The family of Chief Mrs Lizzy Evoeme, who acted as Ovuleria in the popular sitcom ‘New Masquerade’, has announced the funeral arrangements for the late actress.

According to a burial programme signed by Chief Emeka Evoeme on behalf of the family, Lizzy Evoeme will be buried on Friday, December 6, 2024 at Evoeme’s compound at Umuaba Okpu-Umuobo in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area, Abia State, after a church service scheduled for 10:00am.

Chief Mrs Lizzy Evoeme, who died on May 5 at the age of 81, was born in Calabar on December 1, 1942, to a sea worker father. She originally hailed from Akabo, Imo State.

Growing up, Lizzy Evoeme had wanted to be a teacher or a nurse. But then, she got into acting as a member of a drama group called NdiIchie Playhouse in the 1970s. It was there that she auditioned for and secured the role of Ovuleria in the “New Masquerade” in the mid-1980s.

She played the role of Ovuleria, the submissive wife of a domineering character named Chief Zebrudaya Okoroigwe Nwogbo alias 430, with dexterity, earning herself both name and fame.

Speaking in an interview once about this, Lizzy Evoeme said, “When you go out and people you don’t know and wouldn’t have met in your entire life tell you they appreciate what you did on TV, it gives you fulfillment.”

“New Masquerade”, which aired on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) national network from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s, dealt with a variety of subjects, including social problems and the effect of government policies. The show also promoted unity in diversity and social values. The cast was variegated, and they communicated in Pidgin, Standard English and local languages, with Zebrudaya (played by Chika Okpala) introducing his special kind of Pidgin that got people rolling on the floor.

Here role in “New Masquerade took her to many parts of Nigeria as well as America, Sierra Leone and Cameroon.

Lizzy Evoeme was active as an actress from 1982 to 1993. she continued acting even after the “New Masquerade” TV series was discontinued, featuring in some movies following the coming of Nollywood.

In 2020, the Creative Industry Group (CIG) honoured her for her contributions to the entertainment industry.