JERSEY HAS FORBES' RICHEST NEIGHBORHOOD: Diddy, Chris Rock Stevie Wonder among residents in the 07620.

Alpine, New Jersey, home of hip hop stars such as Sean "Diddy" Combs, has just topped Forbes.com's list of the most expensive zip codes in the United States.

Located some 20 miles from Manhattan, Alpine (zip code 07620) is a small community of sprawling mansions with a median asking price of $4.14 million, Forbes said on its web site, adding that stars drawn to the neighborhood include musician Stevie Wonder and comedian Chris Rock.

Atherton in California (zip code 94027) was the second most expensive, with a median asking price for homes of $3.85 million, followed by New York City's West Village (zip code 10014) with a $3.5 million median asking price.

Those neighborhoods, however, have not been immune to the recent economic downturn that has hammered real estate prices. Forbes said prices fell 23 percent in the past year in Alpine and Atherton, and by 24 percent in the West Village.

Other prestigious neighborhoods that made the list include Beverly Hills (90210) in fifth place and Aspen, Colorado (81611), in 20th place. All of the top 10 zip codes were in New York, New Jersey or California.

How Inspector General Plotted My Assassination, By Ribadu

ALMOST a year after an alleged attempt on his life in Jos, former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has pointed accusing fingers at a former Inspector General General of Police (IGP).
He also repeated an allegation that a former Governor of one of the Niger Delta States had offered him a bribe of $15 million, which, he says, he collected but kept at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to be used as evidence against the man.

Ribadu, who fled the country in the wake of the manhunt for him, to answer to corrupt practices while he headed the anti-corruption agency, was in the country last week and paid a condolence visit to the family of the late Lagos lawyer and rights activist, Chief Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi.

He had earlier been demoted and subsequently dismissed from the Police Force on account of alleged disobedience to lawful order. He is in court challenging all the official actions against him.

In a statement he made to the London Metropolitan Police (Metpol), and which transcript has found its way into Abuja, Ribadu said that his travails with the Nigeria Police and government began after he began the process of prosecuting the said former governor.

The former police officer wrote: "Whilst I was studying in Jos, an attempt was made on my life. One evening at about 6-6.30pm, I was driving alone on the road from Jos to Abuja in my car, which was a bulletproof vehicle. I noticed a little Japanese made of car following me.

"I pulled into a filling station and then pulled out again and noticed the same car, which had four (4) occupants, including the driver.

"The car pulled alongside me, the rear passenger window came down and one of the occupants aimed a pistol (firearm) at me and fired three (3) shots at my car. Fortunately, I was not hit and sped off."

He said he knew it was an assassination attempt on his life and decided to go back to Jos town, where he stayed for two or three hours, before returning to Abuja.

He continued: "I did not tell the police in Jos, because I believed (and still do) that they were behind the attempt on my life and when I say Police I mean the Inspector....

"If I went to any government agency, they would come under pressure if they helped me, people would lose their jobs.

"So I kept quiet and only told those close to me. The car still has the bullet marks."

Ribadu also narrated how a top official of government in the Justice Department went to the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru to tell the authorities that the President had allegedly directed that he (Ribadu) should not be allowed to graduate and given his certificate.

Ribadu returned to Abuja after the course at NIPSS and recounted how another attempt was made on his life.

"I was followed... from my house in Abuja and an effort was made to block my car, which I managed to avoid and get away," he said.

He disclosed to the London Police that after the second attempt on his life, he left the country for the United Kingdom in November 2008.

"I left because I would have been killed if I remained," he said.

According to him, the government allegedly began a rumour that he fled because he was wanted.

So, he returned in December and went to the EFCC headquarters, claiming that he did not see the EFCC boss, Mrs. Farida Waziri, on that visit but her aides said they had no question for him, but they would call him if she came.

"I remained in Abuja for about two (2) weeks to allow them time to contact me, but no one did. I left them (the EFCC) my telephone numbers, but remained in hiding whilst I was there. I returned to the United Kingdom in December 2009," he wrote.

Ribadu said he did not return to Nigeria since he left because he knew the charges brought against him were part of an effort to get him back to the country where a "further attempt would be made" on his life.

On the former governor who, he alleged, made financial overtures of $15 million to him, Ribadu said when he began investigating him, the man told him "that everybody was corrupt and that he was doing it because everybody else was doing it."

Ribadu admitted that he did not receive any direct pressure to stop the investigation of the former governor he described as "a likeable person," though they were neither friends nor enemies.

However, he said the former governor "was and remains a very powerful and influential figure in Nigeria, so much so that five (5) days after I had charged him in connection with our investigation, I was 'asked to go to school' and by that I mean I was taken off the case."

But aides of the former governor in Abuja pointed to a discrepancy in the story of how the alleged bribe of $15 million was given to Ribadu, stressing vaguely that the alleged bribery might not be true after all.

Though it was difficult to reach Ribadu over the veracity of the statement to the London Police, he alluded to it in a remark he made at the weekend to a newspaper in Lagos.

This was while denying allegations made by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa (SAN) that Ribadu was working against the interests of Nigeria or President Umaru Yar'Adua.

But Ribadu remarked: "I have never done any affidavit either in the UK or in Nigeria against the country. I challenge him (Aondoakaa) to produce the affidavit he was talking about.

"The only time I made a statement was when the Metropolitan Police invited me during their investigation of cases against (the former governor) and his associates for crimes they committed in the UK and other parts of the world."

How Nollywood Star Raped Me

A GRAVE silence descended an Ikeja Magistrate's Court yesterday as an 18-year-old man, Amusa (surname withheld) told the court how he was allegedly raped by a 39-year-old actor and producer in the Nigerian (Yoruba) Movie Industry, Alhaji Rasaki Olaniyi, alias Tunji Alaso.

An emotional Amusa told Magistrate T. A. Omoyele that the popular actor drugged him with a fruit juice drink, held him captive, raped him and wiped the semen he released on him with a white handkerchief.

The victim said: My name is Amusa (surname withheld). I am 18 years old. I work as a fuel attendant at a filling station in (area name withheld). Alhaji Oni film (as he referred to the alleged rapist) came to my filling station to buy fuel. He started chatting with me and asked me what time I would close from work. I told him that I close by 10:30 pm. He told me that the job I am doing was not good for me and that he would help me to get another job that will be better than being a fuel attendant.

"He gave me his phone number and address and promised to give me a job. I called him later in the week and he asked me to meet him in his house at AIT Road, Okofilling by 6:00p.m. I got there by 7:30p.m. and met some men in the sitting room. They told me to go and meet Alhaji Oni film in the bedroom but I began to feel that something was wrong. I told them to call him out but they insisted that I go inside his bedroom to meet him."

Amusa continued: "When I entered the bedroom, I saw Alhaji Oni film in his underwear. He asked me to sit down and offered me a drink. I refused to drink and told him that I wanted to leave as it was getting too late in the night. He refused to let me go and ordered me to drink the fruit juice or they would force me.

"When I refused, he called the two men I met earlier in the sitting room to hold me down and they forcefully poured the drink in my mouth.

"In the next five minutes, I discovered that my body was weak I did not have power to move and I immediately felt like sleeping. I saw Alhaji removing his underwear and started raping me by putting his penis into my anus. He released his semen on my body and wiped it with a white handkerchief.

"He later asked the two men to open the door for me to go. When I got home, I was supposed to go to work but I could not go because I was feeling the pain. I later noticed that I could not excrete through my anus or urinate. I called my father and told him what happened between me and Alhaji and he took me to the police station to report the case. That was how they arrested them and brought them to court."

Amusa's narrative did not go smoothly as counsel to the defendant interrupted him several times, which elicited objections from the prosecuting lawyer and generated heated confrontation between them. The magistrate, however, calmed both parties down for the session to continue and adjourned the matter to October 13 and 15, this year.

Polygamy is fun, says Henrietta, Jide Kosoko’s wife

She is a fantastic Yoruba and English actress of many  years.  But Henrietta Kosoko, a very robust  actress, married to a popular actor and  president of the Association of Nigeria Theatre-Arts Practitioners (ANTP), an umbrella body of all Yoruba thespians in the country, Prince Jide Kosoko, cut her niche immediately after featuring in that  popular Yoruba movie, “Omolade”, and “Onome”.
Today, a discourse on Yoruba movies cannot be said to be complete  without references being made to her. Henrietta, in this encounter, unveils the kernel of her love-life with the prince of the Yoruba sector of the movie industry. This is Henrietta in her elements.
Acting seems to run in the blood of  Jide Kosoko’s  family. How do you cope with marriage to a man that shares the same passion with you?
It’s our job and we are coping with it. Like you do rightly know, I’m not his only wife. His other wife is into business. It’s not as if she’s always at home but she’s engaged in something else. So, most often, our children stay with her in her shop.
They see her more often than they do see me. I trained my children in a way that they can take care of themselves even when I’m not there. My last child is about 10 years old. So, it’s not as if I have a little baby I’m breast-feeding. Besides that we are all one family.
How is it living in a polygamous setting?
You heard my husband say I had twins before I married him. Where I come from, I happened to be the only wife of my former man. I had no rival. But right now, I’m in a polygamous setting and I can tell you that I’m certainly not complaining.
Am very much at peace with my husband.  Here, nobody gives you peace except you give your self a peace of mind. I’m somebody that can adapt to any situation I find myself. Polygamy is fine! I’m enjoying it.

