John Chukwu was Nigeria’s most famous comedian in the 1980s. He was a stand-up comedian, had a radio comedy show (Band Wagon Comedy Hour), a TV comedy show (Laff Mattaz), and a night club. He compered many major events in Nigeria, like the first Nigerian Music Awards, which he hosted with Julie Coker. In 1985 President Babangida had to send the presidential jet to pick him up from his home state so that he could MC the Command Performance to mark Nigeria’s 25th anniversary.
John Chukwu fell ill in 1990 and his family reached out to Chief MKO Abiola and President Babangida. MKO contacted a hospital in the UK and arranged for John Chukwu to be treated there. President Babangida also pledged some money towards his treatment. Unfortunately John Chukwu died before he could be flown out of the country.
naptu2: Here's one legend writing about another legend. I won't introduce John Chukwu because I've written about him quite recently and he needs no introduction, but I'll reintroduce Ihria Enakhimo because it's a while since I wrote about him.
Ihria Enakhimo played the part of the messenger in Jab Adu's classic detective TV series "The Turning Wheel". His interaction with the great Femi Jarrett (who played the role of the clerk) and Gloria Ogundipe (who played the role of the secretary) was incredible. There was a double joke in his interaction with Mr Jarrett. Femi Jarrett's character could not imagine how a person could be as mad, stupid and crazy as the messenger, yet, in the 1970s, Femi Jarrett played a similar character (Alagbin) in the drama series, "Adio Family".
Ihria Enakhimo was also a presenter on Radio Nigeria and it was in that role that he almost killed my mother and I with laughter after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election. You need to remember that Radio Nigeria was owned by the government and that we were under military rule, yet this man delivered a brilliant satirical monologue that mocked the Babangida regime for annulling the election. He told a story and he made it seem like it was a bible story, but it was the story of the annulment of the election. I died when he said, "Kpamgbo The Magician" (the minister of justice and attorney general of the federation that drafted the decree was Chief Clement Akpamgbo).
This is Ihria Enakhimo's tribute to the great comedian, John Chukwu.
Copied from Ihria 'Ehi Enakimio
I remember John Chukwu (JayCee) - stand up comedian, ultimate Disc Jockey and Master of Ceremonies, the quintessential On Air Personality before On Air Principalities invaded the airwaves! John Chukwu was a phenomenon.
Because his last name had no appendages, he simply claimed the right to its English translation and called himself John God. He named one of his companies, Sand Pack. When I asked him why, he chuckled: I do every decent job I can. I sell fun, Refrigerators, air conditioners... I will pack sand if it will put bread on the table!
John Chukwu was many things but it is his struggle and victory over a demonic trait that seems so much part of our DNA that's on my mind right now. - You see, in the old days Radio, not TV, was the real power house. Why else would the boys in the army barracks across the street jump their fence, seize the mics and announce "fellow countrymen"? The NBC, I mean the original, Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation - not the baby that was named after it - was motherland. Or fatherland if you will! Radio was it's 'heir'. TV was caviar, hidden somewhere at Bar Beach. Radio was it! It was National, nationwide, and transmitted information in nine Nigerian languages; and there was a Voice Of Nigeria! The swagger and perfume of its members settled the occupants of the graveyards that surrounded it and sometimes when an outsider would call at night on those crank-up analogue phones, it was not unusual for some prankster to respond: hello... Ikoyi cemetery!
Radio Nigeria, Ikoyi was fun city! And it was great guys like John Chukwu, Deejay Ben Jay, John Ndisika who were the spice! And then, there were those great broadcasters - Ishola Folorunsho, Martins Okoh, Eldred Fiberesima (Daddy-o), Churchill Ifode...
To stand out in that forest of Iroko trees, people like JayCee and John Ndisika were indeed a special breed, freelance artist who were as prominent as the biggest of them because of the amount of hard work they put in to be granted the volume of airtime they commanded.
JayCee was a bundle of talent and worked at the NBC for several years without becoming a permanent/full member of staff. Rookie that I was, it seemed such a hassle. It seemed so much more prestigious to be a member of staff and I wondered why he didn't accept full employment since the establishment already let him be on air so regularly.
