Veteran actor, Patience Ozokwor, better known as ‘Mama Gee’ married at 19 and enjoyed matrimony until her husband’s ailment became nightmarish.
She lived with the grim tale for 15 years before the man passed on in 2002.
About family, career and legacy, the Enugu-born thespian speaks with LANRE ODUKOYA.
Would you say there’s anything in particular that led you into acting?
It just came naturally, you know; it’s not like I was planning to start acting, but I knew that already I was acting. I did a lot of stage acting when I was younger, so you know whatever you like doing, you’ll always find yourself where it is done, isn’t it?
What was your earliest influence in acting?
I was always find myself in the midst of the people who do what I love to do. When I was on radio, I was employed as an announcer, but I was always acting. But I found the radio as a normal job, that if you do something else you will be paid for it.
I enjoyed acting, there were other things I could do, but I preferred acting. Then I started acting in English, Pidgin English and Igbo language.
So, after my normal work as an announcer, I would just go over and do the other one and then get paid. At the end of the month, you thank God for everything, making more money than even your salary.
Men and women of your time said that there were certain jobs that were considered noble; law, medicine, engineering and or accountancy.
Did your parents give you express permission to choose a career in acting?
My parents didn’t have any bad thoughts about what I chose to do because everybody knew I was inclined towards arts. Whenever we were together, it’s a very big family, I try to make everybody laugh, I try to create fun for everybody and you know I also cook.
They know if there was an occasion for the family, I would always be found in the kitchen, if there was a burial I would always be found at the helm of affairs. They’d say, let Patience (my first name is Patience) do this, let Patience do that, because they know that if it’s left in my care, I would do it to the best of my knowledge.
They couldn’t tell me to go and do medicine when they knew I was not very good in science. My parents felt anything you find yourself doing that is good, then it’s always good to do it well.
They were not very educated but they were not unexposed anyway.
What is the size of your family, I know you have a son who owns a record label?
Well, they are all outside the country, apart from my first son. My first son is in Nigeria, he is into politics; my last child is playing football and he is in training currently.
My daughter lives in the UK with her family, the one you said is into music lives in London. He is in London doing his business and combining it with the one he’s doing in Nigeria.
My adopted child is a pastor and the other ones are fine.
How many adopted kids do you have?
I have four, one died in March, he had blood infection and he couldn’t make it.
You didn’t say anything about your husband…
Oh, he was a mechanical engineer, he was a civil servant in Enugu, he was sick for a long time, for more than 15 years and he died, he passed on in 2002.
Oh, sorry about that. But aside preaching the word of God, what other things are you dedicated to?
So many things, those are the things that as Christians we don’t mention because the bible says that when you let out what you are doing, your reward will be here on earth, but if you leave it for God, he will pay you in Heaven.
There are some things I’m doing here but when I pass on maybe today or tomorrow or next year or even years to come, I want people to remember me for being a peace maker because I hate bickering because the bible says that you should be at peace with your brother.
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