At times, you go on set with your husband, what’s the feeling like when you appear on the same set with your husband?

There is no feeling whatsoever. It’s the same thing. Yes, several times I have been on the same set with my husband. But it’s all about doing our jobs. Whatever the directors of the film that we feature in ask us to do, that we would do.

There is a great difference between my husband at home, and my husband on set. When we are on set, we know that we got to be very serious with our job. But at home, what we take seriously while on set, is something that amaze us.
Would you say, your husband influenced your acting career, or you influenced his?
He influenced me into acting.  Though, I was acting before I met my husband, acting as a profession has different levels.
At that time, I did not take acting as a full time profession,  because I trained as a caterer. But I must tell you that, I achieved fame when I married my husband. My husband is from Somolu Local Government Area of Lagos State, while I’m from Mushin Local Government Area. I started acting from there. Nothing has changed since then.
Then, how did you got into acting?
I acted in a play in our church. The play is titled, “Anuwa”. There was this guy, who was a member of the audience, and who happened to be a member of the Association of Nigerian  Theatre Arts practitioners(ANTP). After watching me on stage, he insisted that I must join the movie industry. He was the one that dragged me into acting. But when I married my husband, I took acting as both my profession and my hobby. My husband was the one that brought me to limelight.
How many Yoruba or English movies would say, you have featured in recent times?
So many of them. I can’t count them off hand now. But I know that ‘Omolade” brought me to limelight. Also,  I remember that I featured in the English movie called, “Onome”. I have come of age in the film industry. I wouldn’t be able to remember all of them now.
Now, how did the big fish(Jide Kosoko) got hooked with you?
Actually, my husband and his group came to show a film around my area in Mushin. So, when he saw me during that event, he fell in love with me, and we started off from there.
At that point, were you not aware that he was married?
I knew he was married. But I was not discouraged. I was with him, till a certain period,  when I had to leave him to have my twins. I returned to him in 1993, and since then, we have been together. Then, we were dating each other. But I have so much respect for his women at home. Then, nobody knew I was in the picture because I was playing my card neatly.
But it was when I finally returned to him, in 1993 that people got to know about our relationship. Till when I hit fame in 1995, through the movie, “Omolade”, I was his mistress. That’s how I came into Jide’s life.
Having been living with him for years now, what would you say of your husband?
He’s very focused, loving  and supportive. I don’t see my husband engaging himself in odd things. I believe so much in him, and my husband equally believes in me. I’m happy to be living the rest of my life with Jide.
For me, I have no regret whatsoever. I ‘m happy to be married to Jide, and at the same time, I believe in myself. I so much believe in myself, to the point that nothing moves me, when it comes to my husband.
At what point in your career did you hit the limelight?
It was in 1995, when I played the role of Omolade in a film titled, “Omolade.” That was how I was brought to the limelight.
Managing stardom and motherhood are two difficult things to handle, coupled with being married to a popular actor like, Jide Kosoko, how do you rise to the occasion?
Like every other woman, I have been coping with the situation. I’m not complaining. I’m not a millionaire neither am a poor woman. I’m contented with what God has done in my life. As a wife of Jide Kosoko, I have no regret whatsoever.
We know that acting has taken a strong root in Kosoko’s family, if I may ask you, is there any way the family is planning to put up a production that will be entirely Kosokos?

Very soon, “Akoni and Family’, a televison series will be on air. It’s a series that will star the entire members of Jide Kosoko’s family; myself, my husband and our children. Acting lies in our family . Just watch out for the series hitting the air soonest.

HUT OF DEATH ...Nursing mother kills husband for failing to meet family obligations

Residents of Iyakantan, Kuje, in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government area of Lagos State were shocked beyond words when a security man, Anthony Austin, slumped and died during a fight with his wife.

The, wife, Grace, who was said to be nursing a baby, was alleged to have hit him with an object. He died on the spot

Investigations revealed that the couple often fought over feeding allowance and lack of essential items in the house.

The matter grew worse when the couple recently had a baby and Austin’s meager salary, as a security man, could no longer sustain the family.

Some neighbours, who spoke with Daily Sun on condition of anonymity said the couple almost converted their room to war theatre, while some people said their behaviours made them nuisance to other neighbours.

Though, some of them quickly attributed this to abject poverty. This was confirmed by the reporters who visited the scene of the incident. Signs of poverty were everywhere. For instance, newspapers and other thick papers were used to cover some openings in the hut, including windows, to prevent mosquitoes, other insects and rodents from intruding.

The latest fight, which resulted in his death was said to have started when Austin could not meet his financial obligations to the family. The wife allegedly challenged him. In a feat of anger, Austin, 28, allegedly took on his wife and a fight ensued. Daily Sun learnt that it was at that point that the embittered Grace used an object to hit him.

And when some neighbours, who heard a strange noise in the couple’s room, rushed to the scene, they found his lifeless body lying on a mattress, while Grace was still in shock.

The suspect was later arrested and handed over to policemen from Satellite Division.

She was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos.

When Daily Sun visited the scene of the crime on Monday, the decomposing body of the victim was still lying in the room. Hordes of houseflies were seen in and around the hut, while a plate filled with salt was placed on his chest. Some people described it as a local embalmment. A coffin was also seen outside the hut, which some people believed was to be used in burying the remains of the victim. Others said it was meant for conveying the body to a public mortuary.

The relatives of the victim were said to have fled the area immediately after the incident, as they were complaining of lack of money for the burial expenses.

Another reason for their fleeing the area, Daily Sun gathered, was to avoid police arrest.

Residents and passersby were seen complaining and covering their nostrils because of the stench emanating from the room. Those who spoke with Daily Sun blamed the police for failing to remove the corpse to mortuary, two days after the incident, even as they claimed that the body had been removed to a public morgue for autopsy.

Runner reported to have internal male sex organs

Gender tests on running sensation Caster Semenya determined she has internal male sexual organs, Australian newspapers reported Friday, triggering new outrage from South Africa and her father, who called her critics “crazy” and “sick.”

The International Association of Athletics Federations, which ordered the testing, refused to confirm or deny the reports in the Sydney Daily Telegraph and the Sydney Morning Herald that Semenya is a hermaphrodite with no ovaries and internal testes that produce large amounts of testosterone.

The IAAF said it is reviewing the test results on the 18-year-old runner and will not issue a final decision until November.

South African Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile expressed his horror at the handling of the affair and insisted Caster, who won the 800-meter race at the world championships in Berlin last month, is female.

“We think her human rights have been violated and her privacy invaded,” Stofile said. “I don’t know why she is being subjected to this.”

Semenya dropped out of sight Friday. The South African Press Association quoted her coach, Michael Seme, as saying she would not take part in a women’s 4,000-meter race at the South African Cross Country Championships in Pretoria on Saturday because she was “not feeling well.” Seme had said earlier in the week that she would run.

She had burst onto the scene by posting a world-leading time of 1 minute, 56.72 seconds at the African junior championships, and in July, the international federation asked South African track and field authorities to conduct the gender verification test.

Semenya won the 800 in Berlin on Aug. 19 by 2.45 seconds in a world-record 1:55.45, but her dramatic improvement in times, muscular build and deep voice sparked speculation about her gender.

Stofile said that with the world being told that she is a hermaphrodite, another youngster might be driven to commit suicide, adding: “It can be as bad as that.”

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said the case could have serious psychological repercussions.

“This is something that touches the very soul of the individual,” Rogge told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “The psychological but also social consequences are really tremendous. This is something that preferably should be handled discreetly if you have the time to do that.”

Semenya has said she is happy the way she is and appeared on the cover of a South African magazine earlier this week wearing makeup, gold jewelry and a dress.

Semenya’s father, Jacob, expressed anger when contacted by the AP on Friday, saying people who insinuate his daughter is not a woman “are sick. They are crazy.”

He said he had not been told anything by the IAAF or Athletics South Africa, the local governing body. “I know nothing,” he said.

South African President Jacob Zuma condemned the media, saying they had exploited Semenya.

“I don’t think we should play around with people’s lives and their privacy,” he said.

Stofile, speaking at a news conference, said he has no doubts about Semenya’s gender.

“She’s a woman, she remains our heroine. We must protect her,” he said.

