Pete Edochie's son, Uche, tells all there is about his father

Uche is one of the children of veteran Nollywoood actor, Pete Edochie. He speaks about his father outside the stage with Punch, see excerpts below:

Tell us briefly about yourself.

I am Uche, one of Pete Edochie’s children comprising five boys and a girl. I am the second son and the third child in the family. I studied Visual Arts but I do a variety of things. I am a painter, designer and photographer. I also write a sex column for some Nigerian newspapers and I am into construction too.

What memories of your growing up can you remember?

Regarding what my father does as an actor, I can recall when he participated in the television adaptation of the late Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart. It was a very exciting period because we had never witnessed anything like that. Several actors like Justus Esiri used to come to our house. He would leave the house at night to shoot movies with his colleagues and return early the next day with marks on his body and palm fronds adorning his head. It was a very exciting period. There was no picnic or visiting relaxation joints as a family with my dad. We did that more with our mother. My father is not such a man. We united more with our father by following him to church. He used to attend evening mass. He does not like going out once he is home. He could be with his friends in the compound to discuss things generally.

What are the things you recall about his broadcasting years?

I experienced my father as broadcaster in two ways: one, the way he tried to raise us because he ensured we didn’t speak poor English language. He corrected us if we made mistakes while speaking the English language. The second was through one of the programmes, Music from the Masters, which he anchored then at the Anambra Broadcasting Service. He played classical songs of George Handel, Ludwig Van Beethoven and so on. His format was to introduce the music, discuss the mindset of the singer and what he or she stood for. It was a great programme especially when one considers the way he handled the presentation without using a script. These were the ways I experienced him as a broadcaster. At home, he was just dad. We never went with him to work but we did not miss his programmes.

Did he influence your career choice and your siblings’?

Yes, my father did influence my career choice. We have five artists in our family; my father, myself and three of my brothers; the architect, Gene, actor; Yul and the painter/actor; Linc. I took after my father as a visual artist. What he tries to do as an actor, I communicate it through pictures and paintings. At a time I wanted to study Architecture but I did not have the requirements. I only qualified for Fine Arts and opted to stay at home to retake the examination into the university. My father urged me to go and study Fine Arts, saying he was sure I would excel in it. During my first year in the school, I knew that was what I should do. The course opened my eyes because prior to that time I was an average student. I took different courses and learnt new things.

Did you enjoy any special treatment while in school because of who your father is?

There was no preferential treatment for me while I was in school. There were some people who told me about how much they love his acting. In fact, when I was studying, he often visited me in school but it was not on campus but outside. I had a studio outside the school because I knew I was going to major in painting. Each time he came, he visited me in the studio and we would talk about many things before he left.

Your father is fond of proverbs. Did he encourage his children to learn some?

I think his interest in proverbs is more of a generation thing. Our generation does not really speak in proverbs. I often laugh whenever people tell me some of the rich proverbs traceable to him. None of my siblings speaks in proverbs. My father is a very funny guy. He is being only type-cast as a chief or ruler. He is more of a comedian. He made us laugh often when we were living together. He however did not compel us to learn proverbs.

In movies, he cuts the picture of a no-nonsense man, is he like that at home?

No, he was not like that now but when we were young, he was like that. As a child, if we did anything wrong he disciplined us. He would tell us to raise up our hands or use the cane on us if we misbehaved. I remember that my mother who is a lawyer used to take us some subjects. There was a time she was not around and my father had to teach us. That was when I knew the difference between when my mother was taking the lessons and when my father had to. I remember he was trying to teach me to pronounce some words and I did not get the exact pronunciation. He whipped me a few times and that memory stuck. We had lesson teachers but our parents decided to teach us during those times. Anyway, I learnt a lot from the way my father tried to train us. When we were young there was a tendency to think our parents were mean when they disciplined us. As an adult, one would appreciate the efforts of one’s father in trying to make one become a responsible individual. It was not easy for my father to raise five boys. He needed to be solid and strong like a soldier. We cautioned ourselves because we did not want to offend him so that we would not be caned.

How does he like to relax?

Once he is back home, he will lie down and play classical music. Once he is in that position, nobody dares disturb him.

How has his name assisted you?

My father urged us early in life to struggle to make meanings out of our lives. He told us not to depend on anybody. We do not live on his name. All of us are self-made. Self-made in the sense that we decided what we wanted to do and pursued it. The support we got from our father was the support that should come from any good father. He gave us some money while we were yet to start earning a living. Otherwise, if one is looking for a job one will have to go job-hunting by oneself. He would even be the one to say, ‘join the queue.’

What are the values you learnt from him?

I do not drink because I recall that my father is not a lover of alcohol. I do not smoke because my father does not smoke. I do not womanise because my father does not do so. He is someone that can account for everything in his house because he laboured to get them. I can also account for all what I own today because I worked hard to acquire them. If I am in any organisation today, I can boldly say I cannot mismanage funds or steal money. My father is a man of integrity and we have imbibed many values from him. When I was living with him, there was no day anybody knocked at our door to say he owed him or stole from him. He is a man of honour. We all emulate his great ideals.

How does he handle misunderstanding with your mother?

They are so close and discuss maturely. Once in a while they can argue. But they have a way of settling it in a mature way without the children being aware. They love each other so much. They do not take each other for granted.

What is his favourite meal?

He likes eba and egusi soup

   What is his best drink?

My father takes water. For a long time when I was growing up he did not drink. After some time, he started drinking but it was little and in moderation.

Who are his friends?

My father has a lot of friends. He is 67 and he told us that most of his friends had died. Many of his friends are from the broadcasting circles. He has very regular friends and he is faithful to them.

How does he like to dress?

He likes native and English dresses depending on the occasion. But since he left broadcasting for Nollywood, he wears more of native attire.

How close are you to him?

We do not talk often but any time I speak to him on the telephone, It will be as if we spoke a day before. The same relationship exists between me and my brothers. We do not call ourselves just to say hello without having something cogent to say. Maybe it is because we are boys. The best way to describe my relationship with my father is that we are close without being too close. We are however close enough.

Which of the movies he acted in do you like most and why?

It is Things Fall Apart. I am not disparaging the Nollywood industry but I think many of the movies today are hurriedly done. It is not because it is what I feel. I know that many people who are familiar with the industry feel that way too. When Things Fall Apart was shot, it took a year and the post-production gulped a year too. When the film was eventually released, it was, for me, a perfect Nigerian movie. I cannot say that for the other movies he acted in not because they are not good. I think Things Fall Apart stands out any day. There is always one thing one does in life that stands one out. I think Things Fall Apart is the best film my father has ever participated in.

How did he react when the industry’s leadership banned him alongside some popular stars for charging what it termed ‘outrageous fees’?

It was a difficult period. The top earners in the industry earn maybe half a million or a million. It is little to what is offered in Hollywood. I felt it was unfair because if those banned from acting then were charging high fees, other persons could be called upon to take up roles rather than banning those accused of charging ‘high fees.’ I never understood the idea of banning the entertainers when they were not doing things to shame the industry. The period also allowed him to explore his creative part as a producer. It was later that the matter was resolved.

How did his family handle the situation when he was kidnapped in 2009?

I was in a cinema with my family when I received a call that my father was kidnapped. I was confused and hurriedly left the place with my family. My brothers called and we decided to grant the request of the kidnappers to save our father.

Does it mean the family paid to secure his release?

There was no way we could get him out if we did not do what the kidnappers wanted. We even had to do it quickly to secure his release.

Is he as rich as he appears in some movies?

All I can say is that my father is comfortable.