She disclose; ‘The comic actor was crying like a baby and gnashing his teeth’
Stella Maris, the wife of the late comic actor John Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu, was visibly emotional on Monday as she attended a joint night of tribute in honor of her late husband, along with legendary actors Amaechi Muonagor and Zulu Adigwe. The actors passed away between March and April this year.
Mr. Ibu passed away on March 2 after a long battle with illness.
Amaechi Muonagor died on March 24 due to kidney disease, diabetes, and stroke.
Zulu Adigwe passed away on April 23.
The Actors Guild of Nigeria organized the joint night of tribute in four cities: Abuja, Lagos, Asaba, and Enugu.
Stella Maris, accompanied by her three children, shared memories of losing her beloved husband during the event.
“I am feeling so sad that I am not with my husband here. I am not happy at all after all the efforts and sufferings we went through to save his life,” Mr Ibu’s widow echoed emotionally in a chat with our reporter.
She added: “I don’t know what to say! Where do I start from? It’s so painful seeing my husband cry like a baby with me, saying “Oh first class is this me?” I was watching my husband crying and gnashing his teeth. I was in the hospital with him.
Their attempt to fly the late actor abroad for additional treatment was unsuccessful because all four hospitals they contacted overseas declined to accept him, according to her.
“There was a time we wanted to fly him abroad for further treatment. We sent letters to two Indian hospitals, America and Germany, but they all rejected him.
“They said he might not make it. So, we tried our best to save him from dying. I tried as a wife. And if it were to be something that money could save him, my husband wouldn’t have died.
“It’s so sad that he was not here with us. Last Sunday was Father’s Day and my children were feeling alone because their father was not there with them. We used to celebrate Father’s Day together,” the mother of three kids bemoaned.
Describing why Mr. Ibu had to return to the hospital after being discharged initially, the deceased’s wife mentioned that he was discharged based on his doctors’ advice to cut costs.
“He was discharged from the hospital then, not because he was that strong. His doctors said that instead of the hospital spending money, it would be better for him to go home as they would get him a pain and caregivers at home. That was why he was discharged in the first place,” she added.
Mr Ibu’s remains will be laid to rest on June 28, 2024, in his hometown of Amuri, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.
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