Here is the explosive encounter…
I told your aunty some minutes ago that I would like to marry you; do you get to hear that everyday?

Yes, of course. Every woman gets that; it’s part of being a woman.

Okay, what will make you say yes?

Whoa! I’m kind of adventurous. I will need someone that can be a fun to be with. I don’t really take things seriously and if I could find someone who wouldn’t like to cage me that can live with me the way I am it would be fine with me. I am still waiting for the right man anyway. The kind of African man I know will say that marriage is all about a woman under a man who wants to be the boss.

Well, I said a lot but I don’t believe in that. I come from a family where I was allowed to sing and do things my own way and my mother always tell me that I can choose to be whoever I want. It should not be a do-or-die affair. I can decide whether to marry or not. Nobody is going to harass me for not doing so. You should not marry because you have to; it should be something you really want. I am not all that a domestic woman or your normal traditional wife; and I don’t apologize for that. That is just me. If I get a man who understands me, good. But unfortunately, a lot of them don’t.

A lot of men will commit suicide if you decide not marry.

Oh! I am not saying I will not marry but. I am just going to take my time. Of course, I want to see a man I can marry but it is just hard because of the way I think. I have seen a lot of bad marriages and I don’t want something like that. I want someone I can have fun with; that I can still be a kid around him. Most times, when people get married things change. They change and can’t do a lot of stuff they are used to any more. I don’t want that for myself. I really want to enjoy the person am going to spend the rest of my life with.

What marriage have you seen that is making you have a rethink?

Several. I have friends who have married and are not enjoying it. I live through one myself. My parents were divorced. My father is a nice person and my mother is one; it just didn’t work out. For years, they were together because of the children and because they didn’t really know each other very well. They are from an era where you just have to get married. As much as they tried it was not just working because they wanted different things in life. And I just vowed never to have that for myself.

Let me pry a little. What did your father want from the marriage?

I don’t know. I am not my father.

What of your mum?

I don’t know. It’s not my own and I have never said this before on any platform that my parents are divorced; it’s a private thing.

But do you think most couples want the same thing?

To some extent yes. We all have our destiny and we can’t force it on each other. But the whole point of coming together is to help each other fulfill all these things. It is not about wanting the same thing; it is about helping the others achieve what they want. I might like something and it doesn’t mean he should like it. We disagree to agree and when that compromise is not there, the marriage is doomed to fail

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I like your open mindedness, but what effect does your parent’s marriage have on you?

The truth is I am not going to blame anybody for anything that happens to me. If I met a guy and he duped me, the truth is he did that because I allowed him into my life. I think it would make me a better person and of course, I am not happy about it. The society expects you to do all these but the truth is if you are not happy with it, why do it? I believe some people are not just born to get married; some don’t want a child. But some people force themselves to do it and that is not what they want and it becomes a problem. I watched them suffer and it is not good.

My brothers are happily married and they have come to know that what you want should supercede what the society wants for you. I go to bed with a smile on my face because I am not trying to please everyone. I do what pleases me. It is not because I like doing things my way; I am just a person that is strong willed. You can’t push me and it takes a lot to deal with a woman like me because I have an independent mind but I am still open-minded. It is all about how you take life. I can take the positive side and dwell on it or take the negative side and dwell on it; it is all about what I want.

Why don’t you have a strong relationship with your father?

I don’t want to get into that. My father is a wonderful man and I know he loves me from the bottom of his heart and I love him too. But I think sometimes you should reach a level where you have been healed. So, I think until I get to the level where I can deal with all that happened, I wouldn’t want to talk about that.

But I think you are taking sides with your mother?

Children tend to take sides you know. The funniest thing is that my brothers will tell you that I am the most diplomatic person. If I had taken sides with my mother, I would have said many bad things about my father. My mother is my best friend; we do everything together from childhood. She is the one who lives with me every day.

She has been through everything with me. My father missed that part of my life, but it is not about taking sides. But sometimes you have to let your parents be. It is their relationship and I am the product of that relationship. I will like to just sit down and watch. My not having a relationship with my father has very little to do with what happened. We will get together again but it will take time.

What struggle are you talking about? You are a star. People all over the world know you and you are still young?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s funny. But if you interview my real friends they will tell you that I have come a long way. Nobody will interview you when you do the waka-pass role. I have been there before. Nobody interviewed me then, but I have been there before. I have gone through a lot of struggles in my personal life. In 2007, my parents separated.

I did a reality show and when I came back, I was being thrown out of the university because I wanted to be an actress. I was in the (music) department, a very conservative department, where they believe everybody there should be loyal and I branched out to go and do showbiz. I think at a point, they felt I had let them down so I was out of school for a whole semester. I had to go back and I had the option of just going back to write the exam, but I went back to sit in class with my juniors.

In fact, they were making fun of me that I went to every single class. So, these are the things I keep to myself because I want to tell people someday so that they will see that with determination you will get there. But my script is still ongoing so when I get to that point where I think my script is ready, I will tell people my story and they will be surprised. Sometimes, it is not fun to let it out right now. You know, it is still on going but when I think I am ready, I will let it out.

Have you ever suffered?

I have suffered. People see me and they call me Ajebota(giggles). I find it hilarious because I had a sweet upbringing. I have travelled to London, gone shopping and all that. I had a great childhood, one of the best. Many things happened later that didn’t make it the Ghanaian dream anymore. Eventually, you have to wake up. There was a time to work hard and I had to do that. It was not about the money. The struggle was in terms of my career. I have come a long way from the time that if I go for auditions they would tell me I couldn’t go far in the industry because the English I speak is too American. The struggle doesn’t really mean you are living on the streets.

Tell me, how did you start as an actress?

I am not one of those people that will tell you that I just heard it from someone, no. I have always known what I wanted to be. I am a very strong-minded person. I can still remember being a kid and I was dancing in front of my father’s car and he was asking, “what are you doing? What do you want be?” You know, I have always known that I was going to be in the limelight.

I still have a video of me standing in front of a …(TV) saying “this is CNN, what we are reporting today is” and my mates will tell you that even from secondary school, I will turn on the TV, because I went to a very strict Catholic secondary school, St. Lois Catholic School, in Kumasi; then we had a convention, so I have always known what I wanted to do. But it was not easy. My first experience on television was in a show called…(Hotel). I remember that very well because it was supposed to be a blend of local language and English; then my mother had to break it down for me. I was so confused.

What year was that?

I think it was in 2005. So, I did that for a couple of months. I think close to a year. Then, I went for another audition. I was there for one waka-pass and that was Shirley and she said I was a good actress that she loved me and wanted me to act in something else. I think I have just been really lucky, that is it. So, she wrote a script for me. I did that for a couple of months and I was in school really trying to balance everything. Those are the first early stuff I did.

Which were those that put you out there?

I think it was ‘Scorned’.

Which year was that?

It was shot in 2008. I did a movie before that. People noticed me because I did something very daring. There was a sex scene and the director told me about it and I told him I will never go nude, but if he can do it without making it tacky, and it was with a very ace actor, very acclaimed actor called, Koffi Bucknor. So, he asked me if I could do it and I told him I could do it that I don’t care about sex in a movie. What I am very particular about in a movie is if it is necessary to the story.

I am not a porn star and he said you can do this; and I remember that we were lying on the bed and people were standing at the back and shaking the bed and it made it look like we were making love. He said I should come and watch the film and I did and decided that it was not tacky.

People started asking: who is this girl? They knew me from ‘Hotel St James’ (a popular soap opera in Ghana). I had worked with Shirley Frimpong. So I met her again and she said she was going to do a project and she would call me. Then she called me into her office and gave me a script. I read the script in 30 minutes and she asked if I was sure I’d read it. She even asked my opinion about the lead actress.

Who is the man in your life now?

I am not dating any man.

Are you kidding me?

I am very serious. I am single and I don’t think I am ready to date any man. I think I am waiting for the right man.

Who was the person you dated in Nigeria?

I dated someone.

What is his name?

You don’t know him. We maintain our friendship. He is the one person that can tell me : Lydia that dress is not nice and I won’t be offended, because I know he is not saying it out of malice but because he loves me. He will tell me the truth no matter what.
He is someone who is very special to me but we broke up. We are still very good friends.

Why would you break up with your friend?

Because he is a friend, he has known me before I was Lydia Fordson. I call him when I am in trouble.

Has love been fair to you?

I think the word love has greatly been misunderstood. For some people love is money. For some women, if a man has money they will love him but if does not have money, they can’t love him. For some people love is sex, for others it is just someone to talk to. You need to discover what made you fall in love with somebody. So, it is a very complicated, confusing word. I think love is a lot of emotion.

Have you genuinely fallen in love before?

I think so.

You are not sure?

I think it was more of you looking for something and you thought you finally found it and not believing that anybody in this world looking could get that thing you had.

Have you dated anybody in entertainment industry in Ghana?

No.

But they said lots of girls have dated Bernard?

Who is Bernard, me, (laughs)? No, I’ve not dated anybody in the industry, ever.

So when should we watch out for the wedding bells?

Whenever I think I meet the right person and God says it is time, I will get married.

Tell me about school?

I attended Elementary school in America.
I went to Akukomo International School and University of Ghana.

Can we look forward to seeing more of you in Nollywood?

Yes, I am really looking forward to doing more of Nigerian production.

After AMAA, you and the other girls went fighting, what went wrong?

I don’t think we fought, till today, I have not spoken to Jackie about the award. When we won AMAA best actress of the year award, I think there was confusion because three people won, the important thing to me is that at least I got an award. There was only one plaque and I had it, I think they sent the rest to the other two and Naa is my very good friend, in fact during the AMAA, I called Naa and I told her we won.

At a point when she hadn’t gotten her own plaque, she used mine to take pictures because we have that relationship, I was in Nigeria and I started hearing stories that Jackie won the award; was I bothered? Not really because at the end of the day I had the award but the breaking point was when my brother called from America and asked are you sure that you won because on all the websites they said Jackie won best actress and Ramsey best actor? I was like I don’t know. When I got to Ghana, it was on Thursday and most showbiz papers come up on Wednesday, on every single paper, Jackie was on the front page as winning best actress.

My name wasn’t mentioned, the other girl’s name wasn’t mentioned. My manager called me and said can you see what is going on? And in all honesty, I wasn’t bothered because probably if they ask her who won the award she will say she won, if they ask me or the other girl, we will say we won because the three of us won but I think it was misinformation and miscommunication, I can’t blame Jackie and I can’t exonerate her too because I was not there when she told people that she won, I don’t know what she told people but clearly the information people got was that she was the only one who had won.

So no one interviewed me after the AMAA, no newspaper, no radio station, and I said okay whatever, for me, the important thing is that I have the award, so I think two weeks later that a newspaper came out with the proper story , so one of the newspapers apologised for not mentioning our names.

