New Masquerade Star Giringory Cries for Help

James Iroha, the actor and story teller of Masquerade and The New Masquerade fame, has another story; a story of how’s he’s suffering and struggling, trying to not be strangled by protracted poverty and pain.

The veteran performer, now 70, is broke and broken; admitting he’s scarcely able to feed himself. He has lost his eyesight.

In a touching interview with Emeka Anokwuru of The Sun Newspapers, Iroha, who founded the ‘Masquerade’ soap opera which ran on NTA for several years, reveals his private agony. ‘There is nothing between poverty and me. I’m just nose-to-nose with poverty. If I mention the amount of money I spent in India, it’s unbelievable. I was almost stranded in India, living in a bed and breakfast hotel for 16 days. When I came back here, I was almost useless. I’m a pensioner and my pension is not regular. Government sometimes does not have money to pay us our pension. In that situation, they pay their regular staff before thinking of pensioners. We are dead woods…‘

 After a career spanning over five decades, pundits say it’s a shame Iroha has nothing to show for his contribution to the development of the arts in Nigeria. In a country where thieving politicians are richer than most commercial banks, it’s sad that actors like Iroha cannot afford to put food on their tables or drive a decent car. ‘I don’t have a house of my own. I still pay landlord rent even in this twilight time of my life. I am almost begging for food; so I need money to pay my rent, buy my medicines and maybe repair my car, which has been there for two years, untouched. So, if I get some money, I think I would be happy and better off psychologically, I may be healed too‘.

Iroha lives in Amaokwe Item, in Item, Bende Local Government Area, Abia State. One of his sons, Uche James-Iroha, is a photographer working in Lagos; and several of his colleagues, including Chika Okpala (Zebrudaya), are still actively entertaining. But Giringory, now 70 and a shadow of himself, is no longer in demand. He hasn’t been, since NTA rested The New Masquerade. Yet, he says he has no regrets.

‘I don’t have any regrets because if I say I have some regrets, just because of personal challenges, that would be wrong. I entertained the public and they are still showing appreciation. Whenever I need money I go to the bank and say to the manager, I’m broke, I don’t have any money. He would say how much do you need, and I would bring out my ledger and he would say write your cheque; that’s all. I would collect some money and go home. If I were sick and go to the hospital, the doctor would see me and whatever emergencies he has, he would drop them and find the drugs, even when the drugs are out of stock. I have a lot of goodwill; that’s why I said I have no regrets, because that is what is keeping me alive. Masquerade gave a lot of people the impression that it is a subtle vehicle for serious information. For the fact that government doesn’t want the programme, the much we have done so far is good enough‘ he told Anokwuru.

Despite this, there’s no doubt this man needs help. For someone who spent his entire life putting smiles on the faces of a nation, the least we can do at this critical point in his life, is to come together – the arts community, his state government, NTA, fans of ‘Masquerade’, the media and the federal government – and return the favour.

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