Edwin Igbokwe, who was married to the late Nigeria’s Lady of Songs, Christy Essien-Igbokwe, and supported her career through the years, re-married privately on April 21. In this interview with Assistant Life Editor, TERH AGBEDEH, he talks about how different his life has become
How has life been without the Lady of Songs?
Edwin Igbokwe
It has been different. That is all; different from what it used to be. And I thank God.
What is your relationship with the government of Akwa Ibom State right now?
As far as I am concerned, I didn’t have problem with them; they had problem with me and we sorted it out. They got convinced and it was sorted out.
Are you still in the supply of printing equipment business?
Definitely. Right now, we have New Telegraph machine being installed.
You have been in the media for many years, working with the likes of Daily Times and The Punch. Do you think the media is moving in the right direction?
When you want to talk about media, are you classifying newspapers or you are saying media in general?
Newspapers particularly.
Newspapers, of course; they are moving in the right direction because when you have increase, it means there is prospect and it is being tendered by collective individuals. When I say collective individuals, I am referring to entrepreneurs.
After your time at The Punch, you started an evening paper; but that paper is no longer on the newsstands.
I did not start; I had some people with me. Not only the newspaper called Midday, we had also Glamour Trends.
Those papers are no longer on the stands.
They are no longer on the stands, yes.
What really happened?
I don’t want to talk about it.
Perhaps, it is the peculiar challenges that continue to bedevil those who venture in the newspaper business that did you in.
Not necessarily. It was purposely rested.
Your generation virtually stopped their children from venturing into sports or music back then when this was frowned on. But you didn’t stop your wife, and right now you have a son, Kaka, who is also in music. What informed your decision to let them do what they wanted to do?
Nature. I want to identify with everybody’s interest or feelings, or what the person is cut out to be. I knew my wife was acting. She was a musician before we got married, so when she came in, I had to be at the forefront to make sure she succeeded. So that is it.
Your field is accounting, but how did you end up a newspaper man?
I was group accountant of The Punch at the age of 21 to 23, and at 24 I was group financial controller. Or rather, I was accountant in The Punch, group financial controller at 24 and at 26 I was appointed the pioneer general manager of The Punch. So I think I did not identify with a particular field. When I came into The Punch, I had a wide range of interests, you know, interesting interests that is knowing, listening to or even helping reporters, even in production, even printing. I was into all; I wanted to know what newspapering was all about. And that was what I did.
Right now, another entertainment icon has been lost to death…
Yes, may her soul rest in peace.
Did you have any encounter with her; how do you remember her?
Amaka Igwe was fantastic. I was shocked when I heard it. She was on set when it happened, so I was disturbed; but God knows best and knows why things happen when they happen. I would say that it was unfortunate. She was gifted and God had a niche for her. Like any reasonable and successful professional, I think she has completed her assignment.
Nigeria has always been in crisis and there are those who say that to solve the problem of crisis, we all need to inter-marry. As one who inter-married, do you think it is one way to end crises?
If you set it as a goal, it will never be achieved. Mine came naturally. If people prayerfully, spiritually believe in that, it will take its natural course. NYSC (National Youth Service Corps) is enough. So, if spiritually, we are guided and it happens, it is something to be encouraged.
But some people are against this inter-tribal marriage, saying that it retards the culture of the people, considering that the children will end up speaking English rather than their mother tongue. How did you do it?
I don’t want to delve into that. Even homes that the husband and the wife are of one language, with the exception of the Yoruba, end up speaking English. Simple! So I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about culture. It is painful that it happens.
Will the memorial for Christy hold this year?
Definitely; every year, she must be remembered.
What shape is it going to take this year?
I don’t know. We have to sit down with the family and think about it. It is actually going to be the normal thing; going to the homes, offering them gifts and all that, because she was charitable in her attitude and innovation. So we must not allow that legacy to die.
Is there something you would like to say to our leaders, particularly now that the National conference is going on?
What I have for them at the conference is that I hope all the nationalities involved in Nigeria brought out their first 11 (their best people). And if that is the case, everybody should look up to this conference to bring everlasting solution to the problems of this nation called Nigeria. Argument should be accepted in simple terms and without rancour. All we need do, if we are serious, particularly those we sent out there to go and do the conference talk, is to put behind our differences and look for what will unite the nation seriously and sincerely.
You are into public relations (PR), and these days you find charlatans doing a lot of PR at the point of taking over. What have you to say to that?
In every profession, there must be charlatans (laughter). And by the time you look at it deeply, those ones you call charlatans might not be. So, in every field, when you find out about people that are not supposed to be in a particular area, you avoid them, especially you that patronise them. That is when they will fall by the wayside.
How would you like to be remembered?
Remembered? I am not dead yet (laughter). And I won’t die till God knows when, he has told me.
What is the next project that you are working on?
Like you mentioned PR, I am there. The newspaper machine supplies, I am still there. I told you about New Telegraph and so many other ones, by God’s grace, coming up after a little lull. And then, finally about TheNiche. I have endorsed TheNiche and I know that with the compendium of people who are involved with TheNiche, once they bring out their mind to work as brothers and sisters, avoid rancour, think positive always, the sky will be the limit. It won’t be long they move out from their present office. I know it is a niche. By the time I was saying they should try and carve a niche for themselves, they told me that is the name of the paper.