The question now came out that who said it was only Jackie? I don’t know if it was Jackie that said it, I don’t know if it was her management, I don’t know, so I am not in the position to say Jackie did this or that. So people tried to create confusion, my manager came out with a statement that we are not bothered with what is going on, the truth always come out so let us just leave it at that and it is true because I can’t go to every station and say, “I also won, please put my name”, so it was misinformation. It is between Jackie and the newspapers, I don’t know who made the mistake, but you know, it already happened, and the important is for that one or two months, I was the only one who had the plaque.

What is you r relationship with Jackie?

I don’t think we have a relationship, she is a colleague, if I want to work with her today, I will work with her, but we are not friends

.Lydia Forson

Eucharia Anunobi, needs no introduction.She is one of the fore-bearers of Nollywood. She has seen it all, as it is said ” She’s seen it, been there and done it. She recently bared her heart to TOPE OLUKOLE of Tribune.

Hear her….

How’s your divorce case going?

We are still in court, but I am sure judgment would be passed soon. So, we take it from there.

Have you found another love?

I can’t think of another man until the first one is all over.

Have you reviewed the qualities of your man?

He’s got to be God-fearing, It is not about being handsome, tall or hardworking. All those ones are necessary but the foundation, the background, when a man has got the fear of God, then he would understand what it means to truly love a woman. That means he will cherish her. And that means he will be by her side through thick and thin; when she grows old, when she grows fat, when she’s sick. So, when a man knows God, he’s a better man. But on the other hand, one needs a man who’s got a job. It’s not about being a millionaire, he must have something he’s doing, so that he can have a sense of belonging, a sense of individuality.

Are men not disturbing you with calls since you are single again?

I haven’t seen them o. Please tell them to come o. Tell them to come very fast, I want them because my God said a woman should not be alone. And a man should not be alone too.

You still look stunning at your age, what has sustained you?

My faith in God. I have absolute faith in God. And when you have faith in God, He will just give you glory all the way.

Apart from God?

I love dancing and I take a lot of water. I am also crazy about fruits. Anybody who knows me will know I love fruits and water.

But some say sex is also good?

There are lots of other things that keep one younger and stronger.

Not sex?

That’s one. It’s a form of exercise. That’s what we know. It is one of the recipes for looking youthful, younger and a great shape for those who can get it.

What’s the hardest part of your job?

It’s when people attribute the role you have done in a movie to your personal life, forgetting that we are doing a make-believe job, that somebody wrote out the story and we are just chosen to act it. On the other hand, I will take it as a credit because it means you’ve done your job very, very well.

What’s the worst thing that has been written about you?

I don’t really put this in mind because I just consider the fact that being in the public eye, whether you like it or not, people would want to write good or bad. As they say, bad news is news and good news is no news.

When you look back, would you say you are living your dream?

Let me put it this way, I won’t say I came into Nollywood to be noticed. I just had the innate desire to do my job. I just found out that when I was small, I loved acting. So, for me, it wasn’t to be known or for material benefit but to make people happy. I remember I used to do comic stuff with my siblings.

I would wear my father’s coat and shoes to act like him or sometimes I would tie my mummy’s headgear and act like her. For now, you can say I am living my dream of entertaining people and being a role model. Then, I haven’t got to the height of my career. So, I am not living my dream completely until we shoot movies that would be accepted internationally more than what we have already.

I am also looking at movies shot with hightech equipment and a lot of money involved. It may be a kind of collaboration of international artistes in Hollywood, only then will I say I am living my dream.

What is the good thing about being an actress?

The fact that it opens doors for you, people appreciate you, you stand above the crowd.

What to you is the greatest problem of Nollywood?

We don’t have the kind of money we need to make the kind of movies we need. I give kudos to those who started the industry out of nothing. Now it has gone beyond them. We need billionaires to come into the industry to do better movies.

The industry will fall if these investors don’t come. It will fall because a lot of criticisms are coming up. People are now looking at scriptwriting, acting, directing and all other aspects of production.

So, you need money to meet up with these challenges. It is no longer what we used to produce. We have international exposure and people are expecting more.

A lot of your colleagues and even younger actresses are going into movies production, what’s delaying you?

Not everybody can be a producer. We are all cut out to do different things. Kudos to those who ventured into some other things. I have other things I am also doing. I have always been into private enterprise, which I don’t have to go about showcasing or talk about so much. For my colleagues, I watch their movies and I am happy for them.

How is your son, Joshua doing?

I thank God. It’s been hectic moving from one hospital to the other. That is why one needs a man to assist.

Ifeoma Nnubia is one lady who knows and does the right application at the right time. That obviously gave her the gracious look.

Ifeoma Nnubia hails from Ozoubulu in Anambra State and studied Public Adminstration, Management Sciences at the Lagos State University (LASU). She spoke with KATE HALIM of The Sun about her private life, admiration forthe late legal icon, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, style and marriage.

Are you married?

I am not, yes, I intend to get married someday. Every woman wants a man who will share her high and low moments with her. I personally will love and respect a man who fears God and sees himself as a human being who is bound to make mistakes, correct them and move on without dwelling on it.

Pressure

Not at all. Even in the Bible there is time for everythng. God has the master plan. I might think I am ready now, but in God’s diary, He knows if I am ready or not. He makes all things beautiful at His time.

Love for Gani Fawehinmi

I had always wanted to be a lawyer. I used to admire them a lot as a child. Again, I love to stand for justice at all times and fight for people who are oppressed. Gani Fawehinmi was and will remain my mentor. If I was a lawyer, I would have been a human rights activist. I could not go in for Law because I had problem with my literature in my WAEC. Though I have have plans of getting a Master’s degree in Law somday.

I also love to be a consultant. My job as apersonal assistant requires my candid opinion on issues which I give with so much satisfaction. I do not intend to stop at this level. I will further my education because I want to be a special adviser to someone in governmet. I think that will be a way of contributing my own quota.

Advice to youths

Life itself is a challenge and sometimes tough. Gone are the days when women are proud to call themselves housewives. Over time I have to work and earn an honest living.
I do not like women who wallow in self pity and living at the mercy of others because their partner died or can no longer play active financial roles in their lives. Life should not be like that. God created us all with hands and legs, wonderful brains to make somathing out of nothing. There is absolutely no reason why women should not be proactive. Whatever support we get from our men we should thank God for that.

The path of success is never tough, we keep digging untill we find gold. Let us put hope and faith in all we do. Be focused and the result will definitely come.

Growing up

I grew up in the East, Enugu precisely. I attended Queen’s School, Enugu, where I spent the better part of my childhood days. Growing up was fun, I was in boarding school, but a lot of time, I went over to spend time with my cousins. It was always a full house.

How do you maintain your body?

I go to the gym once in a while because my working hours are tough. Sometimes I go on light diets, but mostly I watch what I eat as most members of my family are on the plump side.

Favourable fashion piece

Every woman loves fashionable items. You might not have all or have every possible piece. Some prefer clothes, some shoes and handbags. I personally love to look good, and smell good at all times. So my fashion piece will be nicely fitted clothes and nice smelling perfumes.

Present work

I work as personal assistant and secretary to the managing director of BJAY’s hotel. Got the job when a friend told me there was vacancy at the hotel. I applied and got the job.

Assisting rural women

Rural women have diverse problems. Some need financial empowerment, some need guidance, some need someone who can talk to someone who can release something for them. Every empowerment does not entail money. Even some just need a little push while mere teaching can go a long way to see some through.

So it all depends on what that rural woman needs at that point in time. If I come across anyone I can assist in anyway, I will be glad and willing to do it immediately. Putting smile on the face of someone who is in dare need of help is one thing I live for. I hate it when someone I am honest with turns back and stabs me in the back or decides to be dishonest with me. I also hate to put my best in pursuit of something good and get bad and unfavourable result.

SOURCE: The Sun

In this interview with Reporter Gbenga Bada, she talks about her achievements, memories of her late husband, the many controversies and her new areas of concern.

With your constant visits to the Lagoon Restaurant and judging from the fact that it used to be a place you and your late husband are fond of, what memories come to your mind, and do you still miss him?

Of course I miss him dearly. I still miss even my younger brother who died in 1991, let alone my hubby. Don’t let anybody deceive you that time will heal it; it’s all lies. I still miss him and I dearly do but what I do is turn the memories into the good one and bask in the euphoria rather than tearing myself apart by taking it negatively. I have come to love the Lagoon restaurant. The fact that he died there does not change anything. 0I have turned those painful memories into the best of its kind and I bask in the euphoria of the good memories. You see, my husband used to be friends with many of the Lebanese in Lagoon and I have come to love the place that even when I feel like relaxing, I just come over to the place with my friends and we chat and after relaxing, I leave the hangout for home. So, it’s just the ability of one to turn those good memories into a positive force that spurs you on rather than one that makes you cry. But that time heals the loss, is all lies. I still miss my late hubby dearly. One has to move on and that is what I have done and Jaiye lives in my memory.

What was the greatest lesson you learnt from your late husband which you still use today?

That the most important thing in life is life itself! We seem to run after the wrong things but my happiness is that I was with a man who showed me love, taught me the meaning of love and how to appreciate people at all times. And for me, the association of people around me is very important to me though a lot of people take this for granted because of the situation of the country and they don’t get to see and bond with the people they love most. The greatest thing he taught me is appreciating the people you love and cherish most. These lessons are still my watchword till today even after his death. He taught me never to make people make me who they want me to be but to be who I really want to be. Most importantly, he taught me to hold God as the most important factor in life.

You still look ravishing at 31 and after two kids; do men still hit on you?

Well, thank you for the compliment. That has been happening long before now. The fact that I am Stella Damasus has been one thing that has seen many men hitting on me. It’s being there since my childhood days and because I am fair skinned, they have always been around me. They still hit on me even after I became a mother of two. But what can I do? It’s just normal for men to hit on you as a lady and a fair one at that, let alone being on their television screens all the time. It’s normal.

Are there chances of you getting remarried anytime soon?

Well, chances you just said, and that is golden. Human beings cannot determine chances; God has predicted it and only God would determine that. I’m leaving everything in the hands of God as He has determined my fate and knows why I am where I am and why these things happened with me in the centre.

How has life been as a single mother?

It’s being very challenging and you learn everyday. Sometime ago, it would have been a lot easier and better as a single mother, who wasn’t married than a widow cum single mother. It’s not easy to change your lifestyle and make all the decisions yourself, but I always thank God that I married the kind of man that I married. You find out that 80 per cent of the things I do and get are as a result of my late husband’s goodwill. Not because of his wealth or fame but because of the goodwill and reputation and relationship he built with many people over the years before his death. He was a good man and I do not say that because I’m his wife but because it’s just what it is. In a nutshell, it’s another ball game entirely but God has been my pillar of support.

You are no doubt one of the most controversial Nigerian actresses. Would you say you court controversy or people just create one over anything that has to do with you?