Ordinary South Africans shared the outrage.

“I think it is disgusting, the way it has been handled,” said Richard Redman, 25, a film student in Johannesburg. “It shouldn’t have been made public because the girl is 18 years old. … How is she going to handle that? She may think of killing herself. She has lived her whole life as a woman and now she is told she is a bit of both.”

Fiona Dube, a 22-year-old, waitress, said: “I pity her because of the way she found out. I think her privacy has been invaded.”

At a news conference in Greece on Friday, IAAF general secretary Pierre Weiss, IAAF vice president Sergei Bubka and other association officials refused to comment.

“We would like to emphasize that these should not be considered as official statements by the IAAF,” according to a statement the IAAF officials distributed. “We can officially confirm that gender verification test results will be examined by a group of medical experts.”

Proving one’s gender isn’t always so easy. Aside from the obvious physical signs, chromosomes usually determine whether a person is male or female. Males are born with XY chromosomes, while females have two X chromosomes.

These people may have the physical characteristics of both genders, a chromosomal disorder, or simply have ambiguous features.

In an e-mail to the AP, IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said Thursday the IAAF had obtained the results but couldn’t confirm the Australian reports.

The IAAF has said Semenya probably would keep her medal because the case was not related to a doping matter.

Leonard Chuene, the president of Athletics South Africa, told the AP that all he has heard from the IAAF is that the test results will be available in November.

Terry G readies video for hit single Free Madness

Hot in demand, producer cum artiste, Gabriel Amanyi a.k.a Terry G is about now plotting a script for the music video of his hit single entitled Free Madness.

Speaking more about the yet to be shot video, Terry G revealed that the video will be shot where he grew up and his fans should expect nothing but a mad concept.

“The video for the single Free Madness will be shot in the hood where I grew up and it will be directed by me while Igho will produce the video. It will be shot in two weeks’ time and the concept is nothing but a mad one,” he added.

He also talked about how the inspiration for the song came about: “It’s a beat I did for my friend. His name is Black. I was making the beat for the song which we were supposed to do together.

And as usual, before I begin every recording session in my studio, I usually test the microphone. I always test the microphone to get all the settings right so that when you start voicing, the voice of the artiste sounds right and clean.

While they were outside, I was inside, trying to get the sound settings right. All of a sudden, I was in the mood and I decided to free-style on the beat I prepared for him. I took the song straight from the beginning; with no harmony and no back up.

And it is surprising that the song is causing a lot of stir in the industry today,” he enthused.
Also speaking about his rumoured deal with Mo’ Hits Records, Terry G said, “I am not signed on to Mo’ Hits Records.

They are my colleagues and I respect them a whole lot, especially Don Jazzy’s productions. That is why you see me hanging around with them.

They know their onions and the artistes on record label are the most packaged acts in the industry at the moment. But I am not signed on to the record label. I am doing my own thing called Terry G’s Production (TGP) that I currently run.”

Finally, the artiste spoke about his forthcoming album., saying, “It’s actually a package from my first album. I am about to promote a new image and it is even more than what people expect. I have a variety of songs that will please ears and the album is a commercial album.

There will be 12 tracks on the album and I am producing all the songs on the album. I am also working on my younger brother’s album. His name is D’ Money.”

Strange frog paralyses man, 3 days after wedding

But, this was not the case for Gbenga Akinleye a native of Akure, Ondo State, whose marriage went sour three days after he tied a nuptial knot with his heartthrob, Sade in the early months of 2005.

Akinleye a former manager at Asejere Sawmill in Akure was hit with calamity while spending his honey money with his wife.

Narrating his ordeal to the Daily Sun, Akinleye, 35, said a strange frog fell from the roof top of a hotel where he was enjoying his honeymoon with his wife:

“When I saw the frog on the floor, I hit the left side with a stick and it threw it out of the room. Shortly after throwing it out, I suddenly became paralyzed on the left side.

“It was exactly at the left side that I hit the frog that was totally paralysed. My wife did not know what to do as she was shocked to the bone marrow.”


In attempt to get healing, Akinleye was taken to the state Specialists Hospital Akure, where he was rejected on the basis that doctors could not diagnose what was wrong with him:

“I was rejected at Akure Specialists Hospital on the ground that I was suffering from spiritual attack.”

At the heat of his sickness, Akinleye was dumped by his wife three months after the wedding and eloped with another man to Abuja.


The desire to seek solution to his protracted illness took him to an herbalist in Ogun State who promised to cure the sickness.

But, his joy was short-lived when the herbalist was trying to use his sperm for money rituals

Akinleye said, “When I got to that place, I thought that is where the solution would come from. But the reverse was the case. The herbalist asked me whether I can make love to a woman

“He asked a woman to come and meet me and rub my manhood which made me get to climax. The lady wanted to rub my manhood with an handkerchief which I rejected vehemently.

“The arrival of my mother was the saving grace as the woman and the herbalist were battling with me. It was at that moment I told my mother that I wanted to leave the herbalist place”.

However, Akinleye received a major boost at a church in Akure where he sought spiritual deliverance. It was at this church that Akinleye got to know that his former wife was the brain behind his plight.

“I was shocked when the pastor told me that my former wife was the one behind my ordeal. I have left everything to God whom I believe will fight for me”, he said.

Akinleye is recuperating gradually, as he has started walking freely with his two legs.

I love it when men make pass at me

Mary Uranta has certainly seen it all when it comes to matters concerning the Nigerian movie industry. With more than six years experience and an uncountable number of movie roles in the kitty, Mary can hold her own against any female in Nollywood. In this chat with Bridget Amaraegbu she lets us into her world of make believe and more.
Enjoy.

Some of your colleagues haven’t been working recently. But you’ve always been on location. How do you do it?
(Laughter) It’s the grace of God that’s taking me through one location to another. I must confess that I’m surprised too.

When the job wasn’t coming, how did you take it?

I took it in good faith because I can’t kill myself over that when I knew that even the marketers themselves weren’t working as well. You and I know that the market for our movies went down at a point. And this is not peculiar to Nollywood alone. Even people in Hollywood at one point or the other have experienced it.

But Nollywood is bouncing back in full force and it’s been very tedious for me. And I’m enjoying it. I’m very happy that I’m working.

Coming from the Niger Delta, you’ve been able to distinguish yourself as an actress. Why didn’t you try out militancy like some ladies from the region have done?

I think it’s an individual thing because if you choose to work for the devil, he’ll use you to achieve his mission on earth. Though I’ve heard that girls are also involved in all the kidnaps, killings and so on, I thank God that I’m not one of them. It’s my prayer that God will give them a change of heart because I know they’re toeing a very dangerous path.

Have you done any movies in the Niger Delta recently?

Yes, I just finished one in Warri recently.

And they didn’t kidnap you?

They’ll not do that because if they do, they won’t get the money they are looking for. Most times, they only go for the big fishes.

Your movies, which of them brought you to limelight?

I’ll always give it to Secret Mission. This movie was my breakthrough which came in 2006. But before and after then, I had done some other movies. I’ll not also forget my very first movie titled Girls Hostel. I keep talking about Secret

Mission because it was my first lead and a very challenging one too.

What were your challenges as a beginner?

It wasn’t easy for me as a beginner coming to play a lead role with most of the stars I’ve longed to be with. In Secret Mission, I had to play a lead alongside Chioma Chukwuka, Ngozi Ezeonu, Desmond Elliot, Livinus Nnochiri and others.

But I thank God it came out well and people appreciated my efforts.

When acting, do you inject your real self into roles?

No way! I’ve never acted the real Mary. I only display what I have on the script. I’ve never been given a script that depicts the real me and that’s one of my biggest wishes.

I want to be able to give my fans a feel of me.

In movies, have you played romantic roles?

Yes, even the last one I just did is a romantic movie. The thing with playing such roles is that the people involved already have it in their mind as strictly business. Once the director says action, every part of your body gets the signal for work, and no play. So, your natural emotions do not come into it at all.

Even if you were kissing on set and the same director says cut, you just cut and clean up. I can’t speak for other actors and actresses but that’s the way it works for me.

Can you play the role of a lesbian or prostitute?

I’ve not been given the role of a lesbian to know how well I can do it. But I’ve done that of a prostitute in Divine Grace and it was awesome. You see, some of the things that make you a good actress include your ability to diversify. When you’re stereotyped to a particular role, you don’t really get to know your potentials in other roles.

Playing the role of a prostitute really exposed my potentials because I never knew I could do it that well. And I like it when I play bad girl roles. It should not always be the good girl or one school girl role. Sometimes, you really need to play other challenging roles to get there.

Before you joined Nollywood, what were you doing?

