I DIDN’T IMPREGNATE MY DAUGHTER, SAYS ACTOR OBI

Ernest Obi is a household name in Nollywood. As an actor and film director, he has seen the good, the bad and the ugly sides of the film industry and life itself. Being a star, Obi’s life is not devoid of controversy. One of the controversies that have dogged his life is when his ex-wife accused him of impregnating his step-daughter a number of times and subjecting the girl to several bouts of abortions. In this interview with DAVID AJIBOYE, Obi who is president of Actors Guild of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter, talked about his crashed marriage, the movie industry, his most embarrassing moment among others.

What is the most embarrassing moment of your life?
When my ex accused me of impregnating my daughter several times and had her terminate them. I was pushed to the wall and it got me thinking of murder. My woman and I separated in 2007 and she moved to London. I think she heard of my impending marriage to my fiancee and was angry so she came up with the allegations . I almost died. Two days later, she called me to apologise. I asked her to tell the press the truth but she said she could not face the world. I also could not go round to say it was a lie so we left it like that.

What could have been her reason for doing such a thing?
I don’t know and I don’t want to know. It is no longer important. I have moved on with my life. Let God judge between the two of us.

What was your reaction then?
The day I heard of it, I didn’t know what to do at first because I was confused. Absentmindedly, I walked into a church. Tears just ran down my face. I told the pastor what had happened and he asked the congregation to pray for me. I really thank that pastor and my fiancé who stood by me. Her friends mocked her but she told them that I could not do such a thing.

What do you think is the reason marriages are crashing especially among artistes?
Marriages are breaking up everywhere and it is not restricted to artistes alone. I always tell people not to get into a relationship out of pity. It is the worst thing you can ever do to yourself.

What attracted you to the lady you want to marry?
It is the fact that she does not see me as an actor. She sees me as her husband, friend and above all, someone she can talk to. If I make the wrong move, she tells me straight to my face without blinking and without caring if I am angry or not. She is a very principled person, down to earth and believes in me.

Any marriage intention?
We are looking at having the traditional marriage this December, although we are having an argument that December is not a very good time for people to attend functions. However, we are still considering it.

Where did you meet her?
She came to register to act about seven years ago. I saw her and told her not to act. She asked why because she had already paid for the form but I told her not to act and that was how the whole thing started.

Was the other lady still in your life then?
No. We had our problems then and we were separated.

Does your previous lover have children for you?
Yes. She has two children for me. She is in England with them.

What part of your fiancée’s body appeals to you most?
Every part of her body appeals to me. If you see her, you will understand what I am saying. She is an angel and the love of my life.

What does she do?
She works with an IT firm here in Lagos. She studied Linguistics and majored in French.

Can you tell us about your family and educational background?
My father was Chief Dara Onyia Egwu, the Oba 1 of Ukpor. He married many wives but my mother was the first. I attended Onward Nursery and Primary School, Surulere, and Baptist Academy Secondary School. From there, I went to the University of Ife, where I studied Dramatic Arts and majored in directing.

How was growing up among your sisters like?
It was fun. I was my daddy’s pet. I slept in his bed even while I was still in secondary school. He helped me to have focus. I was extremely comfortable while growing up. I thank God for my life because I almost became a girl. My sisters doted on me.They thought I looked like a girl so, they would always want to do girlish things to me like apply lipstick on my lips until my mother came back from the U.S. and screamed that they should stop turning her only son into a girl.

How do you see women?
I respect women a lot. Maybe, it is because I grew up among women. However, women are the most difficult species on earth. Men are generally childish. We love attention. We want to be pampered even when it is not necessary. Women, on the other hand, are very complicated. They are like picking a piece of cloth from the middle of a pile. If you are in a hurry, you will rumple it all. So, you take it one piece at a time until you get to that one you want.

There is this complaint about professionalism in Nollywood. What is your take on that?
I disagree totally with you. I don’t understand what you mean by professionalism. People who started from nothing are now making something out of nothing. I think that is the height of professionalism.
Being a professional is not holding a PhD in a particular field. It takes dedication and commitment to become a professional. If you have a PhD and you are not dedicated to that field, you will fail.

When did you become famous?
I don’t know because I started from stage and moved to TV. I think what actually sent me into the limelight was the role I played in The Glamour Girls. In the film, I cooked and washed my girl’s underwear. I did it perfectly that I caught the fancy of filmmakers. After that it went on and on.

Do you think you have arrived at the peak of your career?
No, I have not even gone half way. I need to be able to buy a car for myself, my mother, buy property, open schools and others without shaking. With the way things are in Nigeria, one needs to sit up to survive. There is no money in this country and majority of the people are crying. Yet, the banks were giving N88billion to individuals. To be frank, I have not arrived at the peak of my career at all, I still have a long way to go.

