The narrative of Nollywood star, Victor Olaotan is a disheartening one for majority of Nigerians and a trying one for his fellow actors and actresses.
Nigerians have decried the actor’s current health status especially as his recently released photos are the first in a long time. The photos shows a much weakened Victor barely managing to sit on a chair. The photos relayed by fellow actor Seun Ajayi seeks the donations of Nigerians to get the ‘Tinsel‘ star on his feet for the first time since 2016.
This isn’t the first time friends and well-wishers of the actor have requested aid from the public. In December 2018, the family of Olaotan including friends of his, solicited for funds in order to complete the payment of the sick man’s bill.
The family earmarked $50,000 as the minimum sum of money needed by an undisclosed hospital to undergo the medical procedure designed to aid patients of nervous system injuries
Billionaire and avid amirer of his, Femi Otedola donated $100,000 to this cause, but the ailing man wasn’t fully recovered. His family members kept his health situation off public glare since then.
Mr Victor Olaotan was left incapacitated after a severe accident along Apple Junction, in Festac, Lagos on October 2016. The shock crash damaged the nerves near his legs leading to his continued health depreciation. The mishap occurred on his way to a movie set, reports say.
Reacting to the new photos of Victor Olaotan, actress Abiola Segun Williams, worded her believe that the actor would be back to his feets soon. She described the actor as an agile gentleman who acted with style and panache. She further stressed that the little offer that could be made to him should be done with merry as such deeds are always recorded in eternity.
Actress Abiola isn’t the only of the Nollywood family that has canvassed support for the ailing actor. In an Instagram post, Actress Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman expressed her gratitude to Billionaire Otedola and Multichoice, including the minor donations from the public for haven made the actor’s overseas treatment abroad last year a success.
She used the medium to highlight that post-surgery care, medication and physiotherapy involves a higher cost than the surgery itself. She dropped the account number to the actor’s wife, pleading for at least N500 from each member of the public.
Victor Olaotan was born in Lagos in 1952. He began acting at age 15 through membership of a theater group, Ori Olokun in the city of Lagos. He came into public limelight in 2013 after his leading role in Tinsel, a Nigerian bedtime soap opera.
Before then, he travelled to the United States in 1978 after his father’s death but returned to the country in 2002 to continue his career. He is an alma mater of the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University and Rockets University, United States.
His current condition was kept private by the family because of their believe that “he was responding to treatment”. Much of the actor’s health status is being kept redrawn from the public.
I will appeal to Nigerians especially politicians and the Nollywood colleagues to assist this man.