By Akinwale Kasali
The Minister of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has disclosed that Veteran Actor, Zack Orji had a brain surgery on January 1, 2024, at the National Hospital in Abuja, the country’s Capital.
The Minister appealed to Nigerians to rally round the Actor for his impact on the creative industry over the years.
Musawa said Orji is a national asset, and expressed confidence in his swift recovery.
A statement by the Minister’s ’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Nneka Anibeze, said, “God will heal him and he will be well. We will do all we can to support him. We solicit the collective prayers of Nigerians because he is like a part of our families. We have watched him entertain us and we see him as a national treasure. So the best we can do is to ensure that we support him to have the best treatment.
“ We will reach out to other well-meaning Nigerians to support Zack Orji through prayers and other means available to ensure that he survives this ailment.
“This is not only about the ministry which I am representing. You know that Zack Orji has been in the industry for decades. This is a man who has given his time and effort to entertain Nigerians.
“He is one of the individuals who laid the foundation for Nollywood and the film industry in Nigeria but now he is sick and the least we can do as an administration is to give him all the necessary support through prayers and otherwise to ensure that we save his life.
“This will also propel the administration to look at the welfare of artists and others in the industry who have not only given their time and energy but people like Zack Orji who have become national treasures”.
It would be recalled that Oluremi Tinubu and Nana Shettima, Wives of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President, Kashim Shettima had visited Orji at the National Hospital in Abuja, to wish him quick recovery.
It would be recalled that last Friday, the Actor slumped in the bathroom leading him to go into a coma. He was, thereafter, rushed to the hospital.
The Actor was born in 1960 in Libreville, Gabon.
He grew up in Cameroon, Benin and Togo where he learnt how to speak both English and French fluently.
He is an alumnus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
An actor, director, producer and filmmaker, he is known for his role in Nollywood movies Glamour Girls, and Blood Money.
His first movie was in 1991 and was entitled Unforgiven Sin.
In an interview with Nollywood Post, Orji shared how he got the lead role in the movie without auditioning.
Since then, he has starred in different movies and is now a Nollywood legend.
He is also a singer and preacher of God’s word since he found Christ.
He is married to Ngozi Orji and they have three children.
In 2000, Zack Orji made his directorial debut with the movie titled WEB starring himself and Ghanaian actress, Kalsoume Sinare.
The movie won best collaborative film in the Ghana awards of 2001.
