Category: Saturday Magazine

Chief Funke Arthur–Worrey, widow of deceased legal luminary, Steady Worrey, will clock 95 in a few days. The mother of former Lagos State Commissioner for Lands, Fola Arthur-Worrey, probably one of the most travelled Nigerian women, speaks with GBENGA ADERANTI about the secrets of her good health as a nonanegarian, her family life and why divorce cases are on the rise among the younger generation.

With your healthy physical condition, very few people would believe that you will be clocking 95 in a few days from now.  What is the secret?

Life has been wonderful to me because my God, my Maker, has been wonderful to me from day one and later in life. I have never been alone in my life. And health wise, apart from malaria, I have been very lucky. I eat well. I sleep well. I go for a walk when I want to. I even go to the market to talk to the women and children of Ebutte- Ero, Sura and all that. I knew their parents, grandparents and now their children. I call them my babies.

I like to watch our women, Nigerian women are wonderful women, and they work so hard. You see some of them with their babies on their backs and very early in the morning they go out to buy goods to sell, and they do it happily.

In the morning, especially on our road here, by 7 o’clock, the women are here with prepared food for the workers and you see the workers milling around them. Nigerian women are wonderful. That’s why I keep on saying that one day, they should honour the women of Nigeria by giving them vice president of Nigeria.

You talked about having people around you. Your husband passed on some years ago. How does it feel without your husband?

I’m missing him every day. Sometimes I think he is around because we were so close. He was so good to me. He was a God sent. Like a miracle, he came from nowhere from England. I didn’t have a clue about him. He was a stranger to me. But at that particular time that he came into my life, he made my life wonderful because he was there for me. He did everything for me. He made my life comfortable. He taught me so much. He taught me how to swim. He also taught me about sports. I didn’t have a clue about sports; it was when I met him that I had to watch football and cricket. He was friends with everybody, though he was not a Yoruba man. He went to England at about the age of eight. He was so good. Unfortunately, he died 12 years ago. When he died, if anybody said I was going to live and be here today, I would say no. God has been good to me.

You said you always feel his presence. How?

What I mean is the feeling is still there. His presence is still here. If you look at all the artifacts all over, he was a collector. He would always find something that he would bring back. If you ask him, after many years we came back from the Scandinavian, Egypt, he was ready to tell you about Edo artifacts. For example Okpopolo 11, the Oba of Benin, gave him something he loved so much: elephant tooth. He cherished it a lot. He was ready to tell you exactly where he got it from. He was a wonderful man.

You see, some people would die and the widow would have problem either with the children or the family. I had nothing of such. Everything is peaceful in my life. That is what I believe. I’m not a spiritualist. I believe in one God, Jehovah. So I just feel he is around like my parents. My mummy and my daddy, I still feel their presence even though they have left me for many years, they are still there guiding me. I just feel it that Steady is there.

You said you go to Idumota, and so on…

Even now, all my life, I have travelled. I have travelled round Nigeria. The only state I didn’t visit with my husband then was Sokoto State. We went round. When Ojukwu was in Kano, he was our guest. Ademulegun was in Kaduna. These people would take us round and look after us. My husband was always going to museum and I was always going to the market, to see women and appreciate them. We have been round Nigeria. The same thing in Europe.

Now when I sit back and trace my life from a Lagos girl here and going around the world, Europe, China and Israel, because we were friendly with the ambassador of Israel then. The children were the same. They used to take the children to the beach at Badagry, Ibeshe, and when they returned, we would take them back.

And then something happened and I thought that was the end of our marriage. Then I was in England for further studies, and I Ieft  the children with my husband. I left Abiola. That is why this my birthday, I keep on thinking of Abiola. She was so brilliant and affectionate. She would remember my birthday. I dared not complain. She would say, Mummy, then she would go and make tea. But she drowned suddenly. I was in England, they went as usual for a weekend at Ibeshe (beach). The other parents were relaxing, and, according to what they told me, the tide just came and swept the four children away.  It was only Abiola they couldn’t find.

I was away and my husband was in the Ministry of Justice.  He was the Legal Adviser, Defence. That gave us the opportunity to travel round the world and see some wonderful people. That was how Abiola died. They tried. The Navy, even the Lagos State Government then under Mobolaji Johnson, and my church, they were there for me.  but Abiola has gone to rest. She died in 1967, but suddenly, she came into my head. This 95 is part of celebrating Abiola’s memory. Life is wonderful to me. I feel good, I feel happy.