Was there a time you thought you went into the wrong profession?
No. It is a dream come true. I was once a manager in a shipping line and I also manned a company, but I was never happy. Nothing in life would have made me happier than acting.

Was there a time your parents thought or felt you chose the wrong career?
Initially, my mum thought so. She thought I was too intelligent to be acting. She thought I should be outside the country where my sisters are. I am extremely stubborn, so when she realised I was bent on doing it, she left me alone and today, she is enjoying it.

Pains and gains of fame
You cannot balance it out. Sometimes, it paves way for you but at other times, it becomes the reason why you will be hated and humiliated. There are occasions where police will recognise you and allow you to pass but there are days when they will be stubborn simply because they feel you are pompous. People also disrespect you because they feel you are better than them even when you don’t feel so. Sometimes, someone may call you when you are sleeping and if you tell him or her to call back, they take offense. I can go on and on.

I NEED A WIFE SERIOUSLY, SAYS GHANAIAN STAR ACTOR, KOFI ADJORLOLO
 
By David Ajiboye
 
How Kofi Adjorlolo wished that he had a woman he could call his wife by his side at this time that fame and fortune are beginning to knock on his door.

Doubtless, the 52-year-old popular movie actor, with two failed marriages behind him and two children to raise, has been through some rough times on his way up.
Anyone listening to Adjorlolo’s life story would agree with him that indeed he deserves a break from the hustler that he has been for the most part of his adult life.

“I was a common civil servant earning a meager salary at Ghana Broadcasting Corporation. I worked as a radio presenter from 5.00 am to 5.00 pm and at certain time; I was compelled to do two jobs to make ends meet.

Then I met Metro TV’s Talal Fattal. He was not into his own television station then but financially he sponsored us to come out with a programme, TV Market, by Media Number One”, he said in a chat with www.africanmoviestar.com recently..

That was one of the interventions which taught Adjorlolo that there was light at the end of the tunnel. “Now as an actor, thank God, I’m financially sound as compared to 10 years ago. I’m not emphasizing only on the monetary aspect but now I have the luxury of working under less pressure and less stress than I did in those days”, he said.

Being a successful actor has its own peculiar challenges. “For example,” he said, “I face the challenge of going to town and being immediately noticed. My private life has somewhat been very much reduced and I am obliged to relate to people in a particular way. But my biggest challenge and regret at the moment is not having a wife by my side.”

Recounting how he came into acting, Adjorlolo said it never occurred to him that he will be an actor. “After my sixth form education, I became a professional musician playing with a number of bands including that of Nigeria’s Victor Uwaifo of Joromi fame.

“In between my stay at GBC and working for Media Number One, I was offered a job as a Marketing Manager at Peace FM. After eight months, I was called by the current Ambassador to Benin, Mr E. K. Adu to assist in the establishment of another radio station, now Channel R.

“Later my cousin, Richard Prempeh, the Executive Producer of Taxi Driver asked me to write scripts for the series and possibly join the cast. That is how I entered acting.”

Sounding content with himself, Adjorlolo said judging from his ability to work his way up from the days of Taxi Driver to become one of the most sought after Ghanaian actors by the Nigerian film industry, “I’d say that I’m a good actor. After being in the industry for about six years the reactions I get from my fans and the general public has been encouraging.”

Talking about his film roles and how he gets them, he said he is not auditioned before he gets the roles. “Producers have realized that some of us can do more than we are usually given.

For instance, I did a comedy with Osuofia and Mr Ibu and it worked well, though I don’t see myself as a comedian. I don’t normally audition for roles at this stage of my career. I can play any role given to me and I do it to the best of my ability.”

Adjorlolo would not talk about the financial harvests that acting films in Nigeria has brought him but he disclosed that he was offered as much as $5,000 about a year and a half ago in Abuja to act in one film. “It was a wonderful experience”, he said.

Adjorlolo is the son of Mr Johnny Adjorlolo and Madam Matilda Johnson and the second of three children. Keta is his hometown where he had his early education at AME Zion School, Keta Secondary School and later to Ebenezer Secondary School where he had his sixth form education.

In total, Adjorlolo has featured in about 60 movies within the last six years. These have included Ghanaian titles such as God Loves Prostitutes, Mummy’s Daughter, My Mother’s Heart, Official Prostitutes and Ghana-Nigeria collaborations such as My First Experience, Golden Adventure and Power of the Gods.

