Lizzy Ovueme, Ovularia In The Rested New Masquera Series, Not Dead

By Uche Mbah

The ebullient and hilarious New Masquerade star, Lizzy Ovueme, is not dead.

Although the circumstances of her death rumor are still sketchy, it was said she died after a protracted illness. This has been debunked by a reaction from her grandchild, Amarachi Ovueme.

The Masquerade, a program of which she was part of, was a product of James Iroha, of the then Nigerian television authority. He picked up Lizzy Ovueme and she took over the role of Ovularia Urediya Nwogbo, wife of a flamboyant and loquacious local chief, Zebrudaya, whom she called Zebby darling, when the original Ovularia traveled with her family to the United states. She was paid N10 per role then, but it  was enough for her to train her children up to University level. She combined her role with civil service work.

She was then a widow.

Ovueme, or Ovularia, is one of the survivors of the original cast of the program. James Iroha, who played the role of Gringory; Claude Ekeh, who played the role of Jegede Sokoya, Christy Essiene Igbokwe, who played Apena and Davis Offor, who played Clarus  are all gone. Both Offor and Iroha went blind before death. Iroha was operated twice for brain tumor.

Chika Okpala, the lead character Zebrudaya, is still alive.