Nollywood’s popular actor, Chinedu Ikedieze aka Aki, has given smiles and laughter to millions of fans around the world. However, 2009 is a year that the actor will not forget, because this is the year he lost his brother due to sickle cell anemia.
In an interview with Saturday Beats, the actor revealed that the day his brother died was the saddest day of his life.
It was the day I lost my younger brother due to sickle cell anemia. It was a very terrible day for me. My brother and I were very close and he saw me as his hero and mentor. Wherever he went he made people happy, that was his particularity. He was about to be admitted to college when he died.
I was in South Africa when he died and immediately I got the bad news, I returned to Nigeria as soon as possible because I told them not to keep his corpse in the morgue for too long. I made sure he was buried in a week before I went back to finish the project I was in South Africa for. I have a foundation that deals with vulnerable children, but since the death of my brother, whenever I come across new people with sickle cell disease, I am still very touched. This news always reminds me of my brother, and I want to help people living with the disease.
Aki also told Saturday Beats that before finding his way to fame in 2003, he had lived in poverty and, since he was successful, he had vowed never to be poor again.
My biggest fear in life is becoming poor. I knew poverty and it was not funny; I will do everything in my power so that I will never witness poverty in my life.