He has played alongside renowned actors like Ini Edo, Genevieve Nnaji, Patience Ozorkor, Ramsey Nouah, Emeka Ike, Olu Jacobs and Nkem Owoh aka Osuofia.

Wondering what he does in his free time? Kofi says he enjoys watching movies, playing his guitar and reading. He confesses that nothing will stand in his way to enjoy Akpele and Fetri detsi whenever he can.

He hates flying for many hours or riding in a speeding car. His favorite advice to everyone, especially the youth is “Don’t give up on your dreams or be deterred by the challenges that come your way, but keep your eyes on what you want to achieve.”

BY DAVID AJIBOYE

Jim Iyke has been variously described as Nollywood’s playboy -a serial heart breaker, one whose motto vis-a-vis relationships with women, appears to be “use them and leave them.” Tabloid stories about his sexual escapades are in volumes, leaving many to wonder what he is looking for in a woman or if he will ever find that unique woman who will melt his heart and make him entertain the thoughts of walking down the aisle.

During a recent encounter with Jim, the issue of his playboy image and stories of his sexual liaisons were exhaustively probed. As reported before, he vehemently denied being a playboy, however, admitting that “a million women may pass through your life, but only one will stick and strike that chord in you.” It appears that that one woman may have finally materialized, and struck a strong chord in Jim Iyke’s life.

Jim Iyke

There have been some rumors and published speculations that the handsome actor may have finally found a woman of his dreams – a fact that he has neither denied nor confirmed, until now. Jim Iyke was asked explicitly if he had finally found the elusive dream woman, and if so, what qualities stood her out of the numerous others that competed for his heart, love and affection?

Smiling infectiously, Jim volunteered, “I am going to tell you everything you need to know. As a matter of fact, I am going to use this opportunity to finally break my silence over this issue. As you rightly pointed out, a lot has been written about my new found love, most of them largely speculative in nature.

“Yes, it is true. I have found the woman of my dreams, and we are in love in totality. She is the embodiment of all that I have been looking for: tall, pretty, exotic and supremely intelligent. I was looking for a woman who would complement and reinforce my intellectually curious mind -someone who would add and not subtract, and I’m happy to admit that I have finally found her. Her name is Phil, and I would leave it at that.”

How They Met, “I met Phil sometime last year in the United States. She’s of Caribbean ancestry – more specifically Jamaican. We had a movie shot in Baltimore and Phil was invited by her then friend, Ruth Okoro, to the set, and we had an instant connection. Initially, I thought I was just going to have a good time with her, and keep it moving.

But her beauty, intellect, deeply ingrained values and an abiding capacity to understand and deconstruct me struck me. No other woman I had met ever took time to learn who I was, and what elements and values define my entire being.

Phil’s love for me was not based on my fame, rather she cared much about Jim Iyke, as an individual and not Jim Iyke as a star-actor and Nollywood superstar.

Jim Iyke

I have always believed in the partnership of body, soul and the mind. Oftentimes, the women that crossed my path in the past were more interested in the partnership of the body. But Phil possesses both the intellectual ability and the traditional values that were in short supply with my recent past relationships.” In the past few months, the tabloid
newspapers had regaled their readers with the case of betrayal on the part of Jim’s new found love.

According to reports, “Phil, supplanted and betrayed her close friend, Ruth Okoro, who was said to be seeing Jim Iyke at the time she introduced her then best friend, Phil to the Nollywood Sexiest Actor.” As a result of this betrayal, the two erstwhile friends are mortal enemies today. Asked if he ever had an affair with Ruth, Jim replied in the negative.

“No. Ruth is not my kind of woman, and the notion that I was seeing her is totally preposterous. How could I be seeing Ruth, when she was even married to my boy, Philips Ehigiwina? She was sleeping around with Emeka Ike. I have values and moral ethos, and those values were in conflict with what I was seeing.

That was the reason I called Ruth’s husband in Texas, and asked him to come to Maryland and see what his wife was doing with Emeka Ike.

Ruth was caught red handed in bed with Emeka Ike, and she knows this to be the truth. All the nonsense that was written about my alleged jealousy because Ruth was seeing both Emeka and me, were pieces of junk journalism. It is true that Ruth introduced me to Phil. I didn’t need to deny that.

I saw a winner in Phil and I went for her. I have no regrets. What Ruth wanted from me, unfortunately, I couldn’t give it to her because of the fact that I have some morals in me. All the negative things she has said about Phil never bothered me because I know who she is, and I am comfortable with who she is.”

MEN HAVE BEEN UNFAIR TO ME-CLARION CHUKWURAH

By David Ajiboye

I feel misunderstood, terribly unhappy and sometimes wish I had not become a star whenever controversies arise on my relationship with them. People get into a relationship with you because you are a star and they have certain expectations, which after living together for a while, the realisation that you are just a simple human being sets in, when the veneer of stardom is rubbed off and the simple part of you is revealed, men just want to move on because they didn’t come for your simplicity or person at first, they came for the stardom. For all the 30 years in the spotlight, men misunderstood me.

Those are the words that poured out of veteran screen diva, Clarion Chukwurah when replying to a question bordering on her relationship with men. Sitting comfortably in the confines of her Omole Estate, Lagos home, and not looking an inch her age, she spoke of her thirty years on screen, laying more emphasis on the degenerated state of the Nigerian movie industry that is widely referred to as Nollywood.

The situation of the movie industry in Nigeria has contributed directly to why I have decided to take a back seat and do other things like my thriving businesses. It is sad to note that contrary to the professionalism platform with which Nollywood was initiated, things have degenerated so bad that an urgent help is needed. The content isn’t inspirational anymore, casting is gone with the wind and the harsh economic situation is not helping the situation.

The industry has gotten away with the hype that it’s the third largest in the world. However, technicality, creativity and originality have been thrown away while  actors and actresses are not earning what they deserve.  Nollywood has refused to take the right steps, which include unionisation to help it grow and give it a voice and become a proper commercial industry affiliated to the NLC (Nigeria Labour Congress)

“Yes, people are watching our films all over the world but the set of people we need to help make the industry grow technically and financially are not the ones watching”, the ageless mother of three said dejectedly.

What then has she been doing since she has decided to take a back seat after close to thirty years in the industry that made her?

I have been doing a whole lot and aside my corporate regular business, which include supply of corporate gifts and materials for corporate organizations, and involvement in the oil sector, the Clarion Chukwurah  initiative has taken so much of my time. We organize events for the less previledged and children. We are speaking with the Lagos First Lady, Mrs Abimbola Fashola on an arm of the initiative, which includes children. 

I’ve also been taking very good care of my children . Also, keeping me busy is the preparations toward the celebrations of my 30 years on stage. I have done quite a lot and a whole lot are in the pipeline for the success of this in 2009. So, basically, I have my hands tied with all these and not forgetting my TV production outfit-Jade Productions that would be going into distribution of viewing content.

And for people that know this fashionable and celeberated actress, she’s been living quite large without attracting attention to her private life in the last few years as a result of her success in her various business initiatives, which has endeared her to many.

A successful Clarion isn’t complete without the inclusion of super filmmaker, Clarence-whose popularity and success in the entertainment world is fast on the rise.

His birth was as a result of the relationship that once existed between Clarion  and top flight Afro juju star, Shena Peters many years back. The relationship rocked the Nigerian entertainment industry while it lasted,  just as the product, Clarence, is also rocking the same industry that produced him with his creative camera lens.

Thus what would be her take on the talented chap? Hear Her:

Clarence makes me feel great that he’s finally making people see and know how things ought to be done. In his own little way, he’s contributing to the revolutionzation of the entertainment industry as regards technology, creativity, technicality and originality. All this makes me feel great and happy that he’s mine.

The truth is that we’ve been stars since we were kids. We grew up together, I mean Clarence and I grew up together and of course, it’s not surprising that he’s this big. From the beginning we both knew he was going to be big and all we needed was to harness the talent and make it real.  Actually he has not started yet. He’s just beginning because by the time he’s out in the open, many people will be shocked to the bone marrows.

The things I don’t support all through with him are that he hardly eats. He’s more of a studio rat and hardly have time to eat and he ignores fashion. He’s not cut out for designer wears like I would have wanted him to or, even like his peers. He’s so much into what he does.

So, it’s correct to say that she’s no doubt a fulfilled mother despite the circumstances of Clarence’s birth?

One single fact is that I do all I can to make my children happy and Clarence is not an exception. I monitor their success and activities and they continually tell me that I’m the best mom in the whole world. I honestly know that I’m a fulfilled and good mother and I’ve given Clarence all the necessary support to be successful in life. This aspect of me is hundred percent fulfilled.

The realisation that she’s spent 30 years of her life on the screen has surely has it’s ups and downs. What regrets does she have?

With slight pause and unsatisfactory look on her face, she replied: It would be fantastic to say no regrets but that would be a fairy tale. Of course I do have regrets and my main regret is that I began to practice my profession in a country that does not encourage talent but rather grows in the context of appreciating talents, celeberating and assisting talents to grow. If I had started out in the U.S or UK, I would have been better off because I would not have had lots of ideas go to waste just because I’m in the wrong society practicing my profession.