Sincerely, I don’t know. For me, I’m not a loud person and I’m not one of those that enjoy attracting publicity to every little thing that they do. You will find out that if I attend any function where I am not working or doing master of ceremony duties, I am always at the back enjoying myself without drawing any attention to myself. If you ask me why people are always talking, writing or wanting to read about me, I would honestly tell you I don’t know because I feel after all these years, I should have become a none issue. But I find out that every little thing I do attracts so much attention and people still want to read. I don’t know the reason for this. As such, I have decided to turn it into something good and to my advantage and I am hoping on this to help me take my programmes to greater heights and be loved just as they love reading about me. But sincerely speaking, I don’t like it. I would rather be happier being listed among 10 best Nigerian female entrepreneurs.

Do these controversies still get to you?

Well, some still do, but most times I get used to it. The most embarrassing one that really got to me recently is the Obat story. I wasn’t down because I felt it was untrue but felt bad because I was hoping I could get a PR job from the firm for an offshoot of my company. Immediately it came out, the people have refused to get back to me. One funny part is that I met with the management of Obat Petroleum and not the owner himself. I can’t tell you what the man really looks like as it is. One other thing that makes these things get to me are my kids, especially my first child, whose eyes are so sharp that she reads everything and anything that has her mother’s pictures on it. The reactions they get from their mates and all that are some of the things that make these things get to me. Aside that, I am used to it.

Why did you start up the Stella Damasus Archives Production outfit?

I have always wanted to do my own thing. Though I started out as an actress learning from other people and the best hands, my ultimate goal has always been to produce my own thing the way I wanted to do it. My vision is to make a statement and change a lot of things and try to add some quality to what we have at hand with the things that I have learnt. So, throughout the period I was learning from the masters, I was also going to school, to get more knowledge and now I know I have gotten to a point that even though I am going to work with other people, I want to start doing my thing because I have realised that it’s not wise to just sit down and criticise other people.

How prepared are you for the task ahead?

I believe I am more than ready and the Nigerian entertainment industry, maybe this is because I am a graduate. I’m not just an actress but an entertainer as well because it’s not all about graduating but also being able to effectively handle the equipments and more. So, I think I’m more than ready to start off but at the same time, you cannot do everything all by yourself because there is a division of specialisation in the duties of each and everyone in the team. So, basically what I do is manage these people and their talents with my knowledge to get a good result.

Are you sure your good grade at the University of Lagos was not a result of favouritism by lecturers?

No, it’s not. In fact, it wasn’t an easy thing for us. The only thing was that the lecturers understood our schedules but aside that, they won’t condone your missing classes or not submitting your assignments or not comporting yourself in the lecture halls. They purposely watch out for you to see if you are going to let stardom get into your head and they are ever ready to deal with you. Femi Brainard and Emeka Oguns were my classmates and they can testify to that. Things that other students would do and go scot-free, we were not able to and as such we got everything we got as a result of our effectiveness and strict academic performance and not favouritism or any other thing. I won’t say I’m extremely brilliant but I know I was good enough to merit my result.

So, what is the Stella Damasus Archives (SDA) Productions all about?

You see SDA is a project that has been in existence for over seven years. It’s a dream that I have long nurtured but is coming into fruition now. I have always nurtured the idea of owning the biggest one-stop entertainment outfit and when I registered the company I included everything in entertainment, television, radio and even print. I wanted a company that could really project the face of Nigeria and tell other people who we really are. It would be involved in the production of reality shows with our own vision, things and styles but of international standard and would be accepted worldwide because the world is now a global village where you do things and consider the effects on others. Something that would affect the lives of other people especially Nigerians all over the world. I have had the opportunity of meeting people all around as a result of several trips outside the country, on the Internet, in school and even during my Nollywood productions. Though I still intend to go back to school to get more of the other things I need.

Who are the major or targeted audience of these programmes and television contents you intend providing?

Our programmes are targeted at the people of the world with more focus on the people of Nigeria. They are not only women-oriented but treat issues that cut across everybody. The truth is that there are a lot of issues surrounding us which many Nigerian women are unable to speak out. One of the programmes, Sisters, is targeted at the female folks alone. A lot of people keep saying the women need to be given a chance in the government. But I say you don’t need to be in government to make that needed change. As a woman, worker, housewife, entrepreneur or whatever, I strongly believe your voice can be heard. Aside that, there are programmes for children, men, style and many more. My idea is to provide something that catches your fancy whoever you are. Many don’t believe in these things I am explaining and they say, ‘Stella, you are a big dreamer.’ But I look at them and say, ‘yes I can, I would do it and I am going to do it because I have already started doing it.’

We are set to go but all we need and are working on right now are marketers and sponsors to invest in these programmes and get it all started. I have continually gathered content and I was thinking I would kick off in the first quarter of this year but I am no longer going to do that. It took me several years to start this good thing and I don’t want to come out and make people say, ‘oh is this all she was bragging about? It’s just one of the regulars.’

I believe if I gather more content from now till March and do my groundwork, by the second quarter, the programme would be set to go.

What is to be expected of your show?

Mine is not like a talk show or anything that has to do with studio audience like many have expected. Though a lot of people I have been working with have been saying it might get to that point but I am saying that mine is not a talk show because most of the things I am doing are experiential show and not a reality TV show or what is obtainable in the normal talk show. Most of the time I will be talking to people and the audience would be experiencing people through me. They would feel, see and experience all that I am experiencing. So, it’s not a talk show for me, it’s something that has been in me and would be experienced by the Nigerian viewing audience and others all over the world.

What are the immediate challenges?

The challenges are enormous but we thank God. The first is that of harnessing all the people and resources together to get the company to kick off. I used to think it was easy getting a programme done, but I have since realised that it isn’t easy getting many things done even the smallest of all things needs lot of reasoning and consideration to get it done. However, the greatest challenge is financing this project. I mean, as huge as it is, you have to do a lot of marketing works and convincing to make sponsors take to it.

It is believed that if your late husband were to be alive, your musical career would have blossomed better than it is now. How true is this?

When he was around, we both concentrated on his album and the band, which he floated, we didn’t focus on my music career because I just have the voice and at that time, he was the one that knew more about show business. I only concentrated on my acting career and this was because I strongly believed if you didn’t know about something, you don’t need to go into it because everybody is going into it, but he did and all I did was sing with him. I didn’t understand the business like he did because it is more than just singing, it involves more. It is easy doing a track or two or shooting a video in South Africa, which I can, but after that what next? I’m taking my time so as to go into it when the time is right because I don’t want to juggle too many things together. My husband and I registered one record label that he wanted to come out on and that one is still there but I want this to pick up so that when I come out with my own music people would know that I know and understand what I am venturing into. The only thing I can do is probably a single or a four track album, which will be intended solely to inspire people and not commercial since I am not ready to handle that at the moment. I’m not just ready yet.

You have been spotted at several places and hangouts singing after your husband’s death. Why this when you know you are not ready?

The thing is there is a big difference between a performing artiste and a recording artiste. Dede Mabiaku is a performing artiste and has remained so, performing at several occasions but has still not released an album. Maybe, when it’s time he would. For me, I have always loved playing with the band, I love the band and we felt we needed a regular hangout but after becoming a mother I felt it was time I slowed down and I perform at hangouts but I had to take my children into consideration, my lifestyle changed. For a performer, all you do is attend the function, play for few hours and off you go but for a recording artiste, it’s much more than that. It comes with a lot of responsibilities, which I am not ready for.

How do you cope with your kids, who are fast growing up?

First of all I thank and give praise to my God. God knows why I have those children, God knows why I am a single parent and God knows why He has put all these business and ideas into my head. One thing many people don’t know is that I have a priority list, which takes me through everyday. My scale of preference and important things are held in high esteem. Once I am able to spend quality time with my children and most importantly get involved in their lives and this includes their school works and other things because I know that I have to take care of them and always give them the best. I don’t see what I do as work because it is something I am passionate about. I don’t feel it when I work; rather I take the care and nurturing of my children very important. Because I know I can’t do it alone, I designate people to do one or two things for me in my line of duty, but for my children, I get directly involved.

SOURCE: Independent Online

Why do you want to bring Buster Ryhmes to Nigeria?

It is a fact that when Buster Rymes performed in Lagos the other time, his performance was outstanding. I can confirm to you that there was no dull moment. He is somebody with so many hits. Everybody was asking for more. Actually we had it in mind to work with Akon, but we realised that Akon will suit a place like Bayelsa, but that is not now. There is a difference between Buster Rymes and Akon. Buster Rymes will be able to communicate better at this show. We went on a tour in East Africa and people were asking us to tell them about the situation in the Niger Delta. They always ask us what we are doing about the problems in the Niger Delta. It is really disturbing. It is not like what you people see on TV. Out there, they believe that once any white person arrives at the airport, kidnappers will pick him up.

Are there no chances that this foreign artiste could walk away without performing, like Anita Baker did in Nigeria recently?

I don’t think so. I am not ready to tell you what we have in the contract, but I tell you, Buster Rhymes is coming to Asaba, Delta State by the end of this month. There is a TV footage where he publicly said he was coming to Nigeria. If he doesn’t come, his own credibility will be at stake. Each time we perform outside the country, we always make sure we do a TV footage where we announce publicly that we would be coming to that country.

Apart from Buster Ryhmes, which other artistes will be performing?

We have Timaya, AY, Alaye from the UK, Black Solo and 2shotz.

You guys are popular. But don’t you think the N5,000 fee will be too much for people who would want to come for the show?

If it is taking place in Lagos, we will be talking of N20,000. The last time we had a P Square concert in Asaba, we made it N3,000 and the crowd was too much. I am talking about the concert that we had before the release of our current album. Now, we believe that if we make it the same thing, the crowd will be uncontrollable. With Buster Ryme, we are trying to control the crowd by charging N5000. We know the show is for everybody, but the fees will help us to check the turnout.

Are you guys not thinking of doing a ‘collabo’ with other foreign artistes?

Why not? That is the dream of every artiste. There are so many questions surrounding the idea of a collabo between P Square and other artistes. We don’t do our own things the way people go about theirs. We don’t begin to make noise without first doing our homework.

Do you think your current album is as successful as the last one?

Why not? I remember that we toured eight countries in Africa with the Get Squared album. But with the Game Over album, we have been to these countries back-to-back, and an extra nine. The only place left for us to conquer are the four northern African countries: Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. By the time we play in these countries, we are done with Africa.

How was the acceptance at the places you have been to?

Apart from acceptance, and I am not blabbing, I can confidently tell you that we are the biggest in Africa. You see, everybody says Nigeria is big, but nobody knows what is happening outside.

So, the show is an opportunity to give back to the society?

Exactly. It is not that we are doing a charity show or something like that, but to at least make people come together and let them know that what is happening is affecting the image of the country outside.

How many copies of your current album have been sold?

