deserve better, it is time for we the people to show him love for bringing joy to our screens all these years. I am pledging my support for him 100 per cent. My dear colleagues, friends, family, and fans pls support him in any little way you can! He needs our prayers and financial support in this challenging time. Praying for his speedy recovery. May God heal you permanently our dear veteran.”
Like Okoye, Inojie and Kanayo O. Kanayo appealed for assistance to enable the comic actor get his groove back. “Just as we were celebrating his birthday, news broke that the legend Mr. Ibu has suffered a relapse from a previous ailment. I join every well-meaning fan, friend, supporter, colleague, and family member to ask for your prayers for God intervention and financial assistance to enable him access quality health care. Nothing is too small,” Inojie, Mr. Ibu sparing partner in most comic movie, said even as he volunteered the actor’s bank details. “Please support here… 1685687982…John Ikechukwu Okafor… Access Bank…IG @realmribu.”
Regarded as one of Nollywood’s top rated comic acts, Okafor, star of movies such as ‘Mr.Ibu’, ‘Ibu in London’, ‘9 Wives’ and ‘A Fool At Forty’. Is roundly admired for playing comic roles so well that the audience always find it difficult to draw the line between the naturally witty fellow John Okafor and the personage he represents, which are incidentally stupid and hilariously imbecile characters. Without doubt, Okafor is one of Nigeria’s most admired comic characters. It is also not in doubt that this actor who is a great fan of Makossa and Highlife music has steeply climbed to become one of the recognisable faces in Nollywood and one of those who have continued to blaze with grins within and across Africa.
A native of Nkanu Council of Enugu State, Okafor had his early education at Community Central School, Eziokpo. It was while in the community school that he began acting.
He speaks of how he became a darling of many during his elementary school days: “It was my teacher who made me a kind of local champion. Whenever I commit an offence, my teacher would ask me to do something that would make the class laugh as my punishment. And because I had some flesh, what I do is to create effects with my stomach or to shake my buttocks in a comic style.”
Okafor grew up in Benin under the guidance of his grandfather who he named as his source of inspiration after ‘God’. While in Benin, Okafor found out that he could skip a meal just so as to watch an episode of the popular television comedy programme, ‘Hotel De Jordan’. Later he joined a few people who made it a habit, to watch the cast of the television programme at work. It was one of those days that he got the chance card that turned his life swivel chair around.
Okafor says: “There was this day that we all gathered as usual to watch them at rehearsals and one of the artistes called me up and asked whether I would love to act. I didn’t know when I said yes and he asked me on and said there was a role of a farmer that I can play. I played it and that was it. I returned home, mentioned it to my family and that marked the very beginning for me.”
Indeed, from that point, Okafor jumped at any offer to act. He later proceeded to Onitsha in Anambra State to further his new love. Soon as the Anambra State Broadcasting Service (ABS) was established, Ibu was among the first set of artistes to be engaged as actors on the stations many drama programmes.
Okafor occupied himself until he earned his first shirt as it were and ‘first salary’ on home video. This was in 1994. John Okafor’s first major acting run on screen was in the movie, ‘Rolling Stone’, as directed by the late Kenneth Egbuna. John said he was paid 5000 in naira for that effort that was produced by Solomon Eze. He hopped on the back of that debut outing to clinch other jobs including ‘Don’t cry for me’. ‘Banana Girls’, ‘Woman in Jos’, ‘Vuga’, ‘Uncle Wayward’, ‘Schoolboy’, ‘Joshua’, which clinched the best comedy diadem at the second edition of the Abuja International Film Festival, and ‘The Way of Freedom’, which he produced and directed.
Today, Okafor has emerged a devoted disciple of the comic genre.
He is well known among his teeming fans as ‘Mr. Ibu’, ‘Uncle Way Ward’ or ‘Joshua’, all comic characters that he has portrayed in movies. Although said to be a stock character, living mostly comic runs in all, if not most of his movie run and quite a few of them appearing really flat, Ibu explained that he longed to play very serious roles but that those who fund movies in the Nigerian movie culture thinks he is better off in comic roles.
He says: “I love playing serious roles than the comic ones. But, even when I play the role of a serious medical doctor with all the instruments of the profession, nobody takes me seriously. Once they see me in a movie they will start laughing.”
Okafor’s career ambition is to continue to make his fans happy. He is however worried that his dream may be cut short if he doesn’t get help fast to get quality health care: “I beg make una help me. I want to get off this bed. I have a great time ahead with my dedicated fans. I love my fans, if they are happy and I am happy too. But they must help me, support me and pray for me to get off the hospital so that I can continue to make them happy,” a teary Mr. Ibu surmised.
Source: Guardian
