April 14, (THEWILL) – Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has mourned the death of Nollywood actor, John Paul Odonwodo, aka Junior Pope, saying the state has lost one of its talented sons.
The Governor said Junior Pope’s death came at a time when Enugu State was working hard to develop the creative potential of its youths for self-reliance.
Junior Pope, who hailed from Ukehe in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, alongside four of his colleagues, lost their lives in the tragic boat accident on River Niger while returning from a movie location on Wednesday.
The Governor, who described Junior Pope’s death as heart-wrenching and unfortunate, said he received the news with sadness.
“Indeed, the death of Junior Pope came at a time when Enugu State was working so hard to develop the creative potential of its youths for self-reliance, job creation and export of their talents outside the shores of Nigeria,” the Governor said.
Mbah expressed deep regret that such talented young Nigerians could lose their lives in such an unfortunate circumstance.
The Governor commiserated with the bereaved families, the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), and the entire Nollywood industry on the loss of their members in an ill-fated boat accident.
He promised that the state would work in concert with the family to ensure a befitting burial for the late movie icon.
The Governor stressed that the Enugu State Government had opened a condolence register for Nigerians to pay their tributes to the fallen Nollywood star.
Mbah explained that the condolence register would be opened at the Conference Hall of the Ministry of Information and Communication, State Secretariat, Enugu, on April 15.
“Those who may not get to the office of the Honourable Commissioner for Information and Communication may use the following email address: condolencejuniorpope@gmail.com to register their condolences,” he said.
Ivory Ukonu is a versatile journalist with many years of experience, with entertainment and society reporting as her area of core competence.
