By Daniel Edu
Veteran Nollywood actor, Stephen Alajemba, known as Uwaezuoke, has asserted that the late Solomon Eze, popularly known as Mike Orihedịmma, deserves the title of ‘the father of Nollywood,’ not Pete Edochie.
Alajemba emphasized Orihedịmma’s pioneering role in Igbo movies, attributing significant contributions to the emergence of Nollywood. While praising Pete Edochie and acknowledging his seniority in the industry, Alajemba pointed to “Things Fall Apart” as a benchmark for Edochie’s legacy.
In a recent interview with popular YouTuber Yan Kontent Factory, Alajemba stated, “When you talk about the Igbo movie industry, Mike Orihedịmma is the first person to be mentioned. He is the one that trained most of the people you see acting today. He was emulated by Kenneth Nnebue and Pauloo in writing ‘Living In Bondage.’
“When it comes to the movie industry, the only person I respect is Pete Edochie. All the people in the movie industry today, anybody that says he is older than me in the industry, should tell us the first movie he did and what year it came out. It is only Pete Edochie that I can say that he is older than me because of Things Fall Apart.”