Well, the way the story is told, it wasn't that John God didn't want a full time employment - rumour had it that he had been applying but that evidence of his abundant talent did not quite account for some document that was being demanded. After a few years he stopped struggling and continued working freelance. He had also discovered a secret that many didn't know and even as he sweated a smile never left his face.
But, to use one of his favourite quotes, "bad thing nor deh hide". Some senior permanent Programmes staff whose pay cheques did not generate such broad smiles like his soon put their calculators to work and JayCee's secret popped up! As a freelance artist, presenting all the programmes he was presenting, John earned much more than he could have expected as salary!
Well, the tin gods of the industry put their heads together and after a meeting of these eggheads and conspirators, a new regime was decreed. A mandatory limit was set as to how many programmes one freelance artiste could present weekly. It ensured that the peanuts called artist fees could never amount to much and it effectively closed that bother, and terminated the grins, smiles and/laughter of all freelance artistes.
The owl cried in the night. In the morning the baby died. Who killed the baby?
That's when the idea of Sand Pack hit the indomitable spirit of the 'never say die', the guy called John Chukwu. And it was an idea that opened up all his 32 teeth!
Many people who curse Hitler or Abacha or Mugabe do so because power is not in their hands. Real power! From the lecturer who insists on sex for marks, and papa who has sole right to the biggest meat in the soup, to the maigadi who may lie or be induced to tell you the truth whether Oga is at home or not, there is a dictator or a green snake inside waiting to strike a perceived enemy or rival!
True word nor be cheek! How many we wan talk? Na who dem see oyel for hin maut na hin leak soup! So help we, God!
I obviously don't need to introduce John Chukwu, so I' ll introduce Collins Onomoh instead. Collins Onomoh is the guy that played the part of Odili (the taxi driver from Bendel State) in Second Chance (NTA c1985-1989).
This is Bandwagon Comedy Hour (Radio Nigeria 2, AM/FM Stereo). It was broadcast in 1979.
naptu2: When I get to Ibadan they call me John Suuku. I don't mind. But I have a reply. When they say John Suuku, I reply, "John Oniku Chukwu", because suuku means cry and die.
naptu2: I can't believe that I've finally found a video of the doyen of stand up comedy in Nigeria. I don't mind the fact that the audio quality is poor, I'm just happy to see him in action again.
No event was complete without him. President Babangida was so eager to get him to MC the "Command Performance" event of the 1985 Independence Day celebrations, that he sent people all over Lagos to search for him and when he discovered that JC had gone to his village, hessent the presidential jet to bring him back to Lagos.
Many will also remember him from Radio Nigeria 1 and NTA's Things Fall Apart and the Bar Beach Show.
Both Babangida and Chief MKO Abiola contributed money to pay for his medical expenses (Abiola deposited £25,000 at the hospital in London), but John Chukwu eventually died in November 1990.
^ Fashion shows were very popular in Nigeria in the late 1980s and early 1990s and that was John Chukwu's stand up comedy routine at a fashion show (I've seen another similar video on YouTube).
naptu2: I was arguing with myself earlier today and if you had seen me you might have thought that I was mad.
What was I arguing about? Well, I posted a video of the New Village Headmaster earlier today and I heard a voice as I was watching it and my mind immediately exclaimed, "That's John Chukwu's voice"! However, another part of my mind said, "John Chukwu didn't act in Village Headmaster", yet the first part insisted, "That's John Chukwu's voice" and the face actually did look like John Chukwu.
Who was John Chukwu?
Well, think of him as the Ali Baba of the 1980s. He was the most popular stand up comedian at the time, but he wasn't just any other stand up comedian. He had a comedy show on Radio Nigeria 2 called Comedy Bandwagon and another show on NTA 2 Channel 5 called Laff Mattaz. He also owned a nightclub called Klass Night Club.
John Chukwu was the number one stand up comedian of the 1980s. He co-hosted the first ever Nigerian Music Awards (NMA) with Julie Coker. He was the host of many fashion shows and he also hosted many state events. When Nigeria celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1985, President Babangida had to send the presidential jet to pick John Chukwu, who had gone to his village on holiday, so that he could host the command performance.