With the spate of insecurity in Nigeria, how do you feel when you go out for a walk?

I don’t feel good, because in those days, I’m now talking of Lagos, my Lagos, it was so free to live around Ita Garawu, Oke Suna to Tokunbo and Campus. There were not lots of cars then. We had families everywhere. All the men were our uncles, all the women were aunties, and you dare not misbehave, because if you misbehaved and one of them caught you and spanked you, you dared not go home and say, because if you go home and report, you will get double of that. You respect your elders. When elders are talking, you dare not interfere.

And then my father’s house at Olowogbowo, a lot of people came in at any time and went out at any time. We would go to Osogbo to see Susan Wenger art.  We drove to Kaduna, from Kaduna to Bauchi to Tafawa Balewa tomb. We never had any fear. Anywhere you went, you would meet a friend. Whether Kanuri, Hausa or Fulani, immediately you got together you became a family. But I’m afraid now.

I love to listen to news, local, national or international. I’m not a politician, but I’m interested. But suddenly, you don’t trust me, I don’t trust you. Some days back, someone came here and she was talking about kidnapping and I said to her don’t say that. This is Lagos; you are safe here by the grace of God. But now people are so afraid about their lives. I think government should do something about this security thing.

The one that really devastated was that of the railway.  And when you listen to the news, the kidnappers are demanding something. The atmosphere is not good. I’m not happy.

I saw the way you pulled that sliding window and I was amazed. Where do you get the energy to do that at your age?

(Prolonged laughter) I don’t know. All my life, I must confess, I have been like that. I like to move. Even now, I do my laundry. The children will see me and say, ‘Ah, Grandma!’ When they are cleaning, I want to do something. I’m like that. Maybe that was why I could pull the window. I don’t just sit down. God has been good to me. “I sleep well, I eat well. But the thing now is that I drink a lot of water. I was so concerned that I asked one of my doctors, my baby, one of those who have been looking after me, and I said you know what, I drink a lot of water, I don’t know. I said is it alright, because in a day I drink six of the plastic bottle water. She said I could even drink 10.

I drink a lot of water and I feel good and I still have lots of energy. But sometimes if you over do it, something pulls you back and say no, no you are old. I thank God. People see me and they say ah! Maybe they were waiting for a grumpy old woman.

You said a Nigerian woman should become the vice president…

Left to me, I would prefer a woman to be the Nigerian president. Look at Angela Merkrel in Germany, they didn’t want her to leave. She managed their economy well, everybody was happy. Look at the late Bandaranaike in Sri Lanka before; if not that she died, she was doing well. Look at Indra Ghandi of India, she was doing fine, everything was alright. I don’t know why a country like this, giant of Africa with all the wealth we have, they don’t make us comfortable. Give a woman a chance; you will have water, light and employment.

How do you spend your leisure time?

I read a lot. I read anything. I read magazines, novels, I read anything that catches my fancy. I walk around in the garden because I’ve got my flowers. I must look after them.  Honestly, it is not me, it is God. I surprise myself. I walk around, I do laundry. I do ironing. I do sweeping. I can dance. You need to see me, immediately I hear music, I keep moving. That is me. And I eat a lot. I like Nigerian dishes like amala and efo. God has blessed Nigeria; we have human and natural resources in abundance. We shouldn’t suffer in Nigeria at all. I’m not saying all of us should be millionaires. Nigeria should be better than this.

Before this interview, you were talking about politics and Yoruba people. What exactly is wrong with the race?

If you look at our people, there is something wrong with us. Look at the history of Oyo, Ife and Modakeke and recently, Awolowo and Akintola. We always had issues with trusting ourselves. It has been like that with the Yoruba if you look at our history. That is why if three of us are making plans, you say okay, we are going to Ibadan tomorrow, something will happen and one of us will say don’t go. There is high mistrust among the Yoruba people. It is a pity we don’t trust one another. Look at what is happening now. In those days, the Yoruba would sit down and decide, this is what we are going to do.

Unlike before, the rate of divorce appears to be high. What could have been the root cause of this and what is the way out?

First of all, it is the God almighty that makes a couple, that makes a home and then luck. In those days, our women had respect for their husbands. Remember in those days a Yoruba man would have three or four wives. Although there could be jealousy here and there among the wives, they would comply with whatever their husband said. Again, the children, like when I was growing up, we never  knew the difference between A or B among the mothers. We all grew up together and there was love. But now, things have changed. In those days, when you are married, you were married into the family.  It was your duty to look after your in-laws. But now, things have changed .

