Tchidi Chikere has deleted all the tweets he posted yesterday slamming his estranged wife, Sophia Tchidi Chikere. Meanwhile, Nollywood producer Charles Novia has weighed in on the marital strife, writing about it on his blog in an article titled, Tchidi, Talk Not. See what Charles wrote after the cut.
One of the best brains we have in Nollywood would be Tchidi Chikere, a
celebrated scriptwriter and movie director. With an impressive body of
work in the past decade and a capacity to discover new stars or to
enhance sagging careers of others, Tchidi is not a personality one can
ignore in Nollywood.
I have known him in a professional capacity for close to fourteen years
and I relate well with him in the few instances we have met and had
discussions. Tchidi has a burning desire to make a change in Nollywood,
to shoot movies which somehow should re-calibrate society’s moral
journey. I particularly love some of his movies for the uncanny way he
brings out everyday characters in simple lifestyles and turn them to
complex evolutionary beings in complex situations. As a movie director
and a scriptwriter, Tchidi is gifted. Very gifted. Take it from me.
In my usual no-holds-barred critique of his acting, I would be less
charitable in my accolades. But I am not writing this to detract from
his credentials as a celebrated auteur. I am writing this out of
concern, perhaps more professional but with a huge personal slant to it
as well.
It is a well-known fact by now that Tchidi got married to an actress,
Nuella, a few days ago. First of all, Tchidi, I must congratulate you on
that. Whatever the opinions people have, we must all respect the wishes
of consenting adults when it comes to tying the knot. He made a choice
and we should respect that, no matter how much the slanderous anonymous
commentators on social media think they know.
That Tchidi got seperated from his former wife, Sophia who bore him
three children is perhaps unfortunate but like I said, consenting adults
take decisions which they believe is best for them at certain stages in
life. Such decisions might come much anger and recriminations and would
always leave scars in the hearts of both parties. Divorce or seperation
are never pleasant.
My concern in this case has to do with the open fights between Tchidi
and Sophia on social media AFTER Tchidi’s new marriage. On face value,
it would seem to have started with Tchidi’s rant on twitter a couple of
days back against his ex-wife.
The tweets were quite shocking and less than charitable, to say the
least. Though from the tweets, one could psycho-analyse that Tchidi was
really angry, hurt and perhaps deliberately hitting below the belt at
his former wife. My first reaction when I read those tweets on a blog
was one of shock. Those tweets were totally uncalled for. Totally.
Granted, they might have been written in a miasma of negative volcanic
emotions but total restrainst is required from a man in those kind of
circumstances. And such restrainst is justified when the mother of your
blood children is involved!
Sophia had a riposte which I read as well and she had a moral right to
respond too. But something tells me that Tchidi would wish to fire
another salvo at that response and thus start a social media bric-a-brac
which would inflict more wounds on all parties. That is why I had to
write this open opinion.
In Nollywood, and perhaps to a small extent the entertainment industry
in general, most of the creatives tend to look away when acrimonious
matters befall one of their own. First reactions would be one of
aloofness, followed by private gossip in meeting places. Sometimes,
colleagues and friends of such personalities would whisper malicious
things about the subject in private while pretending to be all coy and
concerned when they meet the suffering subjects in public. Oh Yes! My
sector have some psychophants and pretenders as with politics but isn’t
that how life goes?
Perhaps Tchidi and Sophia are being wrongly advised by masquerading
friends? Or maybe they are not even being advised at all by anyone but
are just ventilating on social media, giving bloggers more hits and the
country one more piece of idle gossip?
Whatever the case, I will openly advise Tchidi to stop further tweets or
replies on this matter. For the record, I don’t know Sophia or Nuella
and haven’t met with any ever and don’t wish to. My concern, as a
father, is for the kids from Tchidi’s first marriage and perhaps future
kids from this new marriage. Do not celebrate your misgivings on social
media. Sheath the swords. Think of the children. The children. The
children.
Those poor kids are going through indescribable torture and pain
already. You don’t need to add fuel to their discomfort. Angry words
once written and published are hard to take back, even with the passing
of time.
Celebrities are human too. That you see us on the screens or read about
us does not make us less human than the other fellow. Fame and fortune
only hide our foibles and finicks. But we are human. However, whilst we
are human, there are expectations of decorum we all must adhere to. And
if it is just for the kids, Tchidi and Sophia (and perhaps Nuella) must
adhere to the dictates of decorum.
I am not writing this to take sides or blame any of the parties
involved. I am writing this openly because whatever linens being
displayed by all parties in the open should be brought down immediately.
May God help all parties pass through this period and bless them all as they move on to the next phase of their lives.
Amen.
Amen o! Charles I concor
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