The Emmanuel Onyechere Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe clan on Tuesday, confirmed the death of the first daughter of the family – Ms Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, Founder of the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA).
Anyiam-Osigwe, who was one of the pillars of the entertainment industry in Nigeria, had reportedly died after a brief illness at a hospital on Monday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the late AMAA founder was 54 years old.
The family, in a statement, described the her as an epitome of creative transcendance, who left indelible imprints on the sands of time.
They said that the AMAA founder was an outstanding personality, trailblazer, titan, pathfinder, go-getter, humanitarian, one-of-a-kind creative, and visionary leader in the film and television industry.
The family said they would continue to do all that was necessary to ensure that her legacy lived on.
According to them, the AMAA and the Africa Film Academy (AFA), along with their training programmes across Nigeria and the African continent will carry on seamlessly, with the full support of the Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation and other agencies she has worked with over the years.
The family added that her numerous charities across different religious denominations and other communities would also be continued.
“The Emmanuel Onyechere Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe clan in thanksgiving to God and in the belief that God is good and everything He does is good, and in accordance with His divine will, pattern and plan, announce the passing to eternal glory of our illustrious beloved daughter, sister, aunt and great aunt – Ms Peace Maria Ogechi Anyiam-Osigwe (MFR).
“We will miss the love and companionship we shared with her and we pray that your ”Chi” guides you on the path to God’s everlasting love into the light of His consciousness.
“We also pray that God, our Father of all mercies to grant you eternal rest in His heavenly kingdom where His perpetual light will continue to shine on.
“We believe you are alive in the life of God because as our father said “All Is Life And Life Alone”. You continue to live in the hearts of all who love you,” he said.
The family said they would announce the details of her rites of passage in due course.
They appealed to the public to respect the privacy of the family, as it contemplated God’s love for His children.
NAN reports that Peace Anyiam-Osigwe was so influential in the movie industry that she was called “the Queen of Nollywood Films”.
In 2020, she emerged as the National President of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) (NAN)