I used to do stage plays like drama and dancing. I was also involved in buying and selling of clothes, electronics, curtains. I was more into interior decorations until I got hooked seriously with acting. So, I no longer have much time to travel abroad and buy these things. But I still do them as part time, especially when the jobs are not forthcoming.
How were you able to move into acting after graduation from the Rivers State University of Technology (RSUST)?

Even before I graduated, I had gone into acting which made me have a lot of problems with my HOD. She saw me as an unserious person because I was doing movies. She called me names. And to worsen my case, I started going for various contests.

She forgot that people must not always practice what they studied in school. Personally, I never wanted to be a secretary. I applied for English Language and Mass Communication which I didn’t get.

Have you had time to see her since your graduation?

No, but we made up before I graduated. In fact, at the tail end of my graduation, she got to know my kind of person. She got to understand that I was one of the best students she had. She apologised to me and promised her support if I had to come back to study again. I know that one day, I’ll go visit her again.

Is there a difference between stage and movies?

Yes, and the difference is being able to face the crowd. While in movies you are only paying attention to your director, you have your viewers at home. But on stage, you have to satisfy your audience immediately or they throw stones at you.

I got used to crowd early in life while I was in secondary school. I became a school prefect right from SSI. So I was addressing crowd from time to time.

Back in my secondary school days, I used to act drama dance. And since I did a lot of choreography and Atilogwu dance in my school then, it wasn’t difficult for me to face any crowd. But whenever the camera is in front of me, I get nervous. Now, I’ve also gotten used to it.

How are you coping with stardom?

I don’t really know how popular I am because I’m not an extrovert. I like keeping to myself but each time I get out, people always walk up to me and say different things they saw me do in movies. As I talk to you, I can no longer go to the market because some of these people don’t understand those things are mere acting.

Your childhood, what was growing up like?

My childhood is one thing I don’t like talking about because my dad is a pastor and we lived in the church premises. So, we were always in the church and I didn’t have the opportunity of mixing with friends as a child, unless I was in school.

I was moving from one school to another as a child because each time my father was transferred to another parish, I had to change school, until I entered Holy Rosary Secondary School Port Harcourt and later Rivers State University of Science and Technology.

Were the transfers around Port Harcourt?

Yes, my growing up was all in Port Harcourt.

Coming from a religious background, how did your parents take your acting career?

When my parents saw that this was what I love to do, they gave me their blessing. My father was only particular about his reputation as a pastor. He advised me to be careful in all I do, especially as it concerns my dressing, places I visit and so on.

He understood that everybody came into this world with a different mission. Even his own brothers and sisters are not all pastors. They’re seven of them and he’s the only pastor amongst them.

So how do you handle the men folk?

I don’t really see the passes from men as a big deal because if they don’t, I would wonder why. I’m excited at their passes and I enjoy it. It reminds me that I’m still very hot.

But one thing is certain, I can’t follow every man that comes around. Sometimes, you don’t even get to see them, they only call you on phone.

If you know how to politely ward off men, you’ll end up being their best friend. Sometimes too, you fall for some because you can’t say no to all of them.

I mean, there are some charming princes you can’t say no to (laughter).
Right now, I have a wonderful relationship which I don’t like talking about. So, when these men come around, I handle them nicely and they end up being my fans.

Okposo tidies new album

KORA Awards Best African Gospel Artiste, Sammie Okposo, is finally getting ready to release his fourth album titled ‘Take Me Back’. ‘Take Me Back’ is one part of the double album to be released by the artiste to mark his 10th year anniversary.

On why he’s titled the album as such, Sammie said “Human beings can be forgetful most times. There is a need for us to look back and tell God to take us back considering where he has brought us from. Most of us have derailed from his (God’s) way. This time around, there is the need to tell the Lord to take us back”, he explained.

Sammie was earlier quoted in a national daily to have said that he was tired of competing with secular artistes as he also decried his attempts at commercialising his calling in the bid of releasing club-bangers. He reportedly said, “’This my new project is a clear departure from the old.


We cannot afford to continue as before. We have all taken gospel music to the level where it lacks content all because we are looking for club bangers. We wanted the radio DJs and club DJs to bang our songs and compete on the same level with the secular musicians. We have sacrificed our calling on the altar commercialism.

That is not what God has called us for. God called us to be psalmists and worshippers… That was where I started from and that is where I am going back. That is why my new album is more about God taking me back to the basics.”

The new album ‘Take Me Back’ is expected to be released before the end of October and it contains ten interesting numbers such as ‘God is Good’, ‘Jesu’, ‘Turn by Turn’, ‘Bless the Lord’ and ‘Na So’. Already, singles such as ‘Na So’ and ‘Jesu’(which features Emem of the KUSH fame) are enjoying rotations on different radio stations.

By next June, the artiste will be celebrating his 10th year anniversary as a musician. Since the release of his debut album, Welu Welu, Sammie has remained one of the most successful gospel music song in the country.

He has performed the greatest number of concerts and at the same time received the greatest number of awards. Not only that he became the first gospel artiste to be signed as an ambassador in the country.

He is Nigeria’s number one export in his genre due to the number of international concerts he has performed and through his annual Out of Africa Concerts which holds in selective countries. No doubt, Sammie Okposo is ‘blessed’ among his contemporaries.

Sexual harassment not peculiar to Nollywood -Omoni

Actress, scriptwriter and filmmaker, Omoni Oboli, has always been in the vanguard of the fight against nudity in Nigerias entertainment scene. In this interview with REPORTER Ovwe Medeme, she speaks on the challenges in the industry, the need to combat piracy and her recipe for making a good movie. Excerpts:

What does it take to be a scriptwriter?

It has to come from inside you. It is either you have it or you dont. I have been writing from a very young age. Then, I used to write school plays, which I directed myself. I didnt know that what I was doing was directing. Everyone knew me then as a scriptwriter. I was also the editor of the Press Club in my secondary school. So, I did a lot of writing. Even at home, I wrote stories and those who read them then were always impressed. I later got to realize that it was actually a gift that I had. Sometimes, I just sit down, cook up a story and build characters around it, do the screenplay and make everything come alive.

How do you pick your themes while writing movie scripts?

I pick my themes from happenings around me. I dont believe that there is any new story. Every story in this world had been told before. The thing is to actually look for another angle to tell a story. All the stories in the movies we act actually happened thousands of years ago. There is really nothing new. I pick up themes from things that have happened around me, and from things I have read even from the Bible, turn them around and make them my own.

In your opinion, is there a classroom procedure for writing scripts?

I will not say yes or no, because some people actually went to school to study scriptwriting. So, there must be some sort of classroom way of doing it. First of all I get the story, then break it down into scenes, and treat it scene by scene. I make sure I build my character in such a way that every character is distinct.

How long have you been in acting?

I started in 1996 when I was still a little girl. I enjoyed the whole year, because I had a very good career with couple of lead roles in some movies. But I left the industry because it was my first year in higher institution, and acting was clashing with my academics. I had to leave in order to get my education first. I got married right after school and I left Nigeria, but I have been back for over three years now.

What has the three-year period been like?

It has been great. It wasnt easy getting back into the scene initially, because there were so many new actresses and very few people could remember me, but a couple of producers and directors did. Lancelot Imasuen, who introduced me to Emem Isong did. I wrote a script, which she liked and I got to act in it. She saw that I was good so she starred me in almost all her movies.

As an actress, what has been your greatest challenge?

My greatest challenge would be not having enough time for my family. But it has been great because I still manage to balance my family and my work.

People feel that female celebrities cant run families, how do you manage to strike the balance?

First of all, I dont jump from set to set. I try to chose my roles very well and make sure I only do the best script that comes to me. So, I dont have to work every single week of the month. When I am not around, my kids know I am not around and they accept it like that. When I am around, I make sure they feel my presence. I give them a hundred percent of my time, do little things for them and I cook special food for them. Things that they will remember when mummy is not around, and also get them excited while returning.

At the last AMAA awards, no Nigerian movie won any significant award, what do you think is responsible for that?

I have no idea, because we still produce good movies. I wont deny the fact that there are a lot of really bad movies. We still have a couple of very good, award winning movies. I have no idea why they werent picked. I personally dont think the ones that were picked for awards were better than ours.

As a producer, what would you say are the ingredients for a good movie?

It all starts with the script. If you dont have a good script, even if you bring all the best directors from all over the world, it will be just another lousy story with a good production. Make sure the script is tight. Make sure there are no long, dragging and unnecessary scenes that will bore the audience. Scriptwriting is all about storytelling, very important. Make sure you put a good crew together then get good actors. You dont have to choose actors based on the fact that they are A-list actors to make your movie sell. If they dont fit the role, then they dont fit the role. So, you make sure you put up a good casting. What is left is the money.

Does the money play an important role?

Of course, it does. The amount of money you spend depends on how big your script is and how well you want your movie to pan out.

Between acting, producing and scriptwriting, which do enjoy doing the most?

