By Uche Amunike
The family of African Film Academy founder, Peace Anyiam Osigwe has finally confirmed her death through a statement, corroborating rumors that made the rounds, Tuesday morning that she passed on.
The statement read: ‘The Emmanuel Onyechere Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe clan in thanksgiving to God and in the belief that God is good and everything He does is good and in accordance with His divine will, pattern and plan, announce the passing to the eternal glory of our illustrious beloved daughter, sister, aunt and great aunt, Ms. Peace Maria Ogechi Anyiam-Osigwe (MFR)’
‘Peace, the Ada of the Anyiam-Osigwe family, was an outstanding personality, trailblazer, titan, pathfinder, go-getter, humanitarian, one-of-a-kind creative, and visionary leader in the film and television industry. Peace left indelible imprints on the sands of time’, it further stated.
Recall that the late founder of the prestigious AMAA Awards had been admitted at St Nicholas Hospital, Lagos where she had been comatose since Saturday at the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital until she gave up the ghost.
The sad news was broken by popular film maker, Zik Zulu on their Nollywood platform, saying: ‘Our President, Peace, has passed. As of Saturday, she was reported to be in a coma at Saint Nicholas. But now her family has confirmed her transition. May the memory of her life be a blessing. Rest in peace, dear Peace.’
The late film guru was known as a great pillar of Nollywood. She’s the founder of the Africa Film Academy which organises the AMAA Awardsevery year. In 2022, she unveiled her plans for the 2023 edition of the awards during a press conference, where she stated that she had plans of focusing on training young film makers.
Her family has vowed to keep her legacy alive. Hear them: ‘We as a family and clan will continue to do all that is necessary to ensure that her legacy lives on – the Africa Movie Academy Awards and the Africa Film Academy, along with their training programmes across Nigeria and the African continent will carry on seamlessly by institutions she set up and with the full support of the Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation and other Institutions and Government Agencies with whom she has worked over the years. Her numerous charities across different religious denominations and other communities will also be continued.’
Governor Hope Uzodimma described the late film icon as an Amazon of the creative sector and lauded her for making a great impact in not just her state, Imo, but in Nigeria and the international stage.
Hear him: ‘It is, therefore, not for fun that the Federal Government found her worthy to be honoured with the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic in appreciation of her contribution to the entertainment industry’.
On his part, Lagos state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu described her as a visionary leader and trail blazer. Hear him: ‘She partnered with the Lagos State government to train hundreds of young people in acting, art directing, light and lighting, editing, sound production and post-production, among others, through African Film Academy’.
The late Peace Anyiam Osigwe was an only daughter in a family of eight and had a Law and Political Science Degree from Oxford Brookes University.