In Nigeria, people don?t believe in paying royalty. What we do is a kind of projection: ‘Okay, since the last one sold seven million plus, this one is projected to sell 10 million…’ What we do is that we strike a deal in Nigeria, go to Ghana and strike another deal, then to Gabon, Liberia, Tanzania, Uganda. Here in Nigeria, we have Tjoe, in Ghana, we have another person. In every country, there are different people we work with. What we did for the album in Nigeria was that we calculated how much 10 million copies was worth and the marketer paid us straight away. That is how we do our business. That is why you can never hear any story anywhere that P-Square is ‘dragging’ anything with any marketer. The album sold a million copies in four days; that is the audio. But the surprising part of it is that the day we released the video, the guy printed just 1.5 million copies and sold all the same day. That is Nigeria.

How come people read suggestive meanings to the lyrics of Do Me?

We are asked the same question not only here in Nigeria but in other places. But we know that when we say, ‘do me and I do you’ in Nigeria, it means tit for tat. The explanation we give is that in Nigeria, there is what we call do me and I do you, God no go vex. It is not suggestive at all.

In the Do Me video, you have a crowd of girls. Yet I learnt the video was not shot in Nigeria. How did you come about such a crowd outside Nigeria?

You see, when we wanted to do the video in South Africa, we met different agencies who came with different albums of the girls they had. We then decided to take ten girls from each agency. But what happened was that, immediately the girls heard that P-Square was in town for the video project, they all wanted to feature in it. We said we would pay those that we selected and told the agencies that the rest was their business. That was why the video looks very crowded. But it was nice.

I never thought you could speak so well, considering the fact that you didn’t finish your education before you became famous?

Yeah, I was in school then, at the University of Abuja. But at the same time, we were battling with parents who wanted us to finish school before doing music. God made things possible for us, because if at the end we hadn’t made it, we would have had ourselves to blame. We give God all the glory, because as soon as we finished school, within two weeks, we started achieving our dreams.

Does your fame seem overwhelming at times?

It happens often; not here in Nigeria, but outside. We have just returned from a concert in East Africa, and it is amazing that even Jay-Z and other artistes that had been to the place did not get a quarter of the crowd that we got. I would play the video for you guys before you leave. The reason we decided to take Soundcity along with us was, so that when we talk, there would be proof. For the first time, you are going to see a DVD of P Square’s tour covering 19 countries in Africa, excluding Nigeria. And it is going to be like five minutes of each country. You will see how we live outside Nigeria and how we are accepted. You see, some people are big in Nigeria but they are not known outside. I can tell you that apart from Tuface, no other person is as popular in these countries as P Square, I am not trying to be immodest.

Are you satisfied with the height you have attained or are you still aiming higher?

No, we are not satisfied. It is not all about making money at shows. We are supposed to be making more money from sales. We don?t do proper packaging here. In Tanzania and Kenya, a CD is sold for $7, whereas in Nigeria, it is less than a dollar. But you see, in Nigeria, we sell more because of population. That is the difference. If we can sell over there what we sell in Nigeria, forget it. We are trying to do things according to international standards for Nigerians to know that there is no difference between us and Jay-Z or any other person outside. People tend to do whatever P Square is doing, like the good video. What we keep kicking against is bringing in foreign artistes and paying them a lot of money. What stops you from bringing in about five artistes and pairing each of them with five local artistes? Put it in the contracts of those guys; they will accept it. That is what we want to prove; you can bring in an artiste and still be in charge of the artiste.

Apart from natural talent, what else do you owe your success to?

It is our brother, Jude, who is our manager. He has studied the industry. He knows everything that goes on in the industry. Jude is a very strict disciplinarian. You cannot say you want to go to the club. You can’t try it. You don’t go anywhere here without two or three people asking you what you are going there to do and why another person cannot go for you. That is how we live. There is serious discipline in this house. You don’t see people trooping in here anyhow; it is not possible.

Why is he doing that?

He is more mature and he knows more about the industry. He knows that people are watching. You hear that somebody went to the club and fought and all that, Jude doesn’t allow that. He says whatever you want to do, do it at home. You want to drink? Drink here. You want to go crazy, do it here. You want to play music and make noise, do it here; not anywhere else.

Do you have other siblings?

We do, but we are the last boys in the family. We have an elder sister and the last girl.

How would you describe the family?

It is strong and loving. There is nothing they do in the family without contacting Peter and Paul. Like the house we are planning to build, they made like three sketches and everybody agreed that whatever Peter and Paul said would be the final.

Do you disagree or argue with your twin brother?

It is a normal thing. But, you see, we only do that when we are at home. We don’t go outside and misbehave. Sometimes in the house, we argue and disagree, especially when we are working on a project. That is why inside the house, we are Peter and Paul, but outside the gates, we are P Square.

But outside, you don?t normally dress the same way or wear the same hairstyle?

There was a time Peter was dating a twin and her twin sister expected me to date her, but I didn’t like that. Later, I began to create a different appearance. He cut his hair and I grew dreadlocks. He goes to the gym, but I don?t. I just want that difference between Peter and Paul. That was why Peter was more in the papers; that he was seen with this girl or with that girl. At least, people will not have difficulty in identifying who they see. Whenever something goes wrong, I want people to be able to identify who was involved: is it the one that has (well built) body or the one with the dreadlocks? I just want people to know the difference between Peter and Paul when it comes to looks.

Your mum appears more visible than your dad. What happened?

Our mum is more visible because of the nature of the job she does. She is more of a public person too because she is a preacher; she has a ministry. But my dad is not. My dad does not like anything that has to do with publicity. But my mum controls people. She speaks in public and people listen to her.

If you have a mother who is a gospel person, why have you not considered doing gospel music?

Yeah, there is something you do and God has His own way. There is something my mum always says, ‘Look, God is giving you guys this opportunity because He is preparing you for something.’ I might not know. Maybe she knows. What I know is that I am doing music to make people happy. I don’t preach sex. I want people to leave their bad ways and think about something positive. We are supporting her in her work and she is there praying for us.

Despite the beautiful picture you painted, there are still some scandals trailing P Square?

That is why we have Peter and we have Paul. No scandal can follow me. I am not saying I am perfect. There are people who cannot control stardom; especially my twin brother, he has that stardom ‘thing’ in him. At times, he loses it, but our manager tries as much as possible to let him realise the implications.

What of this story that you were robbed recently in Cameroun?

Nothing like that happened. We are going to Cameroun for the first time, next week. We just came back from Sierra Leone. If you say we were mobbed, I would agree. We were treated as big stars in the country where a big crowd came out to welcome us, old and young. There was a serious traffic to the extent that the police had to release some shots into the air. We were not robbed but mobbed.

How do you handle girls who would want to get attached to you by all means?

One way or the other, we make them realise that we have our own girlfriends. But I don’t think that is working any more. When you tell them you have a girlfriend, that is when they come even harder, believing they can compete and win. The one that is happening now, which is worse, is that when we are performing, about six or seven girls will be showing us their underwears. It is no longer funny. There are different ways girls try to attract us, but I wish they understand that we too are human. We have our own differences and our life. But we appreciate them, because we cannot do without them.

Are you currently dating someone?

Yeah, I am dating. I have been dating the same person since I was in school.

You are still seeing the same person?

Why not? It gives me the opportunity to remain focused and in control. If you have a girlfriend, no matter the pressure from others, you are somehow stabilised.

Can you tell us her name?

I am not afraid to say it; her name is Anita.

Is she a known person?

No, she is not in the public.

You don’t appear arrogant like people think P Square is?

That is what we are saying. In life, it is not everybody that likes you, no matter what you do. There are some people who would want to pull you down or spoil your name. I keep telling people that it is when you come close to us that you know the type of people we are. We even advise fellow artistes. You know there are some who you can predict where they are at a particular time, especially clubs or joints; we don’t do that. We don’t shout outside because of where we grew up, in Jos, which is a very quiet place where everyone minds their business.

You are here talking to us as a perfect gentleman and yet you go wild on stage. Do you take stuff to do that?

This is Paul sitting. It is P Square that is on stage. That is what happens. I don’t take stuff. What happens is that we love performing and dancing. The reason why people misbehave outside is that they don’t separate their private lives from their public lives. We get on stage and go crazy, but after that, we are normal. We get on stage and see no one in particular.

The other time I spoke with your mum, she expressed confidence that you would still come back to work for God?

Mum always believes that I am going to become a pastor, but that is too late now. She knows, however, that what we are doing is a positive thing for humanity.

What more should we expect from P Square?

We are working on our packaging. There is something in Nigeria, which we don’t see whenever we go outside. We only say we are giants but we are not organised. Outside Nigeria, no radio or television station will play my song without paying me royalty. You could crosscheck that on the computer. Do you think NTA will pay me for playing my song? Imagine some companies using my songs to launch their products without striking a deal with me.

Where do you see yourself and Anita in a few years?

I don’t know. Only God can decide that.

P SQUARE : Do ME

SOURCE: The Punch

Related Links:

P SQUARE at NMA 2008

Ever since Mercy Johnson came into limelight about four years ago after staring in the movie ‘The Maid’, life, as they say it, has never been the same for her. The ordinary girl with a dream, as she likes to call herself, is now big; in fact beyond the shores of Nigeria. Just before she added yet another year to her age Thursday, Mercy spoke with SAMUEL OLATUNJI on her life and about the appellation – sexiest actress in Nollywood.

People refer to you as the sexiest actress in Nollywood. Do you actually think you are?

No! Every woman is sexy in her own way. I’ll just say I’m okay.

What defines a sexy woman?

I think being sexy is not all about beauty. It’s not about exposing yourself unnecessarily. Being sexy is a personal thing. It’s what a particular person portrays in everything she does. Someone might have a sexy way of talking, or a sexy way of appealing to people. A woman appeals to people in different ways. Being sexy in itself is large. You can’t quantify it.

How is it with you and negative report?

For sometime now, it’s really been frustrating. I guess some people are really trying to frustrate me. But I think it’s just a small price to pay for what I get. It’s a little price to pay for everything I get as Mercy Johnson. The negative side is alarming and heart-breaking, but the positive side still carries much weight.

Is it also true that you cut your hair to further portray the much-talked-about sexy looks?

The movie I did for Desmond Elliot was the major reason I cut my hair. It was strictly for the movie.

People call you rave of the moment in the movie industry. How does it feel to carry that tag?

The industry is just too wide for competition. It is a place people come in and keep coming in and your footprint is still there. It’s extremely large. You just can’t have all the fans. You can be the hottest thing happening but you can’t be everything to everybody. Everybody has his or her fans. I’ll say I’m doing well, but not the rave of the moment.

How often do you go on location?

Every week. I’m on set every week. But I’m taking a break for now, so I can look fresh before I travel.

Where are you traveling to?

I’m going on tour of the whole of Europe to meet my fans.

That is a lot of money for you, isn’t it?

God is good (laughs)!

Would you have still been fulfilled if you weren’t an actress?