Acting has always been my first love. I could do without being a producer and a scriptwriter, but I cannot do without being an actor. Though I love producing and writing. When I write, I see my writing comes alive yet acting is number one. It takes the centre stage of my career.

What picture do you see regarding the future of Nollywood?

The future of Nollywood that I see is good. Everybody knows that right now the industry is going through a down phase. I think this phase is good for us, as it will separate the boys from the men. At the end of the day, only the people who mean business will remain behind. The way it is going now, people will get fed up and leave the industry. Only those who have the passion for it and know what they are doing will stay behind. Those who will remain behind are those who know what they are doing. We will produce good movies. Already, there is a trend because independent producers are producing really good movies now, like the yet to be released Figurine, which I played the lead character. It is an awesome movie that Nigeria and Nigerians will be proud of. There is also Jungle Ride by Lillian Amah. It has not been released yet, but a very good production. The kinds of movies being produced now will take the industry to another level. I am coming out with my own production as well, a thing to watch out for.

Could you give us a hint of what your production is about?

It is a love story. The quality will be awesome. It will be done with very good equipment, something to watch out for.

How do you think the industry can face the technological challenges of movie production?

First of all, we need the know-how. A lot of directors think they are too good, but they really need to attend film academies to study and know what directing is all about. Directing is not like acting that people are born with. There is so much going on in the world right now that directors need to up their game to come to the level where other countries of the world are operating. If our directors can do that, then we will know that we have people who know what they are doing. We also need equipment. If we can get the kinds of equipment they have at Hollywood, we can go far. I dont blame directors for the stuff they make, because we dont have good funding. We dont have corporate bodies falling over themselves to help finance the industry. We cannot keep doing it with our money only. There is a limit to which people can spend when the money is coming from their pocket. So we need backing from the corporate world, the government in terms of stopping piracy and putting laws in place to make sure that we actually make our money back when we shoot movies. If I am sure of not just making my money, but also making profits, then I would do better movies. I will spend more money, get better equipment and get a good cast and crew in place.

Should making movies be about the profit?

First and foremost, it is about passion. Secondly, you have to eat. I do not subscribe to people spending their money to make movies only for them to return back to their villages because they did not make any profit. That is not fair. You dont go to work in a bank without your payment at the end of the month. At the end of the day, it is still a business that requires producers to make their money back.

What advice would you give to those who want to go into acting?

A lot of people think acting is easy, but the truth is that it is not. I think actors are born and not made, though it is important to study to improve your skills as an actor. If you dont have it in you and you go to all the film schools in the world, you would still be a bad actor. First of all, they need to know if they are really cut out for it. It could be frustrating at the beginning, but if that is what they really want then with perseverance, they will get there.

How can piracy be tackled in Nigeria?

I think that there is no problem without a solution. There is piracy everywhere in the world. I dont know if it can be stopped totally but at least, it can be brought to a level where it is almost insignificant. It is not something we can do on our own. I think we need the backing of the government. We need them to put laws that would stop pirated Hollywood movies from coming into Nigeria. If someone can buy a fourteen-in-one Hollywood DVD for the same price as one Nollywood movie, there will be no need to buy the home videos. If we dont have those pirated foreign movies in the market, people will be forced to buy ours. This is our story told in our way, so we should be proud of it.

As a producer, have you had any first hand experience with the activities of pirates?

I have only done one movie, The Rival, taken to the New York International Film Festival in the year 2007 and won best international drama. I was really proud of the movie. Though I cannot say the movie was openly pirated, we tried replicating the movie and the company handling it made a mistake in the process. Some of them carried our design, but had a Yoruba movie inside them. We had to take them out of the market, because it was causing a problem. We are re-launching it now. So, maybe after some months, we will get to know if it was actually pirated.

How do you handle your fans?

I have a fan book, www.omoniobolifanbook.com, a lot of my fans sign up there. So, they get to interact with me, have discussions online. I dont have negative fans yet. Most of the people I have as fans like me and they think I am a good role model. It has been great so far. I was in New York some months ago and my fans there had a party for me.

As a married actress, do your male fans make advances towards you?

Of course, they do. It happens to every woman. I dont think you have to be an actress to experience such a thing. I get a lot of advances from men, but for me, it is either one thing or the other. It is either you want to do it or you dont. If you dont want to do it, you say no and it ends right there.

Have you had any experience where directors make demands before casting you for a role?

I havent had such and I hope I never have such an experience. I think, it depends on the way one places herself. I dont think any director will see a responsible lady and will want to make advances at her before giving her a role. I dont beg for roles, so there is no reason for anybody to make demands from me. It probably does happen, but it is in every industry, not only in Nollywood. It happens in banks, hospitals, schools and anywhere you can think of. Sexual harassment is not peculiar to Nollywood. I havent experienced it personally.

Who is Omoni?

I am an actress, a scriptwriter and a producer in the movie industry. I also do event planning and weight loss management on the side.

What was growing up like for you?

Growing up was fun. I grew up with my mother and my sister. We always did things together. We were one small happy family. I attended one of the best schools in Nigeria then in Delta Steel Company. I believe that my early foundation shaped who I am today. We were told to stand for what we believed in, we were taught to be leaders of our society. I attended University of Benin where I studied Foreign Languages. Generally, I had a good time growing up.

Why did you veer into acting?

Like I said, I have always loved acting. It has always been something that has been inside me, something I cannot turn my back on, no matter how hard I try. I left the industry after 1996, but I couldnt stay away. When I came back to Nigeria, it was one thing I needed to do. I had job offers, which I turned down because I had a passion I wanted to pursue.

If you loved acting that much, why didnt you study it in the higher institution?

I didnt think that I needed to study Theatre Arts to be an actress I already had it in me.

Do you think there will be a time when you will leave acting for your field of study?

I dont think such a time will come. I cant see it happening in the near future.

What are we to expect next from you?

There are so many movies I have starred in that will be released in the next couple of months. I played lead roles in all of them. Expect The Figurine, Jungle Ride and Entanglement.

