[size=14pt]., He was not just actor but Biafran soldier[/size]


-Victor Eriabie, Izozo producer


By JOSFYN UBA Saturday, August 13, 20



The first reaction to the news of his death was that of disbelief. The news was horrifying. I just couldn’t believe it. Yes, Sam Loco Efe was in his 70s. I didn’t believe he would just die so soon. If you knew him, he was too playful and so much vibrant and alive that you wouldn’t think he would die. Even at that age, he could play with a 20-year-old as if they were mates. I know his kids and he had a good rapport with them

I got to know Sam Loco Efe as a man who believed in the ideology and equality of the Nigerian state. Way back Sam Loco believed in this. There was a meeting held by late elder statesmen late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, late Nnamdi Azikiwe and even, the Ikemba and they were discussing the issue of true federalism for Nigeria and while the meeting lasted, an argument ensued. Midway however, the East backed out of the meeting and seceded. And this same Sam Loco believed in that ideology. Although Nigerians came to know him as an actor but it would surprise you to know that the great Sam Loco Efe fought for Biafra.

I am telling you this because a lot of people did not know him. There is another guy, called Ben Agbota Okegwale. He is a writer. He and Sam Loco featured in the famous play, Langbodo in FESTAC 77. Sam Loco played the character called Kako and prior to this time, he and Okegwale had fought for Biafra. So, he had always been in the East. He took off from there to Benin. And that is why he could speak all the languages. It was through hardship and interaction and all of that, that he could pick all those languages. So, apart from speaking the Bini language, the other language he could speak was Igbo.

And some other things happened eventually when he moved to the North, I think somewhere in Jos where, again, he got to know the Hausa language. In fact, he was a genius. He could speak many languages, actually. I remember this play too, when some Spanish people came and before we knew it, Sam Loco was speaking Spanish. We were stunned that he could speak the Spanish language. He was a man who picked and spoke languages easily. He had that gift.
From the Biafran war, he came to FESTAC after which he established one theatre group, I can’t remember the name now, which eventually led to the establishment of the then Bendel Arts Council. So, but he became too big a fish to remain in that Arts Council as it were. He moved down to Lagos but before he came to Lagos, he had played a character called ukata biribiri in the drama series, Hotel De Jordan. Sam Loco Efe was the first actor I have met that I can conveniently refer to as a complete actor because he could play any role. Even before the emergence of Nollywood, he was a properly bred stage actor. He was adjudged the best actor in FESTAC 77 because of the way he played that role of Kako in Langbodo and when Hotel De Jordan became very famous, Ukata biribiri was a character people got hooked onto
He did television shows and other series. Ever before Jimi Solanke started his children’s stories and plays on TV, Sam Loco Efe had done all that long ago. In fact, he was like a pathfinder in that path of telling children stories and singing for them

Relationship with Sam

It was that of a big brother and uncle because I came so close to him and discovered that he was man with whom spending 10 hours would just look like 30 minutes. Now, let me tell you about one big misconception a lot people had about him. They would always tell you that he was a drunk. He was this and that in terms of drinking. I can authoritatively tell you that Sam Loco was a man who, when we sat to drink as it were in those days, he would nurse, caress and told stories over his drinks while some of us had guzzled down more than that. He could drink a bottle of beer within some hours telling stories and played a lot. He took life very easy.

However, there was a tragedy that befell him at some point in his life. And that tragedy changed the face of his life. It was big tragedy for him because he was a man who sincerely loved his wife but unfortunately, he lost his wife. At that critical and most trying period of his wife’s death, a new chapter started for him and that was when he started drinking, which was the type where would caress one bottle over a long period, telling stories.

Looking at a man like Sam Loco Efe, having lived and died without being honoured not even for once, makes one weep for this country. He wasn’t the kind of man who would go and lobby to be given awards or recognized and it is painful. I heard President Jonathan eulogizing Sam Loco. I heard Govs Fashola and Adams Oshiomhole talking about him, which means they knew him, enjoyed him and he brought joy into their living rooms at one point or the other and yet they never thought it wise to honour him. I think it is absolutely unkind and wrong. It is sad. And those who can hustle and lobby and have never impacted anything positive in the country are being recognized and given National honours and awards.

When I was going to do my movie, Izozo, although, I contacted Sam Loco but he was billed to travel at that time and later Sadiq Dabar took the role which was why he wasn’t in the first episode of the film. Right now, that man, Sadiq Dabar is alive, nobody is celebrating him but by the time he goes, they would remember he was so great. It is not right. Legends should be celebrated in life.

Sam Loco featured in the Things Fall Apart play. We need to come together and appreciate ourselves. Let me tell you. This country does not care to celebrate their best hands in any field, unless those who steal and commit crimes that are rewarded, unfortunately
Another professional ally of Sam Loco, Soibifa Dokubo, a prominent theatre practitioner and photo documentary person gave a fresh insight about the late ace actor.

He said: “I called him Uncle Sam. I dare not call him Sam Loco Efe even though he is no longer alive. The immense respect I had for him and still have for him is his penchant for very high level of professionalism. Unfortunately, Nigerians called him the Nollywood actor. That I think is also a let down on his journey through the art of acting, singing and theatre. Sam Loco in FESTAC 77 was the best actor we ever had. From that time till he died was a role interpreter. Uncle Sam had an uncanny sense of humour that not many would understand because they didn’t have the depth to understand his philosophy and his thinking and so they would think he is making fun. He had a virile mind that he saw issues from different perspectives.

My first encounter with Uncle Sam will be difficult to recall because I met him different times at several different occasions. At once, as father, at another, let me be frank with you as a beer mate. We lived in the same place, slept on the same bed and ate from the same plate. But I am proud because we shared the same stage when the National Troupe of Nigeria staged Things Fall Apart. Till today, his performance in that show is still a yardstick for me to know if I have even began attempting to do thorough research before coming on stage.
It is unfortunate that Uncle Sam’s image lowered to a comic Nollywood actor. He is, was and will remain the only person that will be dubbed the stage marshal. His dexterity on stage was something else

The misconception about him

It was an unfortunate misconception. He celebrated his drinks. Yes, he must have his bottle of Gulder and his cigarette beside him, but the bottle would likely be the only one throughout because he would run in and out of performance to take from it. That didn’t make him a drunkard. But his insistence on that his beer and ciga would make you think that without it, uncle Sam couldn’t function. That wasn’t true because how many of that beer did he guzzle? I would rather say that he used to romance his beer. If they say he was a drunk, well, maybe for them, yes because that was how they saw him in their myopic understanding. He was never a saint. He was at times, difficult to track down his thought processes.
I came into much contact with him after the tragedy of the loss of his wife. And I know the consistency about that incident. He said no woman was good enough for him. And so, he never remarried.

If Sam Loco Efe meant anything to those people in authority or that they thought he was distinguished in his profession, why didn’t they recognize him?
To me, Sam Loco Efe was the Mandela of the Nigerian theatre and should have been accorded that respect. But I pray that people who have access to being published should stop being hypocritical about him. I will not praise him. I will not mourn him. What I owe Uncle Sam is to continue to better my performance on the stage.

Let me ask a question: How well have the authorities both federal and state treated artistes? Except when the Governor is commissioning a project, then, they would be called for a command performance and it ends there as compared to those in the round leather game. Artistes are the conscience of the people. What has the government done to help the welfare of the artistes. Now, all the government officials singing Sam Loco’s eulogy, how many times have they gone to watch him in performance at the stage which is his forte?
For me, Sam Loco’s vying into what you call Nollywood is his retirement from active stage performance.


Read more:http://www.gbooza.com/page.html#ixzz456 http://www.gbooza.com/group/nollywood/forum/topics/he-was-not-just-actor-but-biafran-soldier#ixzz1Uvk2Zvpb

I've always loved and respected this man.
That respect just went through the roof. He was the REAL DEAL.

In this kind of scenario, one can nothing other than "R I P"

He was a delight to watch. A true genius.

Funny how people only started saying good stuffs about him after death,

Thunder locate all of you!!! Only truth never posted anything about this until after his death to keep protecting the lie that only Igbos fought. Even though Sam Loco is a Benin man!!!  Stoooopid ungrateful human dumps!!!

A delight to watch on scream dat brought so much joy and laughter to many. 'R I P'

9jaganja:

Funny how people only started saying good stuffs about him after death,

Thunder locate all of you!!! Only truth never posted anything about this until after his death to keep protecting the lie that only Igbos fought. Even though Sam Loco is a Benin man!!!  Stoooopid ungrateful human dumps!!!

Back to sender

OmoLisabi:

Back to sender

i know i've heard his name in connection with something- was it the biafran war because i'm actually not surprised by this news.


anyway, was he bini who fought on the biafran side, or igbo-from-bini who joined biafra?

confusing scenarios.

tpia@:

i know i've heard his name in connection with something- was it the biafran war because i'm actually not surprised by this news.


anyway, was he bini who fought on the biafran side, or igbo-from-bini who joined biafra?

confusing scenarios.

He was Edo but was born in the East.
A true native of the East.

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9jaganja:
Funny how people only started saying good stuffs about him after death,

Thunder locate all of you!!! Only truth never posted anything about this until after his death to keep protecting the lie that only Igbos fought. Even though Sam Loco is a Benin man!!!  Stoooopid ungrateful human dumps!!!

Sam Loco Efe knew Igbo land more he knew Edo land, olodo. He was born in Enugu and raised in Enugu and Abakalilki.