John Chukwu fell ill in 1990 and his family reached out to Chief MKO Abiola and President Babangida. MKO contacted a hospital in the UK and arranged for John Chukwu to be treated there. President Babangida also pledged some money towards his treatment. Unfortunately John Chukwu died before he could be flown out of the country.
So how could I forget that John Chukwu acted in the Village Headmaster? It’s strange to me.
Hosts: John Chukwu (king of stand up comedy) and Julie Coker (broadcaster and former beauty queen).
Venue: National Theatre (all but one). Nicon Noga Hilton (1).
Remember Charlie Boy towing guests on to the stage with his motorcycle? The guests were seated on a couch, which was towed by Charlie Boy's motorcycle.
Most famous gaffe: Sir Shina Peters said, "I want to wish King Sunny Ade soonest recover".
Foreign awardee: Mariam Makeba (South Africa).
Chief host: Chief Tony Okoroji
Best new artist : Sir Shina Peters.
Lifetime achievement awards: Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Dan Maria Jos.
Fela never attended the event. Femi always received his award on his behalf, but there was a year in which he attended the pre-award ceremony at the O-Jay's restaurant. Journalists swarmed round him and asked him if he would attend that year's event. He said that he might, but he didn't. (Remember that he didn't even attend his daughter's wedding. He said that he forgot the date).
Special guest of honour: President Babangida (always represented by Admiral Aikhomu or the minister of information ).
It is fitting that Ali Baba was the one that mentioned John Chukwu's name because, in my view, Ali Baba succeeded John Chukwu as the pre-eminent comedian in Nigeria. This was at the Lagos at 50 celebrations in 2017 and comedians were paying tributes to their departed colleagues.
naptu2: Just think of the stars that worked at Radio Nigeria. Can you imagine that Ernest Okonkwo, Ishola Folorunsho, John Chukwu, Sonny Irabor, Tony Ibegbuna (for me this was the voice of RN2 when they started), Jacob Akinyemi Johnson (J.A.J), Boniface Onogwu, Vin-Martin Ilo, Momoh Kubanje, Willy Egbe, Ohi Alegbe, Jones Usen, Ihria Enakhimio, Aloma Nwogbe, Godwin Asuquo, Ndidi Osaka, Femi Sowoolu, Phil Ushie, Jim Lawson Maduike, Femi Sowoolu, Zachary Mohamed (Captain ZM), Manny Onumonu, Evelyn Russell, Veronica Osawere, Emeka Odikpo and so on and so forth once worked there?
And before them there was Ikenna Ndaguba, Christopher Kolade and Princess Banke Ademola.
People will die to hear these people's voices again! Radio Nigeria can't say that they don't have recordings of them (that would be criminal). Why don't they release these recordings, make them public and make some money from them??
What Ihria Enakhimo wrote in simple English was that John Chukwu appeared on Radio Nigeria, but he was not a full time staff of the corporation. He and others wondered why Chukwu was not a full time staff, yet he was happy (everybody wanted to be a full time staff).
He later discovered that Radio Nigeria paid talent per show, John Chukwu was very talented so everybody wanted him on their show and as a result, the money that John Chukwu got from appearing on many shows was more than what he would have gotten as salary if he was a full time staff.
The bosses at Radio Nigeria also noticed this and they changed the rule so that talent/contract staff would be paid a specific amount, no matter the number of shows that they appeared in.
John chukwu was very big back then. I had a copy of an old magazine called Prime people that carried the series about his death and burial. It was like talking about Davido or Whizkid of today.
The guy chop life o, he owned nightclubs and controlled the nightlife in Lagos for some time.
vanbonattel: John chukwu was very big back then. I had a copy of an old magazine called Prime people that carried the series about his death and burial. It was like talking about Davido or Whizkid of today.
The guy chop life o, he owned nightclubs and controlled the nightlife in Lagos for some time.
Prime People and Vintage people, our Linda Ikeji and Stella Dimoko-Korkus of the 1980s.