Apart from that, the atmosphere is not friendly. You all struggle to provide for the family. Now, most women are not patient. Unlike before, we women are advanced now. Women talk back, unlike before, and the couple would start arguing over nothing.

Another thing is mother-in-law and wife’s rivalry. I don’t know if it is a myth. Whether you like it or not, the mother-in-law raised this man. We have a lot of problems. But then there are some exceptions. In my charity group and church, there are many young people that have been married for long and are happy. I wouldn’t say everything is bad. It could be better.

If your husband, Steady, were to be alive, how would he have celebrated your 95th birthday?

(Prolonged laughter) He was a perfectionist. If I say let’s have 10 people, he would say let’s have five more because you know they would bring their drivers, etc. He was a simple man, gentle. He would have been over the moon for me. I’m missing him.

What are those things you are not likely to forget about him?

His affection. He was a story teller. I can’t forget his jokes. He was a man that would make you laugh. He would make me happy, let’s say I’m so sad, something happened. He was a man who believed that what would be would be. Let’s say something happened, he would say, ‘Funke, forget about it; what would be would be.’

THE founder of Eagle Eyes Foundation and Chief Executive Officer of MAB International Conference, Aderonke Mabel, in an interview with TOBA ADEDEJI, talks about the challenges confronting media practice in Nigeria.

Given your experience in media business, what are the challenges confronting the business in Nigeria?

Apart from the legal requirements for starting a media business, such as licensing and the regulatory requirements, media business is big business. It requires heavy investments, so many people would love to be in it but are constrained by the wherewithal to match up to the investment demands. The equipment and machinery do not come cheap, and without all this in place, you can’t do excellently well.

There are many examples of media businesses that are in operation but struggling because of lack of investment power. It places a lot of demand on the individual that is launching into the business; that’s talking about those requiring infrastructure such as the broadcast media and the print. The investment is not little and I think that has posed a bit of a challenge for business owners in the media industry in Nigeria.

There is also the aspect of competence: having the technical and strategic knowledge of the workings of the media. And this is where we must strike a balance because it is not enough to have the investment power but also the right to know how the business works in Nigeria; the knowledge of the law and ethics so that you’re not on the wrong side of the law in the course of your operations. And the knowledge about law and ethics of the business is not just about understanding the international laws and conventions but also the right to understand the local laws of the business, both the ones enshrined in the constitution and the media industry code and other industry-specific laws. You have to be fully equipped.

So, competence has been a very big issue in media business. This business Is not supposed to be an escape engagement; something you venture into because you could not find your feet in your chosen profession. Media business is deep. The role of media in the society is sacred. It is not something to be embraced with shallow knowledge. We can’t exhaust some of these issues, but it can be said in passing that these problems exist.

Technology has opened the media industry up for wider participation. What are the positives or otherwise of this reality to the industry?

The technological outbreak of the later part of the 20th and 21st centuries has had an effect on every industry including the media. Yes, it comes with its positives and negatives. On the positive side, I think it makes news breaking time quick. Looking at the aspect of news, for instance, there is quicker newsbreak. Technology has made it affordable, especially with the concept of citizen journalism where users can generate contents to share with a wider audience.

Technology has served as an advantage to the media industry. Our access to gadgets and internet connectivity that puts us in the position to perform the function of the media in form of educating and informing does not mean that everyone understands the critical elements of media practice. The fact that you have access does not mean you understand the strategy. Media business involves strategy; it is not just the infrastructure or the access.  And it cuts across the different aspects of the media like advertising, PR, media buying and media placement. They are all strategic. It is not about any available platform.

Gathering and dissemination of information require a critical strategy that comes with training in the art of media. It is not all information you come across that is newsworthy. There is a gate-keeping process that all information must pass through. There are checks that you need to ensure as a way of trying to determine the fitness of that information for the public space. One needs to be careful of backlashes or legal issues just because you didn’t do fact check.  Yes, technology has its blessings but also the negatives. Because it has opened the space up for wider participation, you know, all manner of people have access but without the requisite knowledge, technical know-how, training, competence and strategy. There’s an incursion of these people in the media space and that is why we have concepts such as fake news, misinformation and disinformation becoming topical as far as media practice is concerned these days.

