Late Bukky Ajayi Had Cancer Of The Breast, Diabetes & Was Hypertensive - Children

On Wednesday, July 6, Nollywood was thrown into mourning when the news filtered out that veteran actress and broadcaster, Ma Bukky Ajayi has passed on. It was a rude shock but not one too difficult to understand given that the legendary thespian has been battling ill-health for sometime. What will however be difficult to appreciate is the vacuum she has left behind. Because, she was undeniably one of the best and greatest talents to have ever graced the Nigerian creative arts screen.

As a Muslim, she was buried the same day she died. In fact one of our neighbours confided in Potpourri that she gave the instruction that she should be buried same day she dies. But she wasn’t born a Muslim, she converted to Islam in 1965 and adopted the name ‘Zainab’.

Since the news of her death broke, there have been nothing but ovation for the late actress. Actors Guild of Nigeria declared two-day mourning, just as her colleagues, friends, neighbours and well-wishers are full of praises for her.

Two Lives And Other Stories By Reuben Abati

Read 'sReuben Abati piece below...

Two lives lost recently in the creative industry convey useful messages in terms of the import of their careers and the circumstances of their departure: the elderly actress, simply known as Bukky Ajayi, and the music entrepreneur, multi-talented artiste, producer and musician, Babatunde Okungbowa, popularly known as OJB Jezreel. Bukky Ajayi died aged 82, and she has been well mourned by the artistic community especially members of Nollywood who have described her as a role model, an iconic figure and a motherly figure to younger actors and actresses.

Many mourners have added that her death is shocking: every death in Nigeria is considered shocking ironically, even when the dead is as old as 100, or has been known to be terminally ill. In March 2016, when Bukky Ajayi received the Industry Merit Award at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Ceremony, she was already wheel-chair bound and terminally ill. But I guess we are always shocked by death, because we always expect our loved ones to live forever. And 82-year old Mama Ajayi was truly a lovable figure.

Video: [Check Out] 'The Gods Are Still Not to Blame.' - Directed by Funke Fayoyin

The Gods Are Still Not to Blame is a modern cinematic adaptation of a classical Greek play ‘Oedipus Rex’ and the famous Ola Rotimi play,’The God’s Are Not To Blame’.

The movie is a modern dramaturgical experiment about the classical philosophical discourse concerning the concept of destiny and fate element which was started by Sophillus Sophocles (c.496-406 BC) with Oedipus Rex around 430BC by Ola Rotimi (1938-1999) with a title, The Gods are not to Blame in 1968. It justifies the opinion that man is the architect of his own fortune and misfortune. It is a contemporary movie adaptation which the society, setting and language portrays a modernism and realism.