Ehiz Ojeikere, 53, is first son of Late Pa
Ojeikere. The civil engineer speaks with ADA DIKE on the passion his late
father had on photography.
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Can
tell us about your father?
My father had slight fever some days ago.
He was taken to a hospital where he was treated. Suddenly, things changed. So he
gave up the ghost last Sunday.
What
aspect of your father’s life are you going to miss as his son?
There are two things my father loved as his
passion – his children and his work. He loved us with all his hearts. In
everything we were involved in, he made sure he encouraged us. He inspired us
and asked questions about what we were doing and wanted things we were involved
in to succeed. I will miss that. He was quite concerned about us and about how
were doing.
For his work, though I am not an artist, I
will miss that his exemplary life of being dedicated to a cause. Today, we
celebrate him as a photographer but many years ago, he wasn’t getting returns
but he was there. Those two things – his family and his works were dear to him.
It
was a model for me a person because my father showed me how to do things I love
doing. He was not involved in photography for just doing it but involved in it because
his whole life was attached to it.
What
special work did he do that made him so popular?
Some of his works that got international
acclaim are his work on hairstyle of yesteryears and others. He met some people
when he wanted to do it but many did not take interest in doing it but he held
on to it until people were interested in that particular work.
We found out that it wasn’t something he
started with hairstyles; all his works were popularly arranged. They were
categorised including events, people, weddings and so on.
He had so much passion in taking pictures
of traditional and cultural events about Nigeria and Africa. Whenever he meets
someone and asked them where they came from, he would tell them that he went to
their village at so so time to cover so so event. He covered many dance
troupes, masquerades, culture and foods of many places. He did a lot. Beyond
the hairstyles, he was involved in covering masquerades. He covered Argungu
festival several times.
Who
was sponsoring his trips to all the places he went to cover events?
Most of the time, he sponsored himself. But
he was sponsored by advertising companies, organisations and individual for contract
jobs he did for them.
He
was a documentary photographer that was very popular in promoting art and
culture through photography. What made him tick?
The other day, I was reading the Bible and
came across the verse that says: Seeing a man diligent in his work, he will sit
with kings and princes and will not sit among mean men (Paraphrase).”
Many young people want success without
working for it. He worked hard. He used to say that he had two things:
biological children and his camera. His camera was so precious to him like his
children.
My father worked harder despite the
challenges he came across, he didn’t wait for money or for somebody to
encourage him.
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