Bukky Ajayi
Nigerian movie lovers were on Wednesday, July 6, greatly saddened
by the passing of veteran actress and broadcaster, Ma Bukky Ajayi.
When the news emerged, 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. This is because, she was undeniably one of the best and
greatest talents to have ever graced the Nigerian creative arts screen.
It will be recalled that 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, according to Vanguard, 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.
According to Claudius Akinwade Peter-Thomas, a musician and second son of the late icon, “There
aren’t enough words to quantify Mama. She was an independent woman who
shouldered the responsibility of raising three lions (sons) without
raising her brows.
"I see her as a lioness. She was also able to combine
and manage her situation (single motherhood) and her career. She was a
good planner. To that effect, my elder brother is nine years older than
me, and I am 11 years older than my younger brother.
"A good planner she was. Despite being in the public glare, she
ensured her private life remained private. Many of my friends didn’t
know I was the daughter of the popular actress. This is not because she
wasn’t proud of her children, but because she was able to draw the line
between her career and her family. People relate with me as Raz CPT and
not the daughter of a celebrity, so to say.
"Mummy has been struggling with her health, she had cancer of the breast, diabetic and was also hypertensive.”
Kunle Fawole, popularly known as Abounce and the last child of the family spoke about her last moments.
“I and mama were in the living room with some of my friends
when I noticed that her heart wasn’t moving, I mean like she stopped
breathing. Immediately, I checked her pulse and called my elder
brothers. We felt her pulse and heartbeat, did everything possible. But
alas, she has passed on. And that was at about 11:23 am on Wednesday.
She was a bit ill before this happened. She had been ill for a number of
years now. She had stroke some couple of years back. There was a time
she also had cerebral malaria. She became diabetic, hypertensive and
also suffered breast cancer before now”, he explained mournfully.
Mr Alfred Oluwole Shoga was Bukky Ajayi’s first son, a 60-year old
man said they were shocked but thankful they are alive to bury her and
not her witnessing their deaths.
“At 60, my mother still gives me money each time I visit her
and I will say, `Mum I’m suppose to give you money’ and she will say I
should use it for transportation” he said, speaking as if she were still alive.
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