Dominic Nwuzor, manager of the late actor John Okafor aka Mr Ibu, has said that the movie star was very influential outside the shores of Nigeria.
Mr Nwuzor, CEO of Don Singles International (DSI), told NAN on Sunday in Abuja that Mr Ibu used his craft and popularity to make people happy, build bridges, reconcile warring communities across the continent.
“I remember vividly, how two warring tribes in Ghana came together for the first time because of John’s performance and he ended up reconciling them,” he said.
“He was thereafter given a chieftaincy title as the ‘Malangula I of Tamale Land’, meaning the peacemaker, and I was named the ‘Ngulala’, meaning the mouthpiece of the peacemaker.
“When we went to Botswana, he held the Nigerian flag when we landed to show how proud and patriotic he was because they were hearing a lot of negative things about Nigeria then.
“He was a man I would say made Africans laughed and was held in high esteem like a people’s leader across Africa.”
Nwuzor said he signed Mr Ibu in 2004.
“The deal started with first two years, and I did not bother him with the aspects of Nigerian movies, so he could deal with anyone on Nigerian movies.
“But for anything concerning international showbiz, I have to discuss with the promoters on the basic access requirements and then we would move,” he said.
Nwuzor urged the Federal Government to immortalise Mr Ibu and give him posthumous national honour for using talent and humour to promote Nigeria’s image during his lifetime.
Mr Ibu died on March 2 aged 63.
