The Embedded Lessons in Chief Daddy By Olusegun Adeniyi

There is a way in which one can see a parody of Nigeria in the movie, ‘Chief Daddy’: the chaos caused by having numerous children from different women who were not aware of the existence of one another, the dysfunctionality in the family that bred corruption and the mutual suspicions and recriminations that rendered difficult the unity of purpose without which there could neither be peace nor prosperity. Even with the prospect of enormous wealth to be shared through collaborative efforts, each of the characters would rather cut a deal with their individual greed trumping the collective need.

But perhaps the bigger lesson in the movie is that enduring wealth is one worked for; not one based on the expectations of some inheritance which is why any nation that builds its annual budget on “oil benchmark” rather than the productive capacity of its citizens is imperilled. Besides, when the defining ethos of a society makes it easier for the individual to compromise to get by, than enthrone a system that protects all, building a functioning society would most likely be a mirage. That, I guess, is the story of our country today.



Before I get ahead of myself, let me say very quickly that the foregoing interpretation of the latest movie from Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife Films is simply a product of my own imagination. I therefore plead the forgiveness of readers. That is what too much pounded yam and ‘Ikonko’ delicacy (close your eyes, egbon Mouftah Baba-Ahmed) in my beloved Kwara State can do to you. ‘Chief Daddy’ is not a political movie nor is the storyline about corruption in Nigeria, it is an interesting comedy movie made for the holiday season that we are in.


The story is woven around a wealthy businessman by name Chief Beecroft but better known as Chief Daddy who did not deny himself any of the pleasures that money could buy. Upon his death, the disparate members of the family he left behind were now confronted with the reality of his multiple lives. I am sure many of us have heard or read stories of some men who supposedly had one wife and about four or five children until they die after which some wives begin to surface while the number of children suddenly multiply into dozens.


What I like about the ‘Chief Daddy’ is that unlike some otherwise good Nollywood movies of recent times, the scenes are not only believable, they reflect the everyday Nigerian reality. In ‘Chief Daddy’, which has an A-list cast, Folarin Falana aka Falz was marvellous in his role and so were Ini Edo, Patience Ozokwor, Funke Akindele, Joke Kate Henshaw, Rachel Oniga, Joke Silva and others. And when you have the inimitable Nkem Owoh in the house, you know you must laugh. The ingenuity of the writer is also brought to bear in how a bank was advertised in the movie in such an inoffensive manner that even enhances the plot.



At the end, the take-away from the movie is that those who built their entire existence waiting for the day they would inherit stupendous wealth from ‘Chief Daddy’ were eventually confronted with the reality that there was no cash to share. But the deceased also left them with enormous potentials that could ultimately guarantee stupendous wealth, provided they all bury their individual egos and work for the prosperity that was possible. Discharging such a huge burden, as I stated earlier, parodies the story of Nigeria; after all, “individual commitment to a group effort”, according to Vince Lombardi, “is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”


Meanwhile, since I know my very readers very well, I am almost certain many of them will consider this piece as nothing but self-indulgence, especially at a period the banditry in Zamfara State is getting out of hand with dozens of innocent villagers now being killed almost on a daily basis. Besides, from reports coming in recent days, it would seem that the Boko Haram insurgents have also perfected the art of laying ambush for our soldiers. In her piece, ‘Zamfara, Our Conscience’ published in Daily Trust yesterday, Jamila Abubakar wrote on how both the Nigerian authorities and the political elite have failed the people.


Zamfara, according to Abubakar, “is our damaged conscience as a nation. It is the flag of failure to honour the promise by our leaders to provide us security. Zamfara is not a northern problem. It is a national warning against a pattern that narrows the influence of the Nigerian state, and widens the specter of living under the order of organized, criminal violence.”



While the widening ungoverned spaces in the country should be of concern to all critical stakeholders, they should not rob us of hope, especially in a season such as this. In her Christmas message on Tuesday, the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, spoke to how the wisdom that comes with longevity compels a recognition of “some of life’s baffling paradoxes, such as the way human beings have a huge propensity for good, and yet a capacity for evil.” But she also added: “Even the power of faith which frequently inspires great generosity and self-sacrifice can fall victim to tribalism. But through the many changes I have seen over the years: faith, family, and friendship have been not only a constant for me, but a source of personal comfort and reassurance.”


In this holiday season, while we are not in denial of the enormous challenges confronting us a nation, a little fun is also not a bad idea and that is why ‘Chief Daddy’ comes highly recommended. There are some powerful lines in the movie, perhaps none more so than the one delivered by the wife (and professional partner) of the lawyer to the late Chief Beecroft (played by Dakore Egbuson-Akande) to her husband (played by Richard Mofe-Damijo) in the car when going to the residence of Chief Daddy to read the Will. “When the time comes”, she said with so much cynicism, “I wonder who is going to be making this kind of calls for you.”

I wish all my readers a prosperous year 2019!