I think it takes more than luck to make the right choice. I believe in faith and redemption and I believe in myself. It’s not about being an actress. I said earlier that if I wasn’t an actress. I would have loved presenting. I think I still would have been fulfilled because fulfillment is just about doing the right thing well and getting to the apex of your assignment.

Are you in any relationship now?

Mmm… yes!

Between your relationship and your career, which comes first?

It will be my relationship.

So your relationship can cause you to stop being an actress?

There are certain stages you get to and you take some things more seriously. We’re not in the western world. This is Africa, and this is an environment where you need to regard people more than accomplishment. And when I say relationship, I don’t mean boyfriend and girlfriend relationship alone. It means that if I get married today, my marriage comes first. My relationship comes before my career. But right now it is your seriousness that gets you to that point. It’s just like you’re asking me which is going to be more important between my kids and my work; it’s going to be my kids.

Is your boyfriend not complaining about media reports on you?

He complains once in a while because you people can actually split a home atimes. He complains and we quarrel once in a while about some write-up he reads. But, above all, he understands.

With your busy schedule, does that mean it’s a good-bye to Lagos State University (LASU)?

No, I am not saying good-bye to LASU.

So, what’s going to happen to LASU?

I’m still schooling, though it’s not been easy at all.

But I learnt you deferred your study, how true?

Yes, but I’m going to resume fully next session.

Are you sure you will have time to be serious in school?

Yes, I’m going to be serious.

I read recently that you had a carry-over or some problems with lecturers in school. What actually went wrong?

It’s normal for a student to have problem in school, I don’t know why people keep writing unnecessary things. I don’t know why my own should be so obvious. Why can’t they report good things that I do? It’s only the bad things that happen that they get to say.

What does love mean to you?

Love is respect. Love is commitment. Love is being there when it matters most. Love is putting your loved ones first. It’s sacred.

What does your boyfriend do?

He’s not really a press person. He is abroad.

Why is everybody dating someone abroad, are we guys here not up to the task?

It’s not about you selecting people, it’s about the person that comes to you and flows with you. You can’t go for what doesn’t want you; you go for what wants you.

For how long have you been dating?

Almost three years now.

How does he feel when he hears about your stuffs that are supposed to be under wraps being discussed in public?

Sometimes he calls me and says guess where I am and I would say work. He’ll then say people are talking about your hips. But most times we just laugh over it.

How often do you guys see?

We see very often. Whenever I travel, we see. Whenever he’s around, we see. He’s usually around; he’s even around at the moment because of my birthday which is on the 28th of August.

How old will you be then?

Why would you want me to tell you that? So that in ten years, you people can say she’s going to be sixty.

For how long have you been in Nollywood?

Let me say four to five years.

Who introduced you to Nollywood?

A very good friend of mine, his name is Oscar Ray.

Which was your first movie?

The title of my first movie is The Maid.

Is acting all you want to do?

No, acting is not all I want to do. I have lots of things I want to do. I really love to do something that’ll enable me give back to society that has given me the chance and has made me somebody. I was just a little girl with nothing but a dream. So, every time I see girls that are in my former condition, it really make me wants to reach out.

Have you ever had a nasty encounter with a fan?

One happened at a parking lot when I was traveling to Benin. I had gone to the car to pick up my things. While I was doing that, someone just bumped on me and was like, ‘Oh! I like your films, and can I get a hug’. And then I consented. But to my utmost amazement the guy kissed me.

I wish I was in the guy’s shoes (general laughter). So what happened after the kiss?

Well, I was extremely surprised and just had to let go.

What can you say about the rumour of you and Rukky Sanda fighting over D’banj?

I don’t really know what to say about that. I’ve never met D’banj before and don’t even know what he looks like. And I don’t know Rukky.

Your boyfriend is in Spain and you’re in Nigeria. What do you do those times you need that irresistible romantic touch?

We speak a lot on phone and we’re extremely close despite the distance.

Can telephone conversations substitute for the real thing?

Yeah! Closeness in any form, as long as you talk all the time. Communication makes you feel closer.

What happens to sexual temptation?

(Laughs). What’s the meaning of that? Common, Fimi sile jo (please leave me alone).

What do you do when you’re tempted?

I’m never tempted at all.

Even a saint like me gets tempted sometimes.
You never told me you’re a saint, Samuel.

What was it like the first time you were in bed with a man?

No comment (laughs)!

Source: The Sun News Online

Emeka Mba

As part of efforts to make the newly inaugurated distribution policy popular, Mr. Emeka Mba, Director General of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), recently paid a courtesy visit to the corporate headquarters of The Sun Publishing Limited, Kirikiri, Apapa, Lagos.

Mba, during his visit, spoke on a wide range of issues, especially the controversial framework distribution policy, his challenges at the board, how he intends moving the motion picture industry forward and many more.

Why NFVCB is visiting The Sun
The SUN has deepened the newspaper business in Nigeria. Of all the papers that I have seen, yours is the only one that has helped and engaged the people and I really want to congratulate the management and staff for doing an excellent job and I pray that the paper will continue to do a lot more. The NFVCB is an agency under the Federal Ministry of Information and Communications.

Essentially, the board was set up by an act in 1993, as a regulatory agency for the film and video industry in Nigeria. As our name implies, we do the censorship of films, classification of films as well as licensing of cinemas, retailers, exhibitors among many others. We are about 15 years old. Part of our visit is to begin a new phase with the management and staff of The SUN and also to thank you for your media support since inception. You have helped in the promotion of our issues and courses and have also challenged us especially when you feel we are not getting it right sometimes.

We have been in Lagos for a few days now and visiting media houses. We are here to explain some of the programmes and initiatives of the board, especially in the last three years, since I joined the board. Chief of this initiative is the Nigeria, In The Movies Project, which actually seeks to promote a lot more responsibility in film making by our filmmakers. We believe that the idea of censorship in a digital age is an uphill task. And without the active participation of filmmakers and the citizenry, it would be impossible for us to make progress. It’s also aimed at creating a channel of empowerment for people within the industry and also help give it structure. Also to help lend our efforts to the fight against piracy and generally promote the cause of good society through what we do at the Censors Board. We have also launched the media literacy programme. We have also launched the Nollywood Interactive with NACA, to fight the dreaded HIV/AIDS.

We want to promote ideals that are beneficial to the industry, using our film industry. We believe that the media, which the film industry is a central part of, can help reshape and redefine and also help change our attitudes as a people. We need the media to become an active player in the growth of our nation. And The SUN being one of the most influential papers in the market of mass media, it would be a big plus for us to join it in this initiative. We will cherish the relationship that we will begin to build from this day.

State’s Censors Boards
Under the current constitution that we operate, censorship is on the concurrent list, meaning that both state and federal government can operate simultaneously. It’s an issue that is quite worrisome to the industry. At the moment, there are issues going on in Kano State. The same constitution also says that states should remain in abeyance, when there is a clash with the federal. We are seeking to get a judicial interpretation from the office of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.

The National Assembly has also waded in. We believe we are not a federal film agency, but a national one. We also have zonal offices within the six-geo political zones. We have also set up zonal consultative groups, for stakeholders within that group to participate in our activities. Our offices are in Kano, Onitsha, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Bauchi and Jos and of course, Abuja. Hopefully, with the review of the constitution that we are looking forward to, we will be able to clarify the mode of operation. Its a fight for all of us in the media and creative industry.

Censorship in a Democracy
We are preaching the idea of responsibility now. If one is trained as a film maker and has the higher sense of responsibility, it’s much more likely that he would produce good films. Very soon, our role would be centered on classification and providing the information for people to make decisions. Today, there is no US film that would not reflect the country’s national flag. That’s not censorship, but responsibility and professionalism. Meanwhile, children now have more access to the Internet and there is porno and others. I agree that the word censorship is almost obnoxious, but there has to be regulation. The better word should be regulation not censorship.

Censors Board and Pornography
I must confess that part of our responsibilities is to deal with the issue of pornography. It is also an issue for the wider society to tackle. Over the last three years, we have actually had what we call the National Anti- Pornography Task Force. We have also taken a more strategic stand in dealing with major producers and suppliers of pornographic materials. Our surveillance teams are currently working. We will soon begin an anti pornography campaign. We are also soliciting the help of the media in this direction.

This is why we insisted that everyone, who is retailing films in Nigeria, must be covered, we must know who you are, where you operate and where you get your supply from. The law or act on this issue is clear. We are currently creating the database of the operators. This year alone, we have arrested more than 30 persons and some of them are still standing trials. Its a big challenge and all of us at the board are determined to continue unbent. Though, we can’t work effectively without structure, we are happy that the number of those who are complying with the framework is now greater than those who have not. The doors are still open and the forms are available in all our offices.

Why some Marketers Refused to Register
It is not popular among marketers who have been milking the system. And they also will lose out now that we are democratizing the system. Several marketers have registered, OJ and Ulzee, are among them. For championing this noble cause, I have received several threat text messages.

Big Brother Controversy
Every agency of government has its turf. The Big Brother show is under the National Broadcasting Commission, (NBC). If the content were to come in the form of a tape, VCD or package, it would then fall within our jurisdiction. It’s an interesting issue and NBC is on top of it, they have set conditions for the organizers.

Net worth of Nollywood
It is difficult to speak on any form of accuracy on the net worth of the industry. I can give what we considered to be the estimates; based on what Leke Alder did, using the economic stimulus index. Probably, a statistical analysis of between 250 and 300 million dollars on an annual basis. We are currently doing the baseline survey of the Nigerian entertainment and creative industry in collaboration with HITV. This will help us make an informed investment decision. We have told all marketers to engage lawyers and accountants for the benefit of their businesses, but they are kicking against it. We have also told them to get insurance cover for their creative works, so that it can be valued. This can even help them access loans from the banks. We are also not fighting anybody. We believe in lifting people. We are not out to chase anybody out. This form is online and accessible any where, because the train is moving very fast.

Going back to the Cinemas
All these things point to the perception of a very disorganized film industry. People are afraid to make investment decisions.
They are scared of making elevated investments. There has to be confidence in the environment. It costs a lot making celluloid films and it also requires a lot. We are recording and not yet filming in the industry. What our producers do now is what I call point and shoot.

Censoring a Movie
We look at essentially five thematic materials whenever a film is submitted for censorship, mainly in the areas of context and impact. We censor sex, nudity, violence, drugs and imitable techniques. But the key is context and how the movies impact on the audience. The officers are trained to follow these criteria. And a filmmaker that is not satisfied with our decisions can appeal. some of our responsibilities are training and empowerment, thus bridging the ignorance gap. We need to have more informed and properly trained filmmakers; if we must maintain our position in the global film hierarchy, otherwise we will be a laughing stock. For example, rituals in movies have dropped. We are also organizing script workshops with professionals being invited.

