Veteran Nollywood actor, Pete Edochie, could not hold back his tears after seeing his long-time Ghanaian friend and veteran actor Emmanuel Armah battling illness for over a decade, as the Ghanaian actor’s wife, Stella Amina Armah, narrated how the illness began.
Pete Edochie enquired about how long his friend had been battling the illness, and Stella disclosed that November 2026 will mark 11 years since Emmanuel Armah began battling the serious health condition.
According to Stella, the veteran Ghanaian actor’s illness began while he was in the United States for work, while she was in Ghana. She explained that Emmanuel Armah had high blood pressure without knowing it, while his cholesterol levels also became elevated.
“He was working in the US when it happened. He had pressure he did not know and the cholesterol also went high. That was how the whole thing started. I wasn’t there by then, I was in Ghana and this is what they told me,” she shared while visibly in tears.
Stella also told Pete Edochie that doctors have indicated that Emmanuel Armah could get better, but the veteran Ghanaian actor does not always pay attention to the doctors’ instructions and often follows his own instincts.
She explained that Emmanuel Armah continues to experience pain throughout his body and has been reluctant to undergo physiotherapy. However, she recently arranged for him to receive physiotherapy treatment in Kasoa, where he is now being attended to regularly.
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“Doctors are saying he could get better but you know him, he listens to himself. The whole body is aching and he does not allow physiotherapy. But now I sent him to a physiotherapist at Kasoa so they are working on him. They massage him every day,” she noted.
Stella Amina Armah further revealed that despite his condition, her husband still remembers many of the people he had close associations with throughout his career and continues to ask about them.
She said Emmanuel Armah sometimes remembers the names of his old friends, calls to enquire about them and even asks her whether she has heard from certain people.
“He remembers everything. He mentions their name. Sometimes he would call and ask if this person is around, and would say, ‘Have you been hearing from this person?’ Sometimes he will ask a lot of questions and sometimes he asks me if I don’t hear from this particular person, he can take me to the person’s house,” she said.
Moved by the condition of his long-time friend, Pete Edochie donated money to Emmanuel Armah to help him purchase some of the drugs he needs and support his upkeep.
The veteran Nollywood actor also offered words of prayer for his Ghanaian counterpart.
Pete Edochie arrived in Ghana on September 29, 2026, to launch the Pete Edochie Legacy Project during Accra Legacy Week.
The Pan-African project, themed “Celebrating the African Legend: The Lion That Needs Not to Roar”, seeks to celebrate his decades-long contribution to African cinema, storytelling and cultural preservation.
The programme includes a legacy lecture, meet-and-greet sessions, a gala and youth mentorship activities.
