When the last one held, I was in the hospital with my son. Unfortunately, I have never been to AMMA Award. So I am talking about what I witnessed in Imo State. I saw cultural troupe, market women, school children, lining up the roads to welcome the stars. It has never been done.
How often do you visit home?
Imo is my state but I don’t live here, I wasn’t born here. I was born and bread in Lagos. I really have no business here per se because this is not where I work. Something big is happening here and I was invited. I feel honoured to be here.
What have you to say about the governor’s pledge to retain the hosting rights of the NMA?
That is his own idea because if you do not handle your office well, it will be taken from you and given to another person. If he says he wants to keep it on until he lives office and he has the resources, the ability and capability, why not? As long has he holds on to his thing well.
All the same, I feel it is an honour for the already established actors and actresses, especially the musicians for whose purpose we are all here. On the job as governor, he has been doing very well.
The upcoming ones, particularly the youths, would want to emulate the stars. They would want to be celebrated as we are being celebrated today. It will bring about a complete boost, a complete change in attitude and character of some parents who have this kind of negative views about their children and wards going into music or movies.
Your child would have learnt something from the event as well. Why didn’t you come with him?
My son is in school. He certainly can’t leave school to come and attend an event for now no matter the magnitude unless he’s on holidays. And talking about career choice and decision, I’m not going to decide for my son because nobody decided for me.
My father had wanted me to become a lawyer and I was like no, I don’t think I want to be a lawyer. I want to be in the entertainment industry. I pray the Lord Almighty to direct my son
whatever he is destined to become. I know he is going to excel like his mother who is an excellent woman in her job.
Do you intend to also do music as some of your colleagues?
For now, I am not a great singer. That does not mean I don’t sing in the bathroom or in my house, car. I am not thinking professionally of singing because I haven’t sharpen my singing ability. I’d rather concentrate on doing my job as an actress. The only thing I will do is that I will clap for colleagues who want to sing. They should showcase whatever they have.
How does you appearance like this portray you as a role model?
Could you tell me how star actresses dress? You tell me the idea of how star actresses dress maybe I will learn from it. If you are talking about Africa and our culture, what are the clothing of Africa if we are really going to talk about it.
They wear jigida and beads on their waist and they leave their boos hanging open? I don’t know if you are talking from an illiterate point of view. I am sorry to say that. When you are talking about a role model, you talk about the content of the brain. The content of your ability and character as well as discipline.
You are not talking about clothing or what you have. When you come close to someone and observe the way he behaves, you will know if you are to take example from them because as long as the person is not a drug addict, the person doesn’t fight or talk stupidly to people outside but talk with reverence and the fear of God, that is what it takes to be a role model. As an actress, I have won seventeen awards and those awards ceremonies were organized by responsible people. If I’m not a role model, those awards will not be given to me.
It’s unheard of that somebody in the show business wearing boubou and tying head tie to an event. It’s about wearing the best fashion because people who made the clothes are fashion designers. They are not mad people, they are not crazy and insane people and I have reason to believe so.
I am wearing a designer’s apparel by Valentino and that is what stars are meant to wear. Star really are born and not made. A secondary school girl can not see me and dress like this because she has not achieve what I have achieved and she certainly cannot afford to buy it.
I am a star actress. When she gets to the level I have attained, that is when she thinks and can afford to dress the way I am dressed.
Do you think any serious man would be attracted to ask for your hand in marriage in an attire like this?
A woman being attractive. You are not enlightened. If you are enlightened you won’t be asking such question.