By Osagie Alonge
The week started on a sad note when on Monday, April 29, 2014, revered film maker Amake Igwe passed away.
The news of the Nollywood icon’s death broke on Tuesday morning and has shocked many including fans and colleagues in the film industry.
Entertainers (mostly actors) took to social media to express their sadness, eulogizing the late Mrs Igwe who passed away at 51.
Actress Kate Henshaw described her as a ‘great woman’ who accomplished what her male counterparts dared attempting. ‘R.I.P Aunty Amaka!!! Our prayers are with you Uncle Charles’, she added.
Genevieve Nnaji describes Igwe’s passing as ‘the darkest day of her entire career’. ‘That I believe sums up how I feel right now. Your legacy will live on Aunty Amaka. I promise you. #RIPAmakaIgwe’, she wrote.
Music video director Kemi Adetiba narrated her experience meeting Mrs Igwe. ‘(I) met her in once, 7/8 years ago at a private dinner in Cape Town. She has no idea how much her story inspired my career and her work inspired my childhood. I guess now, she’ll never know!! #RIP #AmakaIgwe’, she wrote.
TV host Yvonne ‘Vixen’ Ekwere also shared her memories with the filmmaker who she says she interviewed a couple of times. ‘I was privileged to interview her few times. Enjoyed her works (Most of which will remain Legendary) she was a pioneer, a Filmmaker who know exactly what she wanted to achieve. An icon, a visionary…’.
She also talked about her (Vixen) suffering from the same health condition that took Mrs Igwe’s life. ‘I myself suffer from Asthma so I can imagine the stress you must have experienced. It saddens me to know you’re gone. But your legacy will live on. #RIPAmakaIgwe’, she added.
Fellow filmmaker Charles Novia and actor John Njamah (who made his break from Checkmate) described how Igwe moulded and inspired their careers in the film industry.
‘Amaka Igwe – She guided me, as with many others, at the infancy of my career to what I have become in Film business. A confidant gone. R.I.P’, Novia wrote.
‘Words are not enough to say goodbye to this awesome woman that carved my yesterday and defined my today as a film maker… farewell Mrs I…’, Njamah painfully wrote.
Amaka Igwe will be remembered for raising the bar in movie and TV production in Nigeria, something respected comedian Ali Baba attests to.
‘RIP the legendary Amaka Igwe, you gave us quality over quantity…. Singlehandedly raised standards. Your legacy will always be a source of pride. Adieu’, the stand-up comic and MC wrote.
Read Other Tributes From Entertainers Below…
Obi Asika: #Speechless #Amaka #Enugu #rip #Special Lady # Nigerian #CreativeIndustriesLeader #one of the true Nollywood founders #gonewaytoosoon
Omoni Oboli: Somebody tell me it’s not true! Gone too soon! :’( #wearethrownintomourningyetagain #wecelebrateherlife #Godknowsbest
Funke Akindele: Sad! #RIP Amaka Igwe
Halima Abubakar: Numb Woa#Ripma, Amaka Igwe(mfr)
Yaw: All the world is a stage and all of us are just players, we have have our exits and our entrances – William Shakespeare. #RIP #AmakaIgwe #SadNews
Stella Damasus: RIP aunty Amaka. I just can’t understand this. Too painful to even begin to think about it. My prayer goes out to uncle Charles and the children
Stephanie Linus: I’m still in shock! Oh! How we’ve lost a great one! Rest in Peace Amaka Igwe
Tosyn Bucknor: Teacher, Friend, Icon, Mother, Wife, Daughter, Icon… #GoneTooSoon
Desmond Elliot: Anty Amaka will be greatly missed. Our condolences go to Uncle Charles and the family R.I.P great woman very shocking indeed
Joseph Benjamin: Amaka Igwe passes on. It is appointed to man. What will you be remembered for, she positively affected her generation.
Chika Ike: RIP To An Amazon.. Amaka Igwe..u taught us all. God bless your soul.
Funmi Iyanda: I am very sad to hear Amaka Igwe has died. She’s left us with a great creative legacy so she lives on. My prayers r with Charles n children.
