On Monday, the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) Chairperson, Enugu Chapter, Ene Brown, described the death of veteran Nollywood actor Amechi Muonagor, 62, as unfortunate.
The talented actor died on Sunday.
Mr Brown also shared details of the late actor’s health condition in the last decade.
He said: “Mounago battled with diabetes for over ten years and has been managing it. Only in these past six months did he start appealing to the public for assistance. Just like John Okafor, it is not their fault that they developed diabetes.
“We did our best in supporting him with the little we can as an organisation and individuals, but death is inevitable. Uncle, as he was fondly called, was energetic, friendly and acrobatic; we enjoyed him while he was alive. We miss him so much,” he said.
He said the deceased battled with different ailments for a very long time; ‘‘It became worse in 2024 when he came down with stroke, diabetes and kidney failure.’’
On why the industry was recording deaths, Mr Brown said that death is inevitable for everyone, adding that the only difference was that their members were famous as actors and actresses.
“We are not God and cannot change nature. People got to know about their death and are reacting,” he said.
Mr Brown said that the organisation was working to ensure that their members attend to their health by going for regular check-ups.
“The organisation has initiated a health insurance scheme for members to curtail their health expenses. The industry is doing its best to ensure that actors/actresses sign to Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO), which allows them access to 600 hospitals in Nigeria,” he said.
NAN reports that the talented Nollywood actor Muonagor, a native of Idemili in Anambra, was born on 20 August 1962.
He was an actor and producer whose presence on the screen was truly memorable. He was nominated for AMVCA 2017 Best Actor in a Comedy in 2016.
In 1989, after his youth service, Muonagor worked for NAN for a few years before he ventured into acting in his first movie, Akunatakasi, in Taboo 1, a Nigerian film.
(NAN)