Actor Sam Loco Laid To rest In Benin

Edo Pledges To Immortalize HimTHE late renowned Nollywood actor, Samuel Arase Efeimwonkiyekie, popularly called Sam Loco Efe, was yesterday laid to rest in Benin City, the Edo State capital, after a tribute service and church programme with the state government promising to name a street after him.It was a day of tributes as prominent Nigerian actors and producers and the late actor's fans gathered at the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre for the lying-in-state of his remains and interment.Governor Adams Oshiomhole described him as 'good ambassador' of Edo State. 'He carried the fighting spirit of the Edo man, he carried the great qualities of our people. We will immortalize Sam Loco by naming a street after him, it will be a street that has been rehabilitated, not one with potholes so that when people drive through it. They will appreciate the works of Efe.'As painful as it is that we won't be able to see him or see his new works, we haven't come here to shed tears. The only way we would have wished to see him like this is that he wasn't born at all. He was a great man.'On his part, President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Segun Arinze, said Sam Loco impacted a lot on every notable actor in the country.Speaking on behalf of the family, Sam Loco's first son, Bismarck, described his father as a great man.'Each time I look at my father, I continue to adore him. He was more than an idol, he was just a masterpiece. My father lived a very peaceful life, my father did everything peacefully and he is being buried in a peaceful way,' he said.Prominent artistes, including the caste of the famous TV drama, Hotel De Jordan, which first brought late Sam Loco to limelight; Edo State Commissioner for Arts, Tourism and Culture, Aanena Jemitola; her Youths and Sports counterpart, Anita Evbwonmwan, and other top government officials graced the ceremony.Others included Paul Obaseki, Alex Osifo, Ejike Asiegbu, Francis Duru, Fred Amata, his colleagues from Cameroun and representatives of Lagos, Abia and Anambra states.
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