POPULAR 'VILLAGE HEADMASTER' STAR JUSTUS ESIRI IS DEAD 

  The legendary actor, who acted in many blockbusters, passed away Tuesday night; though reports about the immediate cause of his death is still sketchy. He was aged 70. Esiri, Member of the Order of the Niger, MON, is famous for his role as the village headmaster in the then popular television series of the same name. Born on 20 November 1942 in Oria-Abraka, Deltta State! Esiri attended Urhobo College Effurun in the then Bendel State.Warri. He was at the Maximillan University, Munich, German, 1964, Prof. Weners Institute of Engineering, West Berlin, 1967 and the Ahrens School of Performing Arts, 1968. Esiri started his acting career in Germany. He was the only Nigerian male performing on stage between 1968 and 1969. He also worked for Voice of Nigeria, German Service as a translator. He was performing on stage when in Germany when a delegation from Nigeria invited him home to perform in a government sponsored programme. He never returned to Germany. The veteran actor won several awards including THEMA Awards, NTA Honours Awards and AMAA Awards. He was also the star actor in acclaimed productions such as Wasted Years, Forever, The Prize, Six Demons, Corridors of Power, Last Knight, The Tyrant, The investigation, The Ghost . He was also reputed to have performed on more TV Network drama programmes than any Nigerian actor. Esiri is the father of Nigerian popular hip-hop star, "Dr. Sid." Asked in an interview how he felt about his son becoming a musician, he said; “I just called him and told him both the negative and positive aspects of the entertainment industry and he has to be focused. I scolded but gave him my blessing and he picked up.” Assasin’s Practice, one of the most recent movies he featured, was produced last year.