It was a day when several individuals, groups and
organisations patiently queued up at the Amaokwe Item mini-stadium where a
funeral service for the late veteran actor was conducted by a team of clergymen
from Methodist Church Nigeria, led by Bishop Sunday Onuoha, to deliver their
tributes.“James was a cherished member of the University of Ibadan, Alumni
Association, Abia State branch – a rare gem as exemplified in the New
Masquerade in which he was the originator, producer and actor”, said one of the
former students of the country’s premier university.Earlier Chief Theodore Orji,
Abia State governor, who was represented at the event by Chief Ukpai Agwu
Ukpai, had described the deceased as a worthy and eminent Nigerian; a
consummate actor and comedian who brought smiles on the faces of Ndigbo
at the end of the grisly Nigeria/Biafra war.The governor announced that the
state government had doled out N3 million to support the burial, and had also
made an undisclosed sum of money available to James while he was alive to pick
his hospital bill. He said the disclosure became necessary to douse the
rumour making the rounds to the effect that the state government
neglected the deceased actor.Iroha was a former director of programmes, Abia
state Broadcasting Service, and creator of the now- rested television drama,
‘The New Masquerade’. The drama series ruled the screen in the early
‘80’s on the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA Network.The television play
started as a 15-minute radio programme known as ‘In a Lighter Mood’ in the then
East Central State Broadcasting Corporation, Enugu.The masquerade was created
because of the overriding need to assuage the grief that characterized Ndigbo
at the end of the civil war. International organizations, including the
World Health Organization estimate that about two million people of Igbo ethnic
stock were killed during the war that lasted for 30 months. The drama
series captured the national audience for about two decades after it was
adapted for television.The time was 2.30 p.m. Earlier in the morning, the
rain had poured in torrents – leading to the late commencement of the funeral
service, but the inclement weather later gave wave to scorching sun.In a brief
sermon, Bishop Onuoha called on the congregation to refrain from acts that
could cause pain or harm to others. He rather urged them to tow the
footsteps of James who brought laughter to millions of Nigerians; insisting
that the “laughter must continue”, despite the passage of the veteran
comedian.Thereafter, the casket bearing the remains of James was transferred to
a gleaming limousine that moved at a slow pace to his ‘Bush House’ residence
which is a shouting distance from the mini-stadium.But as the casket was
lowered to the grave, by 2.40 p.m. members of the deceased family broke down in
tears, and were joined by several other sympathizers. But Bishop Onuoha
insisted that the “laughter must continue”.It was a day when several individuals, groups and
organisations patiently queued up at the Amaokwe Item mini-stadium where a
funeral service for the late veteran actor was conducted by a team of clergymen
from Methodist Church Nigeria, led by Bishop Sunday Onuoha, to deliver their
tributes.“James was a cherished member of the University of Ibadan, Alumni
Association, Abia State branch – a rare gem as exemplified in the New
Masquerade in which he was the originator, producer and actor”, said one of the
former students of the country’s premier university.Earlier Chief Theodore Orji,
Abia State governor, who was represented at the event by Chief Ukpai Agwu
Ukpai, had described the deceased as a worthy and eminent Nigerian; a
consummate actor and comedian who brought smiles on the faces of Ndigbo
at the end of the grisly Nigeria/Biafra war.The governor announced that the
state government had doled out N3 million to support the burial, and had also
made an undisclosed sum of money available to James while he was alive to pick
his hospital bill. He said the disclosure became necessary to douse the
rumour making the rounds to the effect that the state government
neglected the deceased actor.Iroha was a former director of programmes, Abia
state Broadcasting Service, and creator of the now- rested television drama,
‘The New Masquerade’. The drama series ruled the screen in the early
‘80’s on the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA Network.The television play
started as a 15-minute radio programme known as ‘In a Lighter Mood’ in the then
East Central State Broadcasting Corporation, Enugu.The masquerade was created
because of the overriding need to assuage the grief that characterized Ndigbo
at the end of the civil war. International organizations, including the
World Health Organization estimate that about two million people of Igbo ethnic
stock were killed during the war that lasted for 30 months. The drama
series captured the national audience for about two decades after it was
adapted for television.The time was 2.30 p.m. Earlier in the morning, the
rain had poured in torrents – leading to the late commencement of the funeral
service, but the inclement weather later gave wave to scorching sun.In a brief
sermon, Bishop Onuoha called on the congregation to refrain from acts that
could cause pain or harm to others. He rather urged them to tow the
footsteps of James who brought laughter to millions of Nigerians; insisting
that the “laughter must continue”, despite the passage of the veteran
comedian.Thereafter, the casket bearing the remains of James was transferred to
a gleaming limousine that moved at a slow pace to his ‘Bush House’ residence
which is a shouting distance from the mini-stadium.But as the casket was
lowered to the grave, by 2.40 p.m. members of the deceased family broke down in
tears, and were joined by several other sympathizers. But Bishop Onuoha
insisted that the “laughter must continue”.