It’s fun when men chase me –Rap Ella, emerging singer

Even as an aspiring model and singer Rap Ella is constantly aiming for the best in her chosen career. In the next couple of months, her long awaited RnB album, which is yet to be given a title, would be hitting shelves and the airwaves nationwide.
And she expressed hope that it would make a very big impact on the nation’s music industry. Ella, from Anambra State, aside being an emerging rapper, also wants to storm Nollywood with her poise and panache. In fact, she’s currently discussing with some filmmakers in the tinsel town, for some daring roles in three feature films that is about to be shot soon.
In this encounter, during a recent visit to the corporate head office of The Sun, boisterous Ella, bared her youthful mind on several issues, especially those germane to her fledging career in the entertainment industry.
Let’s meet you officially?
I am Onuora Emmanuella, better known as RapElla, an aspiring model, singer, songwriter, and equally an up-and- coming actress. I’m in my 20s and was born on April 4th.
Well, my growing up was not in a particular place.  I started from the village in Ihiala, Anambra State and was later brought to Lagos. I also did a Diploma in French at the Benue State University. For now, I have stopped there, but will continue later.
You said you are into singing, when did you start and, how has it been?
Actually, it has not been so long.  But it has been encouraging.
I started working in the studios almost two years now.
Is your Album ready?
Not really.  You know, it is inspirational song.  I don’t like rushing it; I am only taking my time. But hopefully, it will be out sooner than you think. Some of the tracks are ready.
By the special Grace of God, maybe before the year ends, it’s a seven-tracker stuff.
How did you get involve in entertainment?
Actually, my family members, friends and so on inspired me.  You know, just as you see me rapping, they always tell me “you’ve got the stature, you’ve got the height, you will make a wonderful model. Naturally, I know I can sing.  I have a very wonderful voice.  That was exactly what moved me into singing.
Did your parents support your going into entertainment?
You know, we are still in a country where, I don’t know how to describe the mentality of parents here.  Nobody will actually, truthfully support the kids to enter into fulltime entertainment.  But, I have been a kind of a very stubborn child… I have to rule my world and that is why I’m still.
Are you living with your parents now or you are on your own?
Actually, I live with them.  I am still under their care and roof.  Initially, they were not so supportive.  They did not want to support my dream.  But when they saw my seriousness, they joined me.  Now,they support me financially, morally and otherwise.
Where has this taken you?
It has really taken me round.  I go for shows, events and I meet many people.
I have done a number of shows in Port Harcourt, Asaba and other major cities round the federation.
Of recent, there was this modeling stuff we went for and I also performed very well, I even got a standing ovation.
How do you cope with men coming your way as an entertainer?
It has not been too easy coping with them.  But then, you still have to carry on.  And it is fun, seeing people of the opposite sex admiring you and stuffs like that.  It is fun. They ask me out a lot.
So, what do you tell them?
I have to be very honest.  I like keeping friends.  It all depends.  I don’t like going into intimacy with them.
So, you like keeping male friends?
I like having friends either male or female, because they may one way or the other help or contribute to your life.  But then, I don’t like intimate relationships.  It scares the hell out of me.
What do the male like about you?
Well, it all depends on the individual.  Some say they like my hot legs.  Some my eyes, while others say different other things.
What else are you into?
To be very honest with you, I am also into modeling, acting, in fact, I am a fulltime entertainer.  I used to call it triple ‘M’: modeling, movie and music.  I have always had this dream to be a star.  And that is exactly why I am working towards fulfilling it in life.  Because I don’t think I will even be happy if I don’t make the dream a reality.  I am telling you the gospel truth.
How do you get inspiration to sing?
First and foremost, I’m into R n B songs.  Things that happen around me inspire me.  Sometimes, God still inspires me too.
Can you mention some of those things around you that help to inspire you?
Just as you are interviewing me now, the questions can inspire one.
How long does it really take you to master a song you want to do?
Inspirational stuff as I said is not something you just easily grab, you have to really take your time.  Allow the inspirations to come first.  Then, you take your time and work towards it.  I don’t like rushing anything.  for Now,in the past two years, I have been working in the studios and would soon be coming out with a bang.
Is two years not too long?
No.  All I know is that I want to come out with something real good, which would also shake the industry. It is so, particularly, for a perfect job.  You don’t get inspiration every minute of the day.  You understand? It might take a month, a day or a week.  It all depends.
When do you know that it is about time to strike?
It all depends on the concept you are working on.  You understanding? Sometimes, it might just be like I want to do a song; I want to do a track and I want two verses or something. When you must have been satisfied with what you’ve got at a particular time that is exactly when I feel the time is right to do a song and unleash it.
You will then enter the studio and start practising.  You start rehearsing and coordinating before you know it, a hit work is ready.
Rehearsing helps a lot, because sometimes, it might come, and maybe if you don’t have to do it in a way that you keep singing a particular tune in your head, it might get lost.  The tune might just change all of a sudden.  So, you have to sing it very often.  At any place, anywhere you keep singing it to yourself.
Who is your kind of man?
Man that is a real man, a macho-minded guy with talent and fear of God.
He must also be presentable. In fact, any body not shorter than me.  I am sorry, but that is the gospel truth.
You can see, I am very close to six feet.
When do you hope to get married?
Marriage, for now, is not yet on my agenda.
What date are we looking at?
It might be suddenly, such as tomorrow. It might even be today. But, right now, as I am sitting with you, no one yet.
What message do you intend sending out on your forthcoming album?
It is basically a message of love. Sometimes, I sing about life experiences. In fact, I combine love, realities, experiences and many more. It can be anything.
What challenges do you face as an up and coming artiste?
Too many challenges, sometimes, when you are beginning, the financial aspect of it, which I know every other aspiring artiste also passed through.

When you are still in studio, trying to record, people that back you up in the singing, you have to pay them. Then the sound engineer, you pay for the studio and the back-up singers too. So, you can see that we need money to keep afloat in the industry.
I am also indebted to all those currently supporting me, I must say they should just keep it up. Nothing good ever comes easy. They should allow God to carry them along, in all their dealings.

Jim lyke reveals private agonies

My interview with Jim lyke was by itself a revelation. Among the main actors in Nollywood, Jim until this interview was the one I would confess to not being particularly close to.
We had a brief civil conversation and that was it – no frills and no thrills. Since 2004, Jim has evolved into becoming one of the most dominant faces in Nollywood- a face that is loved and admired by millions of Nollywood fans across the world. Here in the United States, Jim Iyke is a veritable draw among female fans, especially among the Caribbean community.
A few weeks ago, Jim lyke’s manager in the U.S.A. the renowned film producer Courtney Boyd, called to notify me that Jim was in town, and would love to grant my publication-The Diasporan Star an interview. And so, three sundays ago, at an outdoor bar in Mt. Vernon New York, Jim and I sat down for this interview.
As had been widely reported in the media, I was under the impression that Jim lyke was  rascally,  thuggish and temperamental person that could be unhinged at the slightest provocation. However, the man I met on this sunny Sunday afternoon was a calm and intellectually defined gentleman.
As opposed to the rough and fight- friendly characterization that the media has cast him, I saw a guy that was very measured, reasoned, rational and deeply reflective of issues. The interview started along those angles. I wanted to know from Jim why he has been largely misunderstood and ill defined by the media “The main problem” he had stated “is the Nigerian media. What they practice is junk journalism. It’s garbage.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some that do great jobs, but a good number of them take delight in undue sensationalism and character assassination. I have always told them to judge me by my work and not by what has been ascribed to me outside of the realms of my work. Instead they continue to harp and emphasize the so-called rebellious and maverick side of me.
When there is no avenue for me to redress the wrong, where there is no avenue for me to vent the pent-up anger of the miss-characterization, I let it come out starkly in my dealings with the media.
I do have an adversarial relationship with them, because they have simply refused to understand the core of Jim lyke. As I said earlier, there are some people in the media who strike a balance and they make me retain my sanity.
There are others who just want to destroy me and put an accent on the negative. I make myself inaccessible to those people. When they can’t gain access to me, and that pains them a lot, they resort to all kinds of unsubstantiated innuendoes and speculations.”

Image As a Thug

“Controversy is part of the industry.

Many people have problems with the truth. Nigerians are very skeptical people and the media has helped them a great deal in obfuscating my real person vis-vis my roles in the movies. I’m a pioneer in playing violent roles in Nollywood.
When I elected to play those roles, I wanted to push the frontiers- to take things to the next level of perfection. I strive to be a perfectionist at what I do facts that are borne out in the manner.  I interpret my roles.
I’m very consummate and dedicated to my craft, so I push myself to inject elements that others would cringe and be wary of projecting. That has helped me stand out. But the truth however remains that the commodity that is Jim Iyke in those roles is diametrically opposed and completely different from the commodity that is Jim Iyke in real life.”
“In real life’ the actor continued “ I’m an excruciatingly shy person, which explains why I wear sunglasses all the time. My sunglass is a shied.
It helps blank out my shy side. People don’t know this part, and I’m making this revelation for the first time. You can hardly see me without my sunglasses day and night. I’m a deeply private person and I guard my privacy jealously.
It might interest you to know that in spite of my being one of the most celebrated stars in Nollywood, I have no friends in the industry. I don’t fraternize with my colleagues, I don’t go to their parties, I don’ t drink at their designated bars and restaurants, no one knows where I live, and all my cars have tinted glasses. I have won about six awards so far, and I didn’t attend any one of them. I usually send my underlings to represent me at those awards.
My privacy is sacred. I’m a loner by choice and not by design. Human nature is a very complex thing. You don’t know who to trust and be free with-especially if you are in the public eye. The pressure in the industry is so intense and all consuming and you have to find a way to remain grounded. My father and family provide me that grounding and it has come in handy.”
Romantic Betrayal
“God! I have been betrayed by people I thought had my best interests at heart, and that has made me withdrawn into my shell further. Women, I once loved and invested profound feelings in, have betrayed me. Some have even gone to the media to say unsavory things about me after the romance ruptured.
When some of these otherwise close women betray me, I cry alone. No one feels and shares my pain when I shed tears of loneliness and sadness at such levels of betrayal. Don’t get me wrong.
I’m no wimp. I just don’t cry at the drop of the bucket. But when an otherwise dear friend sacrifices all decency and betrays you so callously, you feel the pain and as human, you allow your emotions to show. What the media does is to celebrate my shortcomings, which we all have, and negate the pain I feel.
They write that I need anger management, and that I am arrogant and condescending, but they forget that they have all contributed in making me feel and act that way. What they do is to take away from you, rather than enrich you by their off-mark reportage, and I do not suffer fools gladly.
I’m by nature a nonconformism so I’m not going to suck up to the media and pretend all is very dandy while they are savaging me. I will let my anger show, and in a clear and unmistakable fashion too! Does that suggest that I need anger management?
No, I don’t think so. I’m very altruistic, and I hate to see injustice, be it economic, social, political or cultural. I run an NGO that gives out millions of Naira yearly to people across Africa. I don’t amplify those things, but giving, is something that I deeply derive unquantifiable joy in.”
On His Playboy Image
“I don’t know about being depicted as a playboy. But let me say this: a million women may pass through your life but only one will stick and strike that chord in you. When that one person appears in the horizon, you will know. I appreciate my female fans.
They enrich my life. But does that mean that I sleep with every woman who shows an intense liking to me? Absolutely not! As I told you earlier, some women have betrayed me. Some even plant stories about their supposed romance with me, which are patently false. There are more of such stories on the pages of newspapers than the real thing.
If I walked into a gathering, I bet you that there would be three to four women there, who would say they had dated me and these are not true. Because of that, I keep my relationships out of the prying eyes of the media and the public.
It appears each time my relationship is made public, that affair is jinxed- from that moment, my movements are watched and monitored.
If I innocently kissed a lady at a public function, if I said hello to a female fan, the media will report that I’m dating that lady, and the woman in my life may find it difficult to believe that the report was false. I lost a girl I loved dearly under that circumstance.
She was a wonderful young woman in the industry, and it was a painful thing to me when that relationship failed. That has been the cross that I have been carrying, and the experience has not been pretty.”

