Why actor Ernest Asuzu end up begging without a shirt in Lagos
The Fans were left in shock after a video of Nollywood ex-star Ernest Asuzu begging in the streets of Lagos surface online. Asuzu, who often played alongside Jim Iyke in Nollywood hits at his peak, is currently down with – Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) – stroke.
Ernest Asuzu disclosed to the public about the disease five years ago. The condition takes a heavy toll on the sick star as he can not walk. A young man, identified as John Louis on Instagram, shared a video of the shirtless actor begging for alms on the streets of Lagos. The actor was barely recognizable in that video.
Mr. Louis said he found Ernest begging for support in the streets of Oke-Afa in Isolo, Lagos. The Nollywood actor could also be seen in the clip nodding his head in assertiveness. Asuzu also looked giddy and disoriented in the video. ‘We, therefore, call upon Nollywood to come and help their member’, the man stressed. ‘It’s not just to play the movie, but this guy can’t even walk,” Louis sound his message in the video.
“They have to come to his aid, not when he dies, they’ll go and give someone a big funeral,” he continues. “Even the Nigerian government has to support the guy and know what the problem is,” Louis concluded.
“I’m directing this video to Nollywood stars. This is a star (referring to Ernest Asuzu ed.) that everybody knows that he is in this kind of condition. We saw him at Justrite Supermarket asking people for money when he has Nollywood actors doing anything they like, but they don’t know how to help themselves’’ (sic)
Deliberately removed shirt
In a new video, Ernest Asuzu revealed that he deliberately took off his shirt so that Nollywood practitioners could feel his pain. He also sought financial assistance from well-meaning Nigerians to enable him to take care of his medical bills.
Reaction
When contacted the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Emeka Rollas, on Tuesday, according to premium times, and he expressed shock at the recent ugly development. “I haven’t been briefed about Ernest’s situation, but I was shocked to see the video of the man hurling insults at Nollywood without really knowing how involved we have been in his case.”
When contacted the Chairman of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Emeka Rollas, on Tuesday, according to premium times, he expressed his shock at the ugly development. ‘I wasn’t really briefed on Ernest’s situation,’ Emeka shows his concern. “But I was shocked to see the video of the man hurling insults at Nollywood without really knowing how involved we were in his case,” he reacted.
“People act in ignorance. We’ve been on his case for many years now.” “We took him to a man of God who cured him of his illness. He stayed there for months, and when he left, he blessed him with a Prado jeep. I’m shocked at the turn of events,” he further explains. “I will contact his wife and get back to you,” he told the News media.
Biography
Also known as ‘El Cream’, Ernest was also a rapper, producer and director. His career ran out of steam a few years ago after suffering a stroke in the year 2015. He was confined to bed due to the illness for 3 years.
In 2015, Ernest Asuzu announced that Jeremiah Funfeyin of Mercyland Deliverance had cured him of a stroke. The clerk would have given him a new SUV valued at about N3.5 million and N1.5 million as seed money to help kick-start his career.
He revealed once in an unsavory interview in 2018 that he was sexually active while treating his disease because he was afraid his wife would leave him.
Ernest Asuzu began his acting career in the 1990s and gained prominence after playing a role in “Another campus Queen”. He has appeared in over 100 films such as ‘Royal War’, ‘Ogidan’, ‘Longing’, ‘Endless’, ‘Big Day’, ‘Last Wedding’, ‘Ugonna’ and ‘Labista’. The latter earned him the best supporting actor at the African Movie Academy Awards.
