Patience Ozokwor also recalled she ignored suggestions from fans and colleagues to adopt her husband’s first name, Edmund as her surname
By Kehinde Okeowo
Nollywood veteran, Patience Ozokwor has explained why she rejected the tag, “Liz Benson of Enugu” when her fans and colleagues tried to draw a comparison between her and legendary actress, Liz Benson.
She made this known recently while featuring on Nwafo TV, where she said she jettisoned the idea because she believes they are both unique.
She went on to say she also rejected suggestions to adopt her husband’s first name as her surname and instead chose to bear his family name.
Speaking on how she got the tag during the interview, Patience Ozokwor said, “I don’t know how it started, all I know was that when I started [my acting career] and people started recognising this woman from Enugu.
“So, there was a time I came to Lagos for a shoot and people started saying, ‘That’s her, this woman from Enugu.’ They said, ‘You’re the Liz Benson’ of Enugu.’
“I said, ‘No, with all due respect, I don’t want to be like Liz Benson, I want to be myself. I am Patience Ozokwor of Enugu’.”
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She added: “And some people came and said, ‘You don’t even need to answer Patience Ozokwor again. Answer your husband’s first name Edmund; Patience Edmund.’
“I said, ‘No, because in Igbo land you’re not just married by one man, you’re married by a family. I don’t know about other tribes.
“So my husband’s people, their name is Ozokwor. When you mention Ozokwor in any part of this world, people who know the Ozokwors would say ‘I know where she comes from’.”