The Way forward
I will speak in terms of my expectations, in the sense that we look forward to a better-structured industry within the next year. We would also begin to see better movies, a lot more investments in the industry. Even the people currently agitating, I expect that they would soon realize the benefits of what they are fighting. Remember when Soludo started the banking reforms, those who kicked against it are now reaping bountifully today and also celebrating and giving him awards everywhere.

Source: The Sun News Online

Prince Bubacarr Sankanu:

Be-Rich-Quick Mentality Ruining Nigeria’s Home Video Sector – B. Sankanu

How come you came up with this concept?

The idea of a serious name has been with me since 2004 when I first discovered the Nigerian home video industry. I subsequently visited Nigeria on several occasions to personally study the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the Nigerian video film sector. My last visit was in March of this year. During the visits, I posed as an innocent research student in order to get an unbiased first hand information on the happenings in Idumota, Alaba International Market, Ibadan, Enugu, Kano, Jos, Abuja, Aba and other melting pots. As I am preparing to set up new operations in Nigeria by the end of this year 2008, I decided to float this re-branding project for the Nigerian motion pictures sector to, among others, officially introduce myself as the new kid (Johny just come) in town. Though I have been in the shadows since 2004.

Do you think the affected industries would want to make a change to the names you’ll eventually choose?

Who is the custodian of the names Kannywood, Nollywood or Nothingwood? Has any of the Nigerian stakeholders’ associations officially endorsed Nollywood as the ultimate industry brand? Looking at the phenomenal story of the Nigerian home video industry, I am very optimistic that stakeholders will embrace this re-branding initiative. Right now there is a lot of euphoria, but once things reach the point of diminishing returns, stakeholders would scout for lasting solutions. Now people are singing “Nollywood”, “Kannywood” and they care the least about the underlying challenges as they are smiling into the banks and zooming around town in flashy cars. But as the going gets gradually tough, they would realise that their old ways of celebrating the “nothingwood” glamour were not sustainable and they would look for serious brands and launchpads to see them through the hard times that would surely come, sooner or later.

As progressive thinkers we must understand that the showbiz and creative arts industry is dynamic. Those who resist progressive transformation would go extinct. The stakeholders have been talking about “sanitizing” the industry since some of the challenges they are facing caught them unprepared. The Nigerian Federal Government through parastatals like the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and the Nigeria Film Corporation (NFC) is doing a wonderful job in responding to the needs of the industry. The new distribution framework of Mr. Emeka Mba and his Censors Board team and, the various projects of the NFC are galvanising the sanitization process. My re-branding (names and logos) project falls within this context of sanitizing and taking the Nigerian home video industry to the next level. Once the hype subsides and once stakeholders start realising that “nollywood” means “nothingwood,” they would not feel good about associating themselves with nothing. But as I said, we live in a free world and those who feel they are happy with “nothing wood” are free to keep the name “nollywood.” Those who feel they need to move on to the next level with seriously unique brands are free to join us. There is room for everyone in a Nigeria of 140 million people and in an Africa of over 600 million consumers.

I will continue to cooperate with the passionate stakeholders who are not infected with the “be-rich-quick” disease. For this “be-rich-quick” mentality is ruining Nigeria’s home video sector and I would not like to be part of the quickie games. Someone produced a movie at 1.2 million Naira and wanted to sell it to me at 2 million Naira even though the quality was terrible. This is just one of the many ridiculous first hand lessons I have been learning about the home video system since 2004. During my research, I also learned that once some actors and actresses hit the headlines, they would automatically think of becoming producers or musicians “to make more money.” A director would like to become a producer and marketer “to make more money.” A marketer or executive producer would force a particular actor/actress on a project “because the face sells movies.” Artistic statement, qualitative message delivery and cinematographic aesthetics are subsequently thrown into the dustbin. This obsession with quick money and 100% return on investment is strangulating creativity. There is nothing wrong in people exploring their potentials but this short-term emphasis on “money, money, money” scares away potential partners with medium to long-term plans. I know money is important but we must not mortgage our creative souls to the gods of money. We need to create a working balance between financial satisfaction, socio-cultural responsibly, creative freedom and self-fulfillment.

Money is not everything in life. Many people who are jumping into the nollywood bandwagon with the aim of becoming millionaires overnight are burning their fingers. The home video sector, like any other industry, will continue to correct itself (through roller coaster trends, bubble bursting) and only stakeholders with passion and long-term strategies can survive the hard times. Besides, there are many other career opportunities behind the camera as the value chain of a standard movie project provides employment for up 235 different professionals. People need to look beyond the limelight.

The disappointing sojourns of some Nigerian actors/actresses into music and other creative segments should serve as lessons for those trying to enter the creative economy for quick money. A successful actor/actress is not necessarily a successful musician or designer and vice versa. Rappers 50 Cent and Eminem might appear on movies but that does make them the better Samuel L Jacksons or Denzel Washingtons. Will Smith might record songs but that does not make him the better Michael Jackson. Sean Combs (P. Diddy) might design cloths but that does make him the better Dolce & Gabbana. Beyoncé Knowles might appear on movies but that does not necessarily make her the better Halle Berry. Naomi Campbell might be a supermodel but that does not make her a super movie actress or pop star. Pop diva Madonna is a good music artiste but her sojourns into acting and film making have so far proven to be mediocre. There are many “superstar wannabes” in the Nigerian home video and creative industry who are insisting on running before mastering how to walk on two legs. It is natural for people to explore their multitasking potentials but they should honestly assess their capabilities before claiming to be multi-talents or superstars, otherwise they would end up eating grass. Show business is brutal. I will join the passionate Nigerian stakeholders in discovering and establishing natural skills without much tam-tam. People can always specialise and make good living without risking too much as jacks of all trades and masters of none.

How do you hope on achieving this?

Through dialogue and cooperation with all open-minded, progressive and sincere stakeholders. Now that I have privately visited and studied the Nigerian video film industry, I have gathered enough bargaining incentives to join the stakeholders on win-win ventures. I will always listen to stakeholders first before presenting them my ideas of mutual benefits. As a case in point of my all-inclusive agenda, Nigerian stakeholders will be commissioned as jurors to select the best names and logo entries. The selected names and logos will be protected by the Copyright Laws of Nigeria and Germany and would only be used by stakeholders who accept our Codes of Conducts. The Nigerian stakeholders will effectively choose the names and draw the Codes while I serve as referee. We will incorporate the “African Cinematographic and Performing Arts Council Ouagadougou (ACPACO)” in Nigeria to serve as custodian and administrator of the new names. ACPACO will check and punish all kinds of abuses as we would never compromise quality content and Nigerian creativity through the new names. We will also create an “Africana Academy of Creative Arts and Sciences (AACAS)” to among others, complement the activities of the Nigeria Film Institute (NFI) and the National Film and Television Institute of Ghana (NAFTI) in training the “be-rich-slow” passionate talents.

Who and who do you have in mind of drafting as members of the jury?

Right know we are short-listing the potential jurors. We will be sending invitation letters to all parastatals and trade unions with stakes in the Nigerian video film industry by the end of this year. Entities like the NFC, NFVCB, the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the Nation Assembly/Senate Committees on Information and Media, the NTA, AIT, Yotomi TV, the Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (ANTP), Nigerian Actors’ Guilds, Directors’ Guilds, the marketers, the producers, the independent operators, the Yoruba, the Hausa, the Igbo practitioners associations, entertainment journalists, film critics, among others, will be invited to nominate representatives for the panels of judges.

When would it be constituted?

We plan to launch the first flagship top level name and logo during the 2009 Zuma Film Festival in Abuja. The jury will be constituted during the first quarter of 2009. We are giving the fans the chance to make their name and logo suggestions before we bring the practitioners together for the jury work.

Are you a Nigerian? If not, where are you from?

For now all I can say is that I am a black African from West Africa. I am not a Nigerian but I feel Nigerian by heart. I have been a fan of Nigeria since my school days. Professor Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe helped me discover the Nigerian in me through their literary masterpieces. During one of our school graduations, I was selected to perform the abridged stage adaptation of “Things Fall Apart.” I believe in the Pax Nigeriana for, the Africans Renaissance and socio-economic integration cannot take place without a strong relevant Nigeria. Despite the negative image of Nigeria and the contemporary challenges, I believe the sleeping giant of Africa will wake up one day just like India and China. The Africa-wide and Diaspora impacts of the Nigerian home video industry justify my “fanatic” support of, and believe in, Nigeria. If I die, I would like to be buried in Nigeria! One of my elder brothers made my “Nigerianization” easier by marrying a beautiful Yoruba lady and by relocating his business interests from Thailand to Nigeria!

What is your stake in this exercise?

I am an international producer and distributor of African and World Cinema. I would like to see the Nigerian video film earn the respect it deserves worldwide. Currently some people are saying Nigeria is the world’s third largest film industry after Hollywood and Bollywood. This claim constitutes blatant exaggeration and self-deception. Nigeria is a video producing nation and not yet a film producing one. The structures that makes a film industry are nascent in Nigeria; they need time and not hype to grow organically. If we are to talk about the third or fourth largest film industry in the world, we need to first look at the happenings in South Korea, South-East India, The Philippines, Hong Kong or Shanghai before reaching any conclusion. Nigeria deserves to be called the World’s Number One Home Video Nation since it has successfully exploited the advantages of digital video technology that lowered the entry barriers into film making. We need to be modest and realistic in our explanation of things.

The Nigerian home movie industry is the product of indigenous Nigerians I hold in the highest esteem known to mankind. I am preserving their legacy by building a global distribution system that will feature Nigerian videos prominently. For the Nigerian home video art is an African Living Heritage that deserves to be promoted and developed in our African terms. This naming exercise is about finding a solid common denominator with the passionate stakeholders. It is about consolidating the home video sector locally and internationally. These are parts of the cardinal components of my moral and material stakes in this New Africa Cinema coming out of Nigeria.

Do you have any support organization here in Nigeria?

I have some affiliates in Nigeria and I have also dispatched letters to some other organizations. They will be known to the public as we move on. I cannot name them now as I am yet to discuss with them how I should be quoting them during my interactions with the media.

Finally Sir, Why are you promoting what many now term as a division in the Nigerian home video industry by further asking for new names and logos for the Yoruba, Igbo English, Hausa et industry. Don’t you think/and/or believe that it would be much better to have a single name and logo that will describe all of them? I mean, like Hollywood represents the American Film industry and Bollywood (even though most Indians are now rejecting the name) represents the Indian Film Industry?