With my name, people think I have unlimited access to money

With so much money and power circulating around the Elumelu name? But this is one Elumelu who, though very proud of the name, confesses that it is sometimes a draw-back.
Aju Elumelu is one person you wouldn’t just ignore.
You want to know who this charming lady is and what she does for a living. Getting close, you’ll discover there is something foreign about her. Her accent and dress sense tell it all: She just dropped in. Though friendly and exciting to be with, she loves music and she does that alongside her secular work in the US where she resides. Here in Nigeria, she performed at events, anytime she’s around.
In an interview with her at the weekend,she tells you all about who she is , about her upcoming reality television show and lots more.
Excerpt:
Growing up days:
Growing up was very interesting with 16 children in the household and with 16 different characters; you find out that amongst the 16 children, you have your best friend in the family. At times, it was tempestuous with different dramas here and there but one gelling factor amongst all of us was our father Chief Morgan Elumelu, who was the world’s greatest daddy of all time. My father was a hands- on father and he thought me honour, integrity, compassion towards the less priviledge. He taught me the full meaning of hardwork, he thought me strength, and the ability to withstand what ever curve ball that life dealts me and above all, my father taught me the fear of God. These qualities are what I apply in my daily life and I thank God for the gift of my dad who was responsible for the molding of my character.
What do you do in the USA?
Having lived in the USA since, my teenage years, I have done all types of jobs up to being a cashier which was the fun of growing up in America. I have especially worked in corporate America with Fortune 500 CEOs. I have also, worked as a nurse at an infectious disease unit where I take care of HIV/ AIDS patients. No matter what, I have to continue to maintain my nursing license and I choose to volunteer in some medical facilities. For now, I do music full time because music is my first love and I find myself gravitating towards the entertainment field. Right now, I have signed an MoU with DAARSAT to start my own reality television show and I thank God for His mercies.
How long have you lived in the USA
I first arrived the USA in 1978 where I lived with my older sister. I then came back to Nigeria and after some years, I took off again to stay permanently.
What challenges do you encounter in the USA
Life in itself is a challenge, and no matter where you are, so long as you are breathing, you will encounter so many challenges even in Nigeria. Some people pass through America and America does not pass through them. Having gone there at a young age, I immersed myself in all aspects of the country and America is the greatest country in the world in terms of opportunities and I knew at an early age, that I had to avail myself to those opportunities. And the greatest challenge that I had was competing with myself in trying to work hard to get the best that America has to offer.
Are you thinking of settling down in Nigeria.
Of course that has crossed my mind and I am working very hard so that when I do come back finally, I would have something to do.
Are you married?
Who cares if AJU Elumelu is married or not? I think we have bigger issues to worry about rather, than AJU’s personal life. Who really cares if AJU is married? Let us solve the problems of electricity in Nigeria and our greatest problem of all, the abandonment of our greatest human resources, the Nigerian Youths. My heart goes out to them.
You look cute, who is the guy in your life now.
Did you say cute? I thought I am beautiful (laugh) just kidding. I appreciate your complement. Who is the guy in Aju’s life? You go see am later , slow down now.
What do you do to enhance your beauty and physique?
I drink a lot of water that in itself makes the skin glow. I do not use make up except when I go on stage. I have never taken or tasted any alcohol, and I do 6 miles walk on a daily basis except on Sundays. My exercise is the key to my physique. It energizes me and clears my head during this walk.
My challenges in Nigeria
My greatest challenge is the fact that you never get anything on merit. Some men do not look at what you have upstairs and they assume that all women are for sale. It is a great turn-off to hear sexual comments and insinuations directed towards me, while you are trying to remain focused on the reasons that brought you in front of them in the first place. It has been an eye opener to know that these things still exist in this century. The lack of electricity is truly a time waster. You take 10hrs trying to accomplish a task that would ordinarily take a click of button. We must, as a nation, improve this power problem. It has become ridiculous.
Why did you stay so long on this trip?
I have a lot of projects going on in Nigeria and this has delayed my going back somewhat. I have been auditioning for my reality show coming up soon. Added to that, I have to find the right location to shoot and most of all, I have been holding talks with prospective sponsors. Earlier this year, I came to record a new Album for the Nigeria market titled Yes I Can ! and during this visit, I have equally been doing the promo for my number one single Dance All Night.
Talk about your Music / your repackaging.
Since 2000, I have been coming to this country on a regular basis. People who had a chance to listen to my music commented that it sounded foreign. I found a producer in Nigeria to produce my album for the Nigerian market, with some language infusion hence, the title Yes I Can ! was given to this album. I thank God for the acceptance of this album. There is a lot of work to be done with respect to promotion, marketing and circulation. I am yet to fully find my feet and embark on massive promotion and marketing. I have to rely on some experts in this field, with respect to the do’s & don’ts and I am most grateful for those that have their doors open for me to call at anytime and ask questions whenever I am fuzzy on any issue that concerns the music industry in Nigeria.
What is this reality show about and on what network?
Where do I start? I started writing my script since 2006 and my daughter who is so talented, started editing and adding on. (you know kids run the entertainment industry right now). The show is about relationship and in the middle segment comes the serious stuff. I believe that the Youths of Nigeria have been ignored and abandoned for so long and I am trying to make a difference in my own little way.
The show will be on our one and only DAARSAT. DAAR is the owner and operator of African Independent television, Ray power, DAARSAT and other multi-mediaplat form. I was relieved that the MOU was signed between DAARSAT and AJU Global Media Ltd (which is the company that presents the show). I thank God at last for making this happen because I am going to have the chance to finally in my own little way, advance the lives of the Nigerian youths. So, everyone, when we start airing please support this show.
What informs your dress sense?
I love to wear nice things but I am not ostentatious. if you bring 1000 ladies, I bet I will be easily spotted-not because I dress expensively, but because I dare to be different. In everything I do in my life, I will rather, be original than perfect. I spend a lot of money designing the clothes I perform with but, outside the stage and when all the glitters are off, my individual fashion sense takes over. My taste is just so different from everybody’s but that gives me attention wherever I go.
I found out that you are Elumelu, I bet your last name opens a lot of doors for you?
You have gone to a topic that aggravates and infuriates me. People believe that with my last name, that I am flowing with money. As God is my witness with that last name, I have to work 100 times harder than the next artist. Nobody wants to give me sponsorship, no institution wants to loan me money, and nobody is willing to lend even a helping hand. They believe that I have access to a lot of money just because of the name Elumelu. My father, Chief Morgan Elumelu built that name and left it stainless, so that I will have the privilege to bear it with pride, honour and without shame. I am confessing now that most of the things that I am applying for in this country, I have to leave my last name out. This is a sore topic for me because I have been so marginalized more than I can ever imagine because of my last name. Which my father, grand father and my fore fathers bore with pride and left for us untainted.

A Well-organised Nollywood... Lilian Aluko's Dream

SHE needs no introduction in Nollywood. Lilian Amah Aluko has had her fair share of success and pain in the movie industry. 'Sweet Revenge' with Emem Isong, 'She Devil', 'The Triangle' and 'Jungle Ride' (yet to be released) are movies Aluko has produced till date.

And, apparently not satisfied with the mediocrity in the movie industry that has snowballed into a deep recession, she has seen it fit to join the industry's guild politics. Now, she is the vice-president, the first female so elected, of Association of Movie Producers from where she dreams to leverage the industry to great heights. A novelist and movie producer with several movies to her credit, her passion for the industry is infesting in this interview she granted Anote Ajeluorou

CONGRATULATIONS on your recent election as Association of Movie Producers (AMP) Vice-President!

Thank you very much.

So, what new energy, what new vision are you bringing into the association?

As an individual, I think there is a lot I can do for the association. A lot of people do not take moviemakers seriously. It's probably due to our own fault, the way we present ourselves and the seeming lack of seriousness we attach to the things we do.

But my president Paul Obazele and members of the newly elected executive are all determined to see that change. We believe that filmmakers are professionals, and we should be seen as serious businessmen and women. We want to project a different image; we want to begin to do things properly and hope that it will rub off on the rest of Nollywood.

There is a lull or what some might call recession in the English movie producing side of Nollywood. How will your association tackle the issues that led to it?

