What Junior Pope told me before he died, cousin recounts

• Nollywood actor died inside river in a film location in Anambra state
• MC O one, one of his cousins narrates his last moment with the deceased actor
• The cousin condoles with the family, AGN on the death of the actor

Few days to the burial of deceased ace Nollywood actor John Paul Obumneme Odonwodo popularly known Junior Pope, the immediate past Vice Chairman, Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN Enugu state Chapter,  Chineme Agu, popularly known as Mc O one has recounted his last moment with him.

Mr. Agu who is also a cousin to the deceased in an exclusive chat with WITHIN NIGERIA recounted how he met with him at Enugu in a film location.

“My last moment with Junior Pope was at a film location in Enugu for a production by One and Two Productions. He arrived on set, and everyone hailed him. After discussing with the producer, he came out and chatted with all the actors, including me. He called me “Onye ihim” (my brother) in our Ukehe dialect.

“Again he was full of vision and inspiration for the people of our area. He told me that he would like to establish a local film industry for the people of Nsukka area so as to harvest new talents from the area.”

Explaining his blood relationship with him, Mc O one told our reporter that, “Junior Pope is my distant cousin. We both belong to the Umu Oyogu family in Ukehe and I am from Aku, both in Igbo Etiti LGA. Enugu State. I knew Junior Pope very well. As cousins, we would meet at family gatherings at Prof. Pat Ngwu’s villa in Ukehe. As a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), we would also meet at film locations in Enugu and Asaba.”

On what impact the deceased actor made in his life, he explained that “Junior Pope was a kind and loving person who touched many lives. He had a heart for helping others and making those around him happy. He was a unifier, and everyone will miss him dearly. He was an exceptional actor, and his talent will be greatly missed.”

Narrating how he felt hen he heard about his death, Mc O one told WITHIN NIGERIA that “I felt devastated. It was a huge blow to my family, and it’s still hard to believe that Junior Pope is gone. His death is very painful, and it’s a great loss to our family.

“The family has announced that he will be buried on Friday 17, May, 2024. They have also asked me to be the Master of Ceremony (MC) for the occasion. Since I received the news, I have been struggling to come to terms with how to fulfill this role, as Junior Pope’s death is a very painful experience for our family. I pray that God gives me the strength to perform my duties well as the MC.

Consoling members of the Guild for the death of the ace actor, MC O one said, “To my colleagues in Nollywood, I advise that we pray for ourselves and be mindful of how we live our lives on and off set. We should see ourselves as a family, not just as fellow actors. I pray that we do not experience another loss like this in our industry again.”