I am not promoting division. One cannot talk of a single homogeneous film industry in Nigeria, India or America. If we look deeper beyond the senseless “wood” titles, we will discover heterogeneous and diversified filming activities. I am therefore promoting unity in diversity. I am following the natural heritage of Nigeria. I am trying to help the world understand Nigeria as a united federation of vibrant Africa civilizations celebrated through the rich Yoruba, Hausa/Fulani, Igbo and other nations. We should not fall into the traps of the Afro-pessimists who see any advancement of the indigenous languages and native cultures as divisive, backward or ethnocentric. Nigeria has over 200 ethnic groups and I understand the concerns of some people. But the reality on the ground between Katsina and Calabar is that we have very lively Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Fulani, Ijaw, Efik lifestyles, to name a few, that are positively interacting and shaping Nigeria. This contemporary reality should be shown on all arts products coming out of Nigeria, be they through film, radio, TV, literature, music, dance, fashion, romance, photography or painting. In this age of globalization, only the most vibrant cultures will survive and if we are to heal the psychological wounds of colonial African inferiority complex, we need to rediscover and modernise our Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani, Igbo and other indigenous ancestral archives first before talking about other related issues.

I am very much proud of the stakeholders who are already producing movies in Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa/Fulani and other indigenous African languages. They are in effect teaching the world the characteristics of the ethnic groups and we should endorse their initiatives within the frameworks of civic education, national orientation and multicultural understanding. I am not just looking for serious names for the native movies, but also for a crossover brand that will promote synergy between the Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa/Fulani language segments. Whenever a Yoruba and Hausa film maker decide to co-produce a movie that will celebrate their ethnic commonalities, they can use the crossover brand to market their work efficiently. This constitutes the celebration of a United Nigeria. So on one hand, I am promoting the uniqueness of the Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa/Fulani civilizations and on the other, I am supporting the socio-cultural cohesion of the geopolitical entity called the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I am complementing the activities of the Nigerian Government of the day in the areas of social harmony, cultural entrepreneurship and national orientation.

The name search project is also about creating recognisable global brands and building a quality assurance system for Nigerian audiovisual products.

By and large , I am not a fan of copycats and “bandwagonism.” If we look the African audiovisual media, we will just see exaggerated “copycatism” in the forms of the reality TV, telenovelas, the modelling jobs, the industrial beauty ideals and so on. People seem to have more respect for the imported foreign content/formats than their own creative wealth. The Nigerian home video industry has however proven to the whole world that Africans are capable of telling their own stories successfully in their own vocabulary and styles. Why do we then have to call the Nigerian home video industry “nothingwood” because of Hollywood and Bollywood? The Nigerians video films are largely accepted across Africa and in the Diaspora because they transport the African messages that are missing from the Hollywood and CNN/BBC products. It should therefore be natural for us to have globally recognisable serious names and logos for the Nigerian creative wonder without jumping into the Hollywood/Bollywood bandwagon. It is about the celebration of African creative excellence from Nigeria and not from America or India!

I am glad you mention Bollywood. The Indians are gradually rejecting the Bollywood name as it does not carry the Indian message. Similar to Nigeria with her Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa/Fulani movie segments, India too has vibrant local film axes in the Southern and Eastern regions of the subcontinent that are operating independent of the Bollywood machinery in Mumbai (Bombay). I just feel vindicated by the Indians’ belated gradual rejection of their Bollywood label. If we have serious names and logos for the Nigerian video industry now, we will save ourselves and the next generations the current troubles of the Indians. We do not have to wait until it suddenly discovered in 5, 10, 20 years to come, that “nothingwood/nollywood” does not seriously reflect the creative potentials of Nigeria and Africa. As the saying goes “what an elderly person sees sitting, a young man cannot see standing.” With this name and logo search project, we are trying to join the Nigerian stakeholders in mitigating some of the heart-breaking challenges awaiting us in the future. It is, in summary, a visionary move.

Bubacarr Sankanu is Chief Executive Producer of Afromedia Film & TV International Group Cologne, Germany

SOURCE: Text of a Q&A with The Source and Sankanu

The acclaimed screen and stage Queen, Clarion Chukwurah opens up finally in this ‘untold story’ classic. She spoke extensively about her escapades on stage and on screen; her relationship with Afro-Juju king, Sir Shina Peters; her marriage to Tunde Abiola and the sad loss of her babies; aslo she spoke passionately about her NGO project ( The Clarion Chukwurah Helpline Initiative ).

Adekunle Aliyu of the Vanguard had singular honour of getting the acclaimed screen and stage queen to tell her story.

Here is the full text of the interview:

Money Power, was it your first movie?

It was my first movie but wasn’t my first entrance into the industry.

Between 1982 and today, tell us how it has been and all that had happened to you before now?

Since 1982 till date, it’s been explosive. It’s been from one mountain to one hill and valley and back up to the mountain.

The movie Money Power actually started everything. It started my journey to stardom, to adulthood to motherhood and through all the challenges I faced, the different views of Clarion Chukwurah that people had presented out of their own opinion that was not the real Clarion.

The real Clarion only came out through one journalist who was able to peep through and present the real Clarion.

Let’s take it step by step. Money Power brought you into stardom, adulthood and motherhood and you were barely in your teens.  Can you talk about each of them from the beginning?

Yes, I was seventeen years old then. Money Power as a film, was an example of what used to happen among my teens in the acting industry then.

If an actor or actress gets into a good play with a front line director, the right people will watch it and that could be a stepping stone for you to get to the next level.

As at that time, I was an undergraduate in the then University of  Ife and we came to Lagos to perform the premier production of Wole Soyinka’s Camwood on the leaves at the National Theatre.

In that particular play we did a seven days performance and the particular performance that gave me a role in Money Power was the Command Martini performance which came  on the 6th performance. The play had all the who is who coming to watch, because it was Wole  Soyinka directed and it was a National Theatre production.

And unknown to me, in the audience was Ola and Francois Balogun. At the end of the play, I went to the back stage and noticed that a lot of people wanted to talk to me at once. Wole Soyinka’s mother said she wanted to know if her son sat me down to tell me the kind of person he was as a teenager because she felt that I couldn’t have acted out her emotions as I acted the role of a mother.

Until she asked me the question, I didn’t know I was performing her character and so I was like, God so that was you, that was all that you put this woman through and he (Kongi) was just laughing.
Ola Balogun and his wife asked if I’ve ever done a film or been in front of the camera. I said yes that I’ve been in the front of the camera for television and also for a film that wasn’t finished.

Meeting with Shina Peters

They told me that my acting “is so fantastic” that as they watched from the beginning, the flow of emotions to end of the play for about one and half hours they saw the character of Yemi  in me.

I was made to understand that they had cast the character of one Maureen for that role but seeing me perform so well on stage, and they changed their mind.

We were to do the 7th performance that night and leave for Ife the next morning and  I was to come back after a week to meet with Shina Peters so we could audition together to see if both of us could flow together.

It was amazing how both of us were crying together in a scene we were lovers in the film. The character Yemi was just about my age and Shina Peters played the role of a 22 year old journalist.

Yemi’s parents were dead poor and wanted to trade her to a rich man who wanted her at all cost in exchange to settle her family. Shina Peter who acted as Jide was a poor journalist and Yemi’s father didn’t want to see him.

The story of the film was about all that Yemi and Jide went through but at the end of the day, they triumphed and got married.

The rich man who was actually the publisher of the newspaper where Jide was a reporter  realising that Jide was his rival threw him out of the job and he went back to the street. Jab Adu who played the role of the editor of the Newspaper fought in vain to keep Jide because he saw no conflict between  Jide’s job and his private life.

In all, it was a good movie and it gave me the opportunity to meet with the people who were at the top hierarchy in the industry then. I also got to work with Cinecraft, that had the duo of Tunde Kalani and Wale Fanu as camera crew and they were the ones who got me onto Mirror in the Sun.

Falling In Love

My falling in love with Shina Peter happened at the point we were rehearsing for the theme song. Shina produced the sound track for that movie and we recorded the song together.

The whole process started quite naturally. It began when he started buying me apples, taking me to Ikoyi Park. And by the time we were doing the shooting movie Money Power I was already two months pregnant but people didn’t know. The secret was kept between us and the make-up artist, Aunty Peju.

Anger and Condemnations

I was still in school when this happened and naturally my mother wasn’t happy. Everybody was condemning both of us and the heat made me drop out of school. I was 18 while he was 24 when Clarence was born.

We were just two young people who were in love, so the anger shown by  my mother and the disappointment exhibited by all those who believed in me shattered my world at that time. And on his on part, he was admonished for engaging in a relationship with me and people like the late Chief Olu Aboderin of Punch and Chief Dapo Tejuosho advised that he leaves me alone.

I didn’t want to get married to Shina because I was still young and in school. It was not something I went into because I wanted to get married, it just happened. I was just a teenager who didn’t understand what I was going into.

I actually told him that I wanted to finish school and become a big star. And he said, “you think you can become a big star just because you acted in one film?”.  But deep inside me I knew I was going to make it big and this I told him. Often we’d get into argument because of this.

The Fights and  the Lack of Support

Shina lived in Lagos while I  lived in Ife. He will come to visit me in school and we will get into one form of argument or the other. And as soon as he leaves, I will write him a stinker and he replied saying, “I will read your letters some day to your son to explain what happened between the two of us when he was a baby.”

And don’t ask if he carried out his threat because he did just that. Laughing she said, one day he stole my son and showed those nasty letters to him.

But I wouldn’t want us to talk about his role as a father because my son has asked that I stopped talking about it.

The truth is, I felt let down by Shina, but I forgave him because soon after he abandoned us, he started having problems with his career and his relationship with other women.

He was just going from one relationship to the other because of the kind of industry that juju music was then and how people like him were not given any chance by the women.

And when he recovers from any of such sour relationships, he will just show up and say he is sorry and he will disappear for like two years again.

The Separation

I wouldn’t say the industry stole Shina from me. He was already deep into it when I met him but today, Shina Peters remains my first love and we are still very good friends. We talk, crack jokes together, abuse each other playfully and so on.

But all the fights that happened between us are in the past. Right now I have a very wonderful and caring man in my life. A man who has accepted me for who and what I am.

The role of the Media

At a point my career went down in the early 90’s for three reasons. First the industry was going through the metamorphosis of the era of  the Soap Opera to Home Video. The change saw new people coming into the industry and it also saw the emergence of  the coming in of the Igbo entrepreneurs who depended on the directors they had and people they knew.

Secondly, Shina Peters made a come back and felt that the only way he could get favour was by running me down in the press. I was having a really bad press.

The press boys were those press close to Shina and they felt that Shina Peter had a vendetta with me and they were giving me a lot bad press. On his part, Shina fueled the situation and that didn’t help at all.

At that time I was financially down and I needed him to take care of Clarence (his son) and the woman in his life then was scared. She felt that I wanted to come back and reap where I did not sow and all that.

Getting Married

I got married to Tunde Abiola and had two kids, a girl whom I lost after seven weeks  and  a boy (Bode).

I  lost my daughter the previous year, because I didn’t breast feed her well enough. And I didn’t breastfeed her because I didn’t want to lose my figure immediately I had her.  So because of this I told myself that I wasn’t going to work so I can give Bode all the care he needed. Bode’s father was very supportive and I was never lacking financially.

Two years after, I went to work on the English stages to save enough money and get more formal training as an actress. This lasted for six months.

The Return of Queen Clarion

My come back was achieved largely because of my acting ability. When I came back, the first three movies I did were to play sub roles but before the movies were half way through, the producers and directors just realised that I had taken over the lead role.

You need to remember that I was coming from a long way back, so I was bringing with me a lot of experience, skill, training and don’t forget also that it was not easy to have acted on stage for white audiences as a black. You will virtually get no laughter or applause, to succeed you have to be really good to get the applause. So I was coming back with that strength that I had  used to conquer the white audience.

Falling from Grace to Grass and back to Grace

When I became broke and couldn’t cater for myself and my son like I said earlier, I had to look up to Shina to at least cater for his son. And that decision turned out to be a very fatal action. The media feasted on me.

It was terrible, so terrible that I took to drinking and smoking packets of cigarettes like hell. But I never taught about killing myself because of my son.

My father died when I was very young so I didn’t want to leave my son (Clarence) to go through what I went through. I wanted to be there for him and I was also praying because I have always had this feeling that God loves me. I will sit down and ask God, why? .

I had this never die spirit in me and  I survived, but it was hell. When I walk the streets, people looked at me with disdain and disgust, as if I had shit all over me. And all those places and people who saw me like that, I always go around them. In my heart I was like, keep looking at me and you are going to see me become big soon.

Today I have seen some of the people who rejected me and called me names coming back to get my acquaintance and want to identify with me. And I will look at them and  laugh (because I know it’s not by my power but the mercy of God that turned things around for me) but I don’t push them away.

The Movie Industry

The return of the older generation of actors and actresses is a pointer to the fact that the industry is beginning to mature and ready to move to next level. It’s only in this country that you see colleagues (younger ones) wanting older colleagues to leave  the industry for them because they feel that you have been there, but this idea is very sickening and shows their level of mediocrity.

The Clarion Chukwurah Helpline Initiative

The Clarion Chukwurah Helpline Initiative is not an NGO. It was inspired from when I was 19 years. I used to have this dream where I saw myself with kids and right from when I rented my first flat (I was 19 years) I’ve always had people coming to me (younger people and kids) with one problem or the other and I will go talk to their parents.

It was something I inherited from my father. My father was somebody my younger brother called Johnny Be Good.

I grew up in a home where we had people who were not related to us leaving with us and my father was paying their school fees and taking care of them. And sometimes I will get angry but I didn’t know I was the person that will take after him. Somehow  he knew, because he was giving me information on why it is necessary to help others as if he also knew he would leave us early.

As the personnel manager of Sunflag Textile Mills, my father will bring bundles of clothes and while the tailor will be taking my measurement, he will also be measuring the other children on the same number of wears he was going to make for me.

And when the goldsmith comes to take my design of Jewelries he will equally take the designs for the other children and this also was very annoying.

Another thing that inspired me was that I had always been around women who really cared about the plight of abused children because when my father died we went through a lot of hard time from members of my father’s family but I don’t want to talk about it because they have pleaded with me to stop talking about it. But the fact remains that they didn’t do the right thing for me and my brother.

The project and the journey so far

Clarion Chukwurah Helpline  Initiative is a project that will eventually metamorphose into the Clarion Chukwurah Foundation for the less privileged children, and youths especially the physically and mentally challenged and the abused ones. A lot of people in this country have so much sad stories to tell that will make you understand that there is a mass responsibility between Nigerian men and women when it comes to their offspring.

I started running this project with money  from my pocket and I’m still doing that till date. In the few months we’ve operated, we have worked with the Arrows of God Orphanage Home, Olusoye Compensatory Centre for children and youths with learning disability, Juvenile welfare centre, Heritage Orphanage homes, Modupe Home for the mentally and physically challenged, Compassionate Outreach and also homes outside Lagos,  Kogi and Kwara States amongst others.

The objective of the foundation is to let people know where these homes are, what they are going through so that they can go personally and directly to help them and also to get the Federal Government to pass an annual grant bill and make state government to pass same bill and compel them to inculcate children into the Ministry of Women Affairs so as to assist them.

Support for the  Organisation

God has been our support and when we now bring people to see these homes for themselves, they now start supporting the homes.

They give directly to the homes not to me. People like Chief Mrs. Essien- Igbokwe has been very helpful to the homes.

She got involved in the Entertainers Star Trek we had on Childrens’ Day and she has been doing a lot to help the homes.

Mr Andre Gbinige has also been very supportive to the Arrows of God Orphanage, as he organised a party and visitation for them. Jimmy Jatt was also there with us on Star Trek.

Funmi Tejuosho, the deputy speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly came and supported the heritage homes. Abike Dabiri, Chief Mrs Adunni Bankole came and with two imported boxes of new cloths from England for  the children and youths of Modupe Home.

The Clarion Chukwurah Helpine Initiative is out to make people see these homes and when you see, your mind will tell you what to do.

Clarion Chukwurah is indeed a queen and many willagree she is an encouragement to all women of substance out there as well as the aspiring one.

We wish her the best for the future on screen and on stage as well as her work with The Clarion Chukwurah Helpline Initiative.

Source: Vanguard

Clarion Chukwurah ‘s Official Website

Kween - The Jebele Lady:

Kween as she is popularly known is taking the Nigerian Music industry by storm just like her predecessor compatriots.

‘Jebele’ her chart bursting album has won her two awards and she is threatening that she has a lot to offer the thrieving Nigerian music industry; and the good news is that she has been in the studio recording.

Her new album, she says will be hitting the airwaves in August and she is giving her fans a peep into the things to come. She says the title of the album is ‘Kween don Come’.

Bio:
Queen Chinyere Onokala is a soul and R&B musician from Nigeria. She is a native of Abia state and she speaks fluent Igbo, Yoruba and English

She started singing in a church choir in Abeokuta when she was then. She grew up listening to thelikes of Erykah Badu, Toni Braxton and Whitney Houston. She went on to perform in several clubs, concerts and special occasions all over Nigeria

She also enjoys modeling, owns Kweens fashions and enjoys interior decoration.

She is managed by Ruffsounds productions. Museke

As you kween lovers await she majesty’s new album, we will like to tell you that she has been speaking with Ademola Alawiye of The Punch.

The Interview:

WHEN did you get into music?

I started in church; I was a choir member in the church. When I went to school in Abuja, I got a job with a band at Sheraton Hotel, where I worked for two-and-a-half years. But my first professional job is my first single, which was released in 2001 titled, Olurombi.

It‘s nothing special. Well, growing up was fun. I was just doing amala and sand as breakfast, just like any other kid. I was born in Enugu State. I moved to Abeokuta when I was pretty much young because my dad was a soldier and he was transferred there. I had primary education in Abeokuta. I went to Command Secondary School, Abakaliki. I was a normal girl. I was very skinny and nobody looked my way. I didn‘t have a boyfriend, although I was not bothered. I had fun in school. I came out with good grades. Thereafter, I went to the University of Abuja, where I studied public administration.

Why did you choose to become a musician?

I chose music because I discovered it early and it was what I wanted to do. I was in love with music early. I was so passionate about music so I decided to stick to it because, when you stick to what you love doing, you do it well.

We hear you are into fashion these days?

Everybody is into fashion, but if you say I want to start a fashion outfit, then, it‘s different. But my fashion line (K.Q.) is going to be ready soon. We are going to launch it soon. We are basically going to be dressing the ladies, grannies, mummies, gals and all of that. We are going to be dressing them trendy and everything has to do with African fabrics.

Will it not affect your musical career?

I don‘t see it affecting my musical career because fashion is another form of art. So there is time for music and there is time for art.

Jebele seems to have slot you into the limelight…?

Yes, Jebele has won two awards. My first award was from the Nigerian Music Video Award in 2007. I was nominated in five categories. My second award was at the Sound City Music Video Awards.

Is that music a personal experience?

Yes, it is a personal experience.

A man jilted you?

No, the question should be, ‘Did I jilt any man?‘ I jebelise men; they don‘t jebelise me.

Why did you say so?

Of course, when they misbehave, you give room for amendments and corrections for a way forward and there‘s no change. Then, you have to move forward because we were never born as twins. So both parties have to go their separate ways if it‘s not working. And that‘s what I do because it‘s healthy for me to live that way.

Are you doing any other album soon?

My album is coming out in August titled, ‘Kween don come.‘

Your Afro hair has become an identity. Do you wish to change it?

Change is the only thing that is constant. I don‘t know what tomorrow holds, but for now I am okay with it and I‘m not afraid of changing.

Is it true that you are a single mother?

Yes, I‘m a single proud mother.

Could that be the reason why you are not married?

No, I don‘t think so. I will be married when it‘s time to be married. I can‘t rush into marriage because everybody thinks it‘s the right thing to do in the society. I will get married at the right time to the right person, who loves me for me and who loves my child unconditionally.

We heard you dated a former army general who bought a house for you?

I never dated an army general, but if you have one you can bring him so that he can buy me a house in the GRA.

How come you have plenty scandals around you?

Tell me about them.

They also say you smoke marijuana?

I don‘t smoke at all. I started drinking recently; I take red wine and it‘s good for the heart. That‘s what my doctor recommended.

They also say you are a lesbian?

I‘ve heard that. It‘s old and stale. Demola, why are you bringing this back? I‘m not a lesbian. They have said so and they can keep saying so, it‘s their problem. I don‘t give a shit.

Do these scandals bother you?

Do I look bothered? I don‘t look bothered one bit because everybody is entitled to his or her opinion.

What is your vision like?

My personal vision will be to have a successful career, to have a long span career, to be recognised internationally, to win MTV and Grammy awards. My vision for the Nigerian music industry is for us to grow, to have good record labels that can look after artistes and their needs and have good management structure.

You and Weird MC are close friends. Any hope of doing collaboration with her?

I already have a collaboration done with Weird MC. It was a gospel track titled, Temini. And we are open to working together, any day any time.

Who is your role model?

My mother. In the music world, I love (the late) Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. He is a great role model, although he‘s not here with us but his works still live on. I love Asha; I think she‘s a kind of person one should look up to. I aspire to be like her because she‘s original and creative.

Tell us about growing up?

It‘s nothing special. Well, growing up was fun. I was just doing amala and sand as breakfast, just like any other kid. I was born in Enugu State. I moved to Abeokuta when I was pretty much young because my dad was a soldier and he was transferred there. I had primary education in Abeokuta. I went to Command Secondary School, Abakaliki. I was a normal girl. I was very skinny and nobody looked my way. I didn‘t have a boyfriend, although I was not bothered. I had fun in school. I came out with good grades. Thereafter, I went to the University of Abuja, where I studied public administration.

As we await ‘Kween do come’; we will like to ask her majesty to take life easy with all these talk talk in the air from one scandal to the other. There are so many younger and aspiring artist looking up to you; please do all that you can to set good examples for them.

May Her Majesty’s Days be LONG!

Jebele: The Music