On Monday there was anti-piracy workshop at the National Theatre. We believe that the reason why there is a lull in the production of movies is because financiers are not getting their money back. AMP members are ones who put money in movies.

What we want to try and do is to join hands with the copyright commission, join hands with the censor board to create a viable market place. If there's a viable market place, movies will do well. And if movies do well, producers will get their money back and if they get their money back, they will invest more and the industry will start booming again.

So, it's going to be a synergy between several bodies, and not just AMP. We can't do it alone. We need to work in collaboration with censor board; we need to work with government; we need to work with the organised private sector to be able to change things.

But it would seem that practitioners in Nollywood are waking up late in the day to the realisation of threats to the industry. Why weren't these measures taken long before now?

As human being you only learn when things hit you in the face. When Nollywood took off it was a novelty. So even without structures being put in place, people were making money. People made a lot of money from Nigeria movies a whole lot of money. And that was why there was such a boom. Everybody rushed in. It's typical of Nigeria. If pure water is selling and somebody makes money from it, everybody dives in, with or without expertise.

So that was what happened to Nollywood; it was a booming industry and everybody dived in. People, who didn't have a passion, people who saw it as just another way to make quick-turn-around on their money dived in.

And then we all muddied the pool, we had to sit back and ask ourselves, where do we go from here? That's how the need for structures is coming 14 years late. But we have realised that the industry is dead, and that we must sit up and begin to do things properly.

Guilds in the industry are known for internal bickering and power struggle and acquisition for the sake of power while the industry totters. How will the new AMP executive be different?

Well, I'll start by saying that we pray for the grace of God because wherever people are, you can't tell what will happen. People want position for their own end. I want to believe that every member of the new AMP executive has the interest of the association at heart.

I've been a member of the association for several years but noting was happening. It was a whole lot of grammar at meetings and nothing gets done. I don't know where to point finger as it was not the fault of past executives but the entire members. But if the electorate doesn't ask questions of their leaders, the leaders will do what they want.

After a while, I wanted to pull out. But Paul Obazele in his last administration started reaching out to a lot of us who were no longer coming to meetings. He told us that if we don't come together there was no way things will move forward. And I sat back and thought that no matter how successful you are in your own individual company you are only as successful as your industry is.

So, if Nollywood is dead and as a producer you're making money, where do you fit in? There is no sense of place or belonging. Yes, you're making money but as what? So I realised that we can't stand aloof; we have to come in and help build things. And then I saw that Obazele has great dreams for the industry. In the last two years, he brought a lot if innovations. May be a lot them didn't go through but he had proposals. I also understand the limitations he was operating under. He had a divided executive. There was a lot of bickering in it. So I came to realise why Obazele was not making as much impact with his dreams and visions as he should have made.

And then when he said he was coming for a second term, I said, good. Maybe this time he'll have a better executive and be able to achieve what he set out to achieve.

What are those dreams that also charmed you into running alongside Mr. Obazele for the new AMP?

As for me, I'm concerned with the welfare of our members. We have a lot of young producers, who had done one or two movies in the past but because of the recession have not been able to get access to funds to make movies.

And if they don't make movies they can't eat. These young people are desperately stranded; they are hustling. If they fall ill, they can't go to hospital. So we should have a sort of welfare package for members to take care of small, small needs.

Obazele's last administration talked about an insurance scheme. That's something I want us to revisit. Every fee-paying member of AMP should have an insurance scheme. Also, health insurance for members.

Then we need a film fund, which the last administration also talked about. Obazele actually made efforts and we saw it. UBA and Union Bank were almost in some form of agreement with AMP to provide a revolving funds, which moviemakers can delve into, take money out, do their movies, sell with the aid of the banks; UBA was talking to marketers that will be tied to the products to make the money back, and then pay the money back into the fund for further use.

That objective was truncated because of the bickering in the executive. One member of the executive wrote letters to the two banks. It was a very sad thing because those letters seriously indicted moviemakers as being fraudulent. We felt no matter the level of provocation, he should have kept it within the guild although he had his reasons for doing it. Fine, but you can't paint all of us black before the corporate world, which we have been trying to entice to the industry.

The censor board is campaigning to formalise and structure businesses in Nollywood. Is AMP queueing behind the New Distribution framework believed to be for the good of the industry?

AMP and other stakeholders believe the NDF is the way forward. I'm not saying that the framework is perfect; but it's a whole lot better than what we've had before now. And with that in place, we'll begin to see track records again. We'll begin to have figures; any industry that cannot provide figures of its business cannot expect any formal association with banks and insurance. And if you're not doing anything with banks and insurance, then you're not doing a sustainable business.

With the NDF, we will have the figures we need to prove to the world that we are doing structured business. So yes, in that light we are working with them. And we believe that Mr. Emeka Mba is on the right track, and he needs support.

As things go on and the framework takes effect, the legal problems people are envisaging will be straightened out. We need to have it working then we can see where the problems lie and then tinker with those problems.

Producers are owners of films. How are you tackling the problems of quality in films? People complain of two much witchcraft, too much blood and lack of depth in Nollywood films. Can AMP do anything to redress these?

Well, we're already started doing something. The last administration also headed by Obazele had several training programmes at which professionals from different fields talked to producers about best ways forward. UBA-AMAA coalition among others. That's another thing this administration will look at - train, train and retrain.

Like I said earlier, because there was a boom in the industry a lot of people crashed in, people who had absolutely no idea what moviemaking is about, people who did not have a passion for making movies. All they wanted was to make quick bucks. That led to a fall in standards, serious fall in standards. We are going to address this. Moviemakers have to learn to be creative. You have to first define who a moviemaker is.

Who is a producer? We need to ask ourselves that question. We have to live up to it.

We'll keep on looking for funding for training so our producers are exposed to modern trends of movie making. So they learn that they don't need all that blood and sex and whatever to sell films. You can tell your story, tell our story to the outside world. The outside media keep painting Africa black. We don't have to help them doing that. Let them see Africa they don't know exists.

We need to sell ourselves positively to the world; we need to show them the positive side of Africa. And we can't do this by dwelling so much on witchcraft and rituals and all that. Yes, these exist as part of us but are they so much part of our lives? I have never encountered a witch myself; I only hear or read. I have never seen anybody used for ritual. But the way they are portrayed in our movies, it's as if out of every ten of us eight are witches and the remaining two are ritualists. So, we have to change that concept.

If you were to quantify or evaluate the contributions of women in Nollywood, how will you put it?

I know that like every other facet our professional life in Nigeria, you don't have as many women as men playing in our industry. But the women playing significantly in our industry have actually done very well. You have the Lola Fani-Kayodes, the Amaka Igwe down to Emem Isong; we have had women who have made significant impact: Not enough, I'd say; we need more women.

Women tend to bring some kind of seriousness to whatever they do. I'm not saying that men are unserious. I'm saying that when women go into careers they usually take it a lot more seriously. They know they have to prove a point. If you say that a film is directed by a woman, people will say, oh, a woman?

So, she'll have to work extra hard. For a women to be noticed she's probably working three or four times as harder as a man in her position. It's the same thing in every industry; I used to be in the bank and I know that women who made it to the top worked maybe two or three harder.

For you what has been the downside in your industry?

The lack of structures has been a very sour point. I come from a very structured environment; I spent about ten years in banking. You call a meeting for 7p.m and people are there for 7pm. Then I come into an unstructured environment where when you call a meeting for 10am, people don't get there until 3pm. It really bothers me. People have to not see themselves as professionals or serious people. We have to change that attitude totally. This is serious business.

The second one is lack of funds, which is a reflection of the lack of structures in our industry. Yes, you have a dream; you know want you want to do but you don't have the funding to achieve it. I started shooting a movie in February this year and we're still editing in August/ September although I'll do cinema first before putting it on video. There are so many limitations when shooting. I sourced for my money myself. I couldn't get money from banks or any corporate funding except my father who helped me.

When it's your money you're using, it becomes really restricting because it's the much you have that you have access to. It tends to limit the quality of what you want to put out.

So many ratings have been made about the industry. Are you flattered by such ratings? Are they accurate descriptions of your industry?

When they say we're reacted second; second in what? We are rated second in quantity. After India's Bollywood, we produce the second largest number of films in the world. In a way I'd say its good for us, for the recognition; that we're even mentioned before Hollywood. That means we are working.

Now, after the accolades we have to sit back and ask ourselves, which Nollywood movie has won a major world award like Bollywood? None! We need to be rated for best quality, best sound, best technical output. Rating should not make us feel self-satisfied but work harder.

I have a dream of a Nigeria movie industry where the practitioners take pride in themselves and their achievement and approach their works very seriously. I have a dream of an industry that will take the world by storm not because of its size but because of the quality of its work. I have a dream of a movie industry that will change the image that the world has about Nigeria. That will happen when we as moviemakers start taking ourselves seriously.