‘Sam Loco was like a father and custodian of Nollywood’

How did you and your colleagues receive the news of Sam Loco’s death? On Sunday, August 7, 2011, I received a call intimating me of the death of the icon, Sam Loco, in his hotel room in Owerri, capital of Imo State. Considering the office I occupy as the chairman, Enugu AGN, and that since […]

How did you and your colleagues receive the news of Sam Loco’s death?

On Sunday, August 7, 2011, I received a call intimating me of the death of the icon, Sam Loco, in his hotel room in Owerri, capital of Imo State. Considering the office I occupy as the chairman, Enugu AGN, and that since any information I give out about the development would be regarded as true, and because it happened in Owerri, I decided to call one of Sam Loco’s friends who is always with him, in the person of Mr. Tom Amanze, who incidentally told me that he had heard about the development.

But because it happened in an hotel, like I was told, he had sent for a medical doctor of his to go and find out before we will begin to disseminate information. Apparently, the doctor was there and confirmed everything. (Somehow Mbaka’s eyes gradually became misty, turned very reddish and tears began to flow down his cheeks!)  Ever since then, even as I speak with you right now, I’ve not been myself because the same man in question is like an institution, an embodiment of acting, and in fact, acting personified. He was like a father, a custodian of the industry where he contributed a lot to its growth. Even up till now, some of us are yet to believe that Sam Loco has passed on but then it has happened.

The last time you spoke with him, did he show any sign of illness?

I must be frank with you. Yes he did; he did because the last time I spoke with him; it was in this place and the particular seat where we now kept his condolence register in Enugu has always been where he sits any time he is here; I am using present tense because I still do not refer to him as “was” or dead; take it or leave it, Sam Loco lives on and I believe that.

Can you remember your last moment with him?

The last time I had with him? Like I said earlier, the last time I had with him was in this environment. But like I’ve told people; something that appeared to be his last social outing or function that I happened to organise was in Benin during my wedding ceremony, and he was the chairman of my wedding. And that was the greatest gift I ever had from him.

Yes,  uncle Sam is quite aged. By the grace of God; if God had willed it, by December 23 this year, Sam Loco Efe would have clocked 73 years but the public had been fed by the press with 66 or sixty something years, and I don’t know how they got that figure. Although the publications I have been reading in the past put his age at 66 or thereabout, but I keep telling them with confidence, considering how close I am with him, he would have been 73 by December this year. The government of the state where we are (Enugu State) could see to the fact or understand with us that what has happened to the Enugu State chapter of the AGN is more than us. But whichever way they see it, the country at large knows that Enugu state is his station. He came to be part of our Actors Guild here in Enugu and he has been playing a fatherly role. But Sam Loco is an embodiment of a true Nigerian who will tell you…if he says he’s from Enugu state, he will tell you a particular family where he comes from.  He peaks Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba fluently. And for his name to have been used in a national quiz competition in this country, “where does Sam Loco come from?” shows that the actor is a national figure indeed.

Is there any lesson you learnt from Sam Loco during your interaction with him?

I think if you say any lesson, that’s just an understatement.

Are there lessons you learnt from him?

Yes. I learnt even a lot. I call him so many names. I still remember a couple of his friends I called on phone and they were crying only for me to tell them to calm down. The only thing that will make me feel bad is that as much as I know how much I respect him as a father, how much I respect him, even much more, that he respected my office here in Enugu as the chairman of the Actors Guild, knowing very well that I’m like a son to him, is enough to write home about. Sam Loco is an embodiment of tutorials who would tell you that you ought to know something when you’re supposed to know that thing.

And Sam Loco is a man who would look at your face eyeball-to-eyeball and tell you “what you’re doing is wrong, stop it!” irrespective of your age. I’ve worked with him on several sets. Even outside sets I would call him and say, daddy this is my problem and he will tell me for the fact that this thing is like this, stand on your feet and let the heavens come down!

For how many years did you know him?

Well, let me be proud to tell you that this is more than 16 years I have been in this industry and all throughout the 16 years, I have related with him. But before the 16 years, this is a man I had heard so much about; this was a man I’ve read little about and it was a privilege for me to have, at the end of the day, had a one-on-one talk with him; had a handshake with him; been privileged to have him even supervise the election that took me to several states as far as Actors Guild of Nigeria is concerned. And he happened to be the chairman of my wedding. But let me not claim that I knew him too well; I must say that my relationship with him is a memory I wouldn’t just erase easily.

 

Now you speak good, good, good about him like the Nigerians you talk good about people only when they are no more but does it mean Sam Loco never had his bad sides?

Well, let me put it this way. Like somebody observed that if you really want to know the truth about anybody, visit the joints. Go to places outside where you feel the man works or in the church where the sermon will be preached and they will tell you speak no ill of the dead.

So if I will tell you that he doesn’t have his bad sides or the left side of his life or whatever, I will equally at the same time be telling lies about the actor. So it is in every human being. So let it not be as if I’m saying good, good things about him. He has a temperament which makes him to shout on you if he feels you’re not doing the right thing that most times we will be saying ah daddy e don do now! And he will say shut up! Why will you tell me that? If you don’t do it that way all these small, small boys will spoil things and I have to tell them and let them know it. Those are the things when I remember them I will say yes, this was a man who wanted things done properly. This is the man who wants things right. Not only did he speak Igbo, Sam Loco Efe spoke Udi dialect.

What’s your final word to members of the AGN?

On the day of his burial, let everybody come out and let’s give him the last respect; let’s give him that honour. If President Goodluck Jonathan could speak glowingly about Sam Loco, what about those of us who interacted with him for many years and saw him smile, laugh, shout and even teach the younger artistes. We should attend the burial en masse.