Why my family name was changed from Ojukwu — Stella Damasus

Nigerian actress Stella Damasus has explained why her family’s surname was changed from Ojukwu to Damasus.

During a recent interview on Channels Television with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, the actress disclosed the historical background of her family’s name change.

She revealed that the change occurred during the Biafran war to safeguard her family from potential targeting due to their Igbo heritage.

Stella also addressed the frequent mispronunciation of her surname over the years, despite her efforts to correct it.

Ebuka remarked, “It’s interesting that many people didn’t realize your surname wasn’t what they thought it was. I always knew it was Damasus, but so many people assumed it was Damascus. Were you surprised by that?”

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Stella responded, “Over the years, I’ve corrected it in so many interviews that I thought people would have caught on.

“But I was still shocked. People still think it’s Damascus, not Damasus. I understand why—they got used to it and didn’t bother to change. It’s funny, and I’ve seen comments that really blew my mind.”

“Damasus was my grandfather’s first name—it’s a Greek name. Our original surname was Ojukwu, but during the Biafran war, my people in Asaba were attacked.

The name was changed before I was born, and I grew up with the name Damasus. When I asked about it, I was told it was for survival, and there was nothing I could do about it,” she explained.

 

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE