Interview With Ernest Obi

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 apologize. 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 fiancé’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 realized 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 recognize 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.