by 
I have resolved I will not take my pains and disappointment of 2020 into 2021 and that is the reason I will put down my thoughts on my departed BROTHER, Chico was not my friend rather he is my brother. I will not refer to him in the past.
Our paths crossed about 31 years ago and we have remained brothers …. we had our professional rivalry at the initial stage of our career but funny enough it was healthy because the first marketer we both met was same guy …. I had met ojiofor Ezeanyaeche of OJ production before him and he distributed my film while Chico Directed OJ’s first produced film around 1995 respectively which was shortly after he released the film titled SKELETON in 1994.
Interestingly we became very close friends or more or less brothers from different mothers as the years went by, on a major FCON/Nollywood trip to the US in 2004 where we had the creame dela creame of Nollywood we had to share same room for 2 weeks as chico insisted he will only share with me even though I arrived US earlier and he came in 3 days later, same happened when we went for another trip to UK in 2005 we shared same apartment in the accommodation provided by our friend Afolabi Bolasodun Makinde ….. during this two trip, chico in his usual element insisted we exploit the opportunity of making films …. he was either the cameraman and me directing or the reverse … oga fidelis as he will call ne ….we must make money ooooo…..so you wan come London noh shoot film ? That was the chico I knew …. chico knew how to make money ….chico saw opportunity and took advantage. He was so fast to mobilize the artiste like Victoria Inyama Ibinabo Fiberesima Lanre Falana Anthony Monjaro obazele Paul, Jim Iyke, sola Sobowale amongst several others to make films in a foreign land …
I recall with nostalgia when I became DGN President and Fred Amata lost the presidency to me in 2003, it was chico who stood by me against his brother fred and others who felt fred deserved the Presidency. During my reelection in 2005, his elder brother Zeb Ejiro was campaign manager for my good friend Bond Emeruwa but chico stood by me till I won that re-election against his elder brother’s team. It was same chico who invited into project nollywood Nigeria ltd a consortium of nollywood companies set up by Charles Novia which had myself, fred, Charles and chico as the quartet.
There are several things to remember about me and chico, at every point he was concerned about my success same way I carried him along on every project or business dealings I had. We were family because he was as close to me as was to my wife tope who he nicknamed sexymama…he attended any party, event or activity that involved us, he was always driving to my lekki home virtually every Saturday after his normal Saturday market trips. Chico enjoyed going to the market …he was one man who enjoyed cooking and funny enough he never ate a meal prepared yesterday, his meals were fresh.
Chico was a man in a rush to do anything, that’s why I laugh at those who referred to his filmmaking style as “KPAKPAKPA” as ignorant of the enigmatic chico who never allowed any opportunity slip by, his speed was his strength..
……..he took chances, he was a risk taker unlike me who will waste time to decide on a project or idea …checking the pros and cons but chico went ahead and believed risk is part of life…..if he failed…..he moved on and tried again. Chico had no enemy …nobody can say chico kept malice.
He loved his craft ….his life was motion picture, a man who was involved in over 300 films and the reason he was still on set till his last moments … the nickname Mr Prolific was well earned ….the likes of chico come ONE in a generation.
Chico was generous and he was ready to assist or support the growth of those around him ….he believed if everybody was successful …he wont have to be the one to carry the burden of others. He had his tough and rough times, recall before he got married while shooting a soap opera robbers attacked and stole a camera unit from him and he had to spend days behind bars or when he was shooting slaves in Abakiliki and a youngman who played extra in the film went missing while swimming at the location stream, none of these experiences stopped or deterred him from continuing to be the filmmaker. I spoke to him on those two occasions and the quintessential chico will only say, “fidelis that one na temporary set back”
Chico made hit movies and stars(SILENT NIGHT, SLAVES, FREEDOM, ODUM, OUTKAST, ONOME, FLESH & BLOOD) and no one can talk about the phenomenon nollywood without giving him his pride of place in the annals of the filmmaking in Nigeria.
He understood the peculiarity of the Nigeria film industry and he knew how to find clean water under stone …. he never rejected any job…… chico could a accept a PA job, this he did for Okechukwu Paulo Ogunjiofor NNEKA 1& 2 at a time he had directed two National TV soap opera ( Ripples &Mega Fortunes on NTA) , that again is the humility personified by the enigmatic chico.
As a family man, chico loved his family ….his children Kome, Ruke, Maro and Viano the baby of the house. Those were his priority and reason he worked hard. He was in high spirit for the graduation of his first two children from the university next year but painfully he will not be by their side. He took care of those children and made sure they lacked nothing considering where he was coming from.
Chico loved soccer …. a die hard Gunner fan …
I recall that every may he begins to tell me Oga our anniversary na this month ooooo ooooo ….because chico got married on 16th May 1998 while mine was 23rd May 1998 … just a week apart …
Chico never wanted to die ….somebody asked me when I made this statement that “who wants to die” but i know my brother chico did not want to die because he kept saying it anytime a colleague in Nollywood is lost that “oga fidelis …why this guy die now ? If na me I go fight death ….yes ooo I go pursue am” …. I am convinced Chico fought to chase Mr Death away but God knows best.
I have not been able to accept he is gone because we had phone discussions 3 times that day on ideas and projects planned for 2021. I was to see him on 25th December same day he passed away at 2.30am. He had called me the 4th and 5th time on 24th December at 6pm and 11.20pm but I didn’t see those WhatsApp calls until the morning of 25th.
We registered a real estate company NOLLYWOOD ESTATE and the idea was to create an estate for our colleagues ….looking at the certificate of incorporation … I am in tears.
It was therefore with pain, sadness, regret and total disappointment that I received the news of his demise that sad Christmas morning. Doing a flashback like we do in nollywood I discovered we spoke atleast 3 times everyday in the last 4 months and he shared his feelings with me during those calls.
I can write a book on chico my brother. To Joy Chico Ejiro who I have always called my wife …. I can not feel the pain you are experiencing now for a man you gave the last 26 years of your life ….. To the children, I grieve with you guys …..but be rest assured your father is and was a good man. He has gone to rest in a better place. However note that his name and legacies will always be there for generations.
May my brother “Chico John” as I called him on the phone rest in Peace
Fidelis Duker
Calabar
31st December 2020
Fad360tv