In the past when there were more stringent regulations and practitioners were professionals indeed, some of these things were not as prominent as they are today. But now, because there is wider participation because of the mix between professionals and some people driven by survival instincts, access and affordability to operate meets with their survival tendencies. Because of some of these developments, we have also had some other issues arising in the industry: hate speech, misinformation, fake news and the likes. These issues are legally and ethically not compliant.

Knowing all of these, what will MAB International Conference bring to the industry?

The MAB International Conference intends to solve some specific problems in the business of media production and management. This project will also aim at tackling the different challenges faced by the vast majority of youths who have a burning desire to develop a career in media production, management and media business in its entirety. The project, which will run every year with different themes, will also shed light on the pros and cons of the media business with the help of celebrated world-class media giants to bring a balance to the previous knowledge of the upcoming media giants in Nigeria who are striving daily to ensure self-improvement and total development of the media industry.

So, where do you place the proposed conference? Is it your shot at cleansing the industry or just your way of impacting Nigerian youths that share your passion?

I’ll say it’s a mixture of both. It is a shot at cleansing the media industry of its ills and vices with the right ingredients, equipment and strategies and also to impact a lot of Nigerian youths who have the burning passion to learn and grow in the business of media.

So, is this a one-off solution or we can expect the initiative to be sustained? And what are the sustainability plans?

I mentioned earlier that this project will run every year with different themes targeted at different corners of media practice. Now, I can confidently tell you that this is not just a conference but a journey with a destination at the right place. The conference will be powered by the mother company, EagleEyes Communications, a multimedia developing and consulting firm that specialises in television, radio broadcasting and theatre/film production and has been in the space for more than six years rendering services such as advertising, broadcasting, networking, news, blogging, printing and publishing, recording and motion pictures.  It intends to bring all these technical know-how to make the conference sustainable.

Queen Angelique-Monet Gureje -Thompson is a woman of many parts. She is an actress, producer, musician, writer, and wife of a monarch, Oba Dokun Thompson, the Oloni of Eti-Oni, Osun State.
Angelique-Monet, the Yeyeluwa Olori of Eti-Oni is a former Miss Black South Carolina USA and was top 10 in the Ms. Black USA Pageant.
She also appeared in some flicks, including Engaging (2009), Deceptive (2009). She has interviewed Hollywood veterans such as Academy Award Winner Morgan Freeman, Golden Globe Winner Alan Alda, and Music Mogul Russel Simmons, among others.
The former Miss. Black South Carolina is known for her unique talent, ventriloquism, speaking in such a manner that the sound seems to come from a distance or from a source other than the speaker.
She spoke with GBENGA ADERANTI. Excerpts

AS an American of African descent what does it take to be married to a Yoruba monarch?                   

I would say patience, dedication and most importantly understanding.

How did the two of you meet?

We met by sharing the same interest which is humanitarian and working hard for children. Humanitarian work brought us together.

Yoruba people are conservative when it comes to culture. How did his parents react when he introduced you to his parents?

Unfortunately, both of His Majesties parents as well as mine are deceased but the beautiful thing is that the reactions of our families were amazing. For me, it is a beautiful thing to be welcomed into his majesty’s family. We share so many things in common including tradition because my family too is traditional and conservative when it comes to culture. The idea of building something that will have continued legacies and traditions in our lineage is also what my family stands for.

How long did it take you to learn his culture?

Well, learning is an everyday process. I’m just enjoying learning and meeting individuals of like minds.

Did you have any culture shock when you got to Nigeria?

Growing up in America, I had to study Africa as a little girl, even though I come from multi-culture backgrounds, Native American and also of European descent, and my African ancestors were transported through the slave trade to America which We believe is Nigeria and the Yoruba heritage. I can say that I’m rooted in that culture and after going to a Historical Black College and University, we had to study the history of Africa before slavery. There wasn’t a culture shock when I got here, because Nigerians are proud people, smart and hard working. I must say it is hot.

We grew up in a storytelling tradition, my great-grandmother would tell me stories, though some little things might be missing, but we share some Yoruba interests.  I also love to sing African-American spiritual songs, they go back over 400 years old, and were created to tell messages so the slaves could run away to freedom but these songs and the words are so relevant today. I have grounded myself by walking barefoot at the kingdom, singing my Native American heritage thousands of years old and singing these songs which share the same rhythm, and the beat of many Yoruba songs. When I hear the music, I feel the same people made those songs that are now relevant around the world.

