Pete Edochie and Jerry John Rawlings
Veteran Nigerian actor Pete Edochie has likened himself to ex-President Jerry John Rawlings, whom he says he resembles in terms of looks and stature.
The award-winning actor made this comment when he joined a delegation of movie industry players, including Jocelyn Dumas, Kalybos, Nana Ama McBrown, Martha Ankomah, Ahuofe Patri, Funny Face and Kobi Rana to pay a courtesy call on President Rawlings at his Ridge residence.
He hinted that some of his relatives, including his children, have been telling him about how much he resembles Rawlings and he knows it is true.
“When I was here in 1999, everywhere I went people kept telling me that I reminded them of Rawlings and so I was not troubled when my own daughter also repeated the same thing to me. I look at you, I know what I look like, and I think I agree with them too,” he emphasised.
Mr Edochie was excited that he has been given the opportunity to meet the man he describes as his brother and explained that he first met the former president when he was in Nigeria for a funeral some years back.
Pete Edochie who will be 70 on March 7, a day after Ghana turns 60, pointed out that both he and Rawlings were born in the same year but his birthday comes three months earlier.
He commended Mr Rawlings for living a simple life, adding some African presidents always surround themselves with security personnel to shield people from getting access to them.
Mr Rawlings, he added, is an exception because he is a free-spirited person who does not discriminate against any social class.
Chief Edochie, as he popularly called, revealed that he adopted Ghana as his second home at the age of 10 when Ghana beat the Nigerian national football team, the Super Eagles, by seven goals to nothing in 1957.
He also extended his appreciation to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kofas Media, Kofi Asamoah, for the role he played in facilitating the meeting.
–Adom News