How romantic is kabiyesi?

I would say his majesty is very graceful and a good man, I feel like it is Valentine’s every day.

Talking about your acting career, how many films have you appeared in and how many have you produced? What projects are coming up in films

I’m a stage actress, and some of the films I have acted in are actually my own films where I wrote, produced and directed. I have produced over 10 independent films with notable names and or documentaries not only with Hollywood subjects but also Bollywood.

What we are doing now is producing Royal Land of Cocoa, films about Eti-Oni, and also Legend of Cocoa King. Also, I have been innovative in planning film festivals, and providing platforms for films’ purposes, over 300 to date, one of those films is Son of the South, executive produced by Spike Lee, and two time Oscar nominee Barry Alexander Brown, and we are showing it this weekend during Royal Cocoa International Film Festivals Founded by myself and His Majesty Oba Dokun Thompson, the Oloni of Eti-Oni. Part of my work is not just film producing, or being in front of the camera but service and an obligation to make sure that films of purpose, people of African descent, people of native American descent stories are told to the global marketplace. I take pride in working hard to provide a platform for voices that are unseen and unheard and providing platforms for those films to have a long life so the images and astigmatisms and stereotypes can change.

You produce films, and act and you are also a wife of a monarch, how do you combine all these?

Well first and foremost as the wife of a Monarch, and Yeyeluwa Olori meaning “Helper to God’s representative on Earth”, I take this serious as a God fearing woman, the monarch comes first and the needs of my husband and supporting His Majesty and the visions for our Kingdom, and humanitarian goals are top priority. Now with that being said, I have been a humanitarian since childhood, my acting career was retired a long time ago. Ventriloquism is something I’m also doing for children on a humanitarian basis and His Majesty supports my passion to use the practice of ventriloquism in a positive manner. The children at Eti-Oni love my puppet Milk the Cow. Within our kingdom we have the film, Legend of the Cocoa King. The feature length film was in the line-up at the American Film Market and will go into production in 2023. I enjoy working hard and using my skills to serve for the greater good.

What are those things you are missing right now as a result of your marriage to a traditional ruler?

I’m not missing anything. The only thing I’m missing is that I can’t wait to see Eti-Oni transform into a smart town. My family were civil rights leaders and politicians. I’m trained to understand how to adapt, and I feel like my name which means messenger of God, so marriage to His Majesty Oba Dokun Thompson is something I’ve been groomed for. He is what I was missing all along on this journey to make the world a better place. It is not a fantasy book, it is a real story and even better than Hollywood because we are a working Monarchy and I want all girls to know they need to work hard for their dreams.

Talking about your family and growing up, what was it like?

I grew up at a time when my grandfather changed American history. I was raised by my mother and her parents. Interestingly enough, I didn’t talk until five because I had a learning issue. It was music and ventriloquism that gave me a voice and all the children that bullied me; I was able to become their friends because my puppet actually talked to them. The puppet stopped them from bullying which makes me enjoy working with children.

That gave me a voice and made me a champion in my political home.

I grew up having a birthday in the back seat of a car blowing out a candle on our way to a campaign rally. My maternal grandfather was second in America to receive a nomination from a major party for Governor of a state during the 80s. and served in the legislature as a Senator for over 20 years. When the Rev. Jesse Jackson ran for President my Grand-dad ran for Governor. The two went to high school together. My paternal grandfather was the co-chairman of the Republican Party, even Rev. Jackson spoke at his funeral. Being raised in a political family with also Uncles that served in Congress, I can say this is why I love diplomacy, entertaining, making sure everyone is happy. I enjoy hosting guests and being like the old days when the host would entertain you and cook.

Talking about your talent, ventriloquism, what is it all about and why do you put so much passion in it?

I became a ventriloquist because I needed to get back to those bullies that were bullying me at school and I wanted to do it in a way that could help me believe in myself because I was silenced. My mother was a First Grade teacher, but she is no longer here, my grandmother was also a First Grade teacher, and I used to love to go to the library on Saturdays, just to read books. I asked my mother what scares her the most? She said those things, those talks without moving their mouths.

So I talked to my grandmother, and we created a puppet. I didn’t want to scare my mother. That was why we came up with human beings instead of animals or animated things because the ones that look like humans are kind of scary.

My mother got over her fear and I started being able to express myself. I had low self-esteem when I was in 5th Grade and 1st Grade level and as soon as I started playing piano and later started doing ventriloquism, I could get process information and I was ready for high school at 10. This made me feel good and I was booked to go to school and talk to children. It became something people say I should make a career. So as a teenager, I produced children’s shows. We were in NBC, CBS with children’s shows and when we moved to New York they said let’s do a one-woman play for six weeks, just you and seven characters and your puppets playing.

Years later, it changed to modern-day ventriloquism and made the art more popular in this era. I just enjoy seeing this art that goes back to Egypt, extended to children. I’m excited that the children of Eti-Oni love my puppets and Milk the Cow.

What were the initial challenges you faced when you arrived in Nigeria?

The challenge to me, I know sounds generic, the heat. I just find it hard for my body to adjust to the heat. I think in three months’ time, it will.

The other challenge is that the western world has opinions about what Africa is like when they see Africa and what Africa needs. For me, I ask His majesty, what can I do? How can I help? How can I use any talent that I have so that I can add value to what has already been created. The challenge is just to make sure that the western world understand that here, there is a big foundation for a success and there are lots of foundation for growth but when you come here, you have to have the understanding that you have to add value to what is existing and you have to be humble enough to want to learn the culture and adapt to that particular culture. Find a place and contribute instead of being one of authority.

You were once Miss Black South Carolina Carolina USA,  how can you help in mentoring Nigerian girls?

I’m very happy that you mentioned that. We have a Cocoa Princess Pageant and this year, the princess was adorable and we became close. She is 6 years old.  We will want to grow the Miss Cocoa Princess Pageant. I’m into grooming, education, training, girls. They will be learning how to walk and also learning about self- esteem and education, it is not just a beauty pageant, it is a full package, you should be able to understand culture, education, you should be able to understand what is going on, and have presence.

I’m looking for so many beautiful girls and teenagers and also young women, I would like to have this pageant in different categories. I am also mentoring Nigerian girls that have a passion for the arts, this involves fashion, filmmaking, and acting. The girls I have mentored often have all the talent needed, so my support is advice, encouragement, and platforms to exhibit and promote their work.

How involved are you in Eti-Oni project?

I’m the President of Eti-Oni Development group, it is what I already know how to do, it does not take away from me what I was already doing. We have world international festivals that have conversations around cocoa and culture. We have culture, we have tourism, we have a list of things that will help build Eti- Oni into a smart town model that will be replicated throughout Africa and also cocoa producing regions.

Your passion, ventriloquism, is new in Nigeria, how will it help the Nigerian children?

It is a long history of ventriloquism dating back to the Pharaohs of Egypt, to be honest, I look at the talent to be something God has given me to make people happy, because I’m sometimes fun or serious, so when you walk into a room and you see me and these characters (puppets), you can’t help but say, ‘huh and I need to laugh, I need to smile.’ And sometimes, I tell everyone to go for the stars, there is nothing anyone can do that is too extreme, for me, having this craft as a child and growing up, I was never scared of it, I was never afraid because they can say things I can’t say and everybody is happy, especially if they are animals so, Milk is perfect for Eti- Oni because she is a cow,  chocolate and chocolate drink come from a cow, she has been around way before I became Yeyeluwa Olori of Eti Oni, that is why it is God’s gift for me being here in Nigerian,  specifically to the kingdom, Eti- Oni, married to the Oloni.

How versatile are you about Yoruba culture?

I am doing my best to learn the culture and language. I know a few words and sometimes I can understand. Because I was raised by my grandparents, with the blessings of God, my great-grandparents lived a long time, I knew my great-grandparents, and my great-grandmothers on both sides and they did a lot of oral storytelling and some of the stories I’m telling from the African-American spirituality songs are very similar to the Yoruba culture, but the thing is that there are some key missing elements. I continue to be myself because I feel that I can add value and learn where my part of my ancestry is from.

As I said, my native American ancestors were there in America. Everyone knows that story, and the story of my European ancestors that settled in America. Being here for me as my home is truly a blessing from God.

Are we going to see you in Nollywood in the near future?

Definitely, we welcome any great movie; Nigerian Nollywood is number one, producing more films than Hollywood. Definitely if it is the right script and the right story, The Palace may allow it to be considered.

What were the challenges you faced as an actress and a producer?

One of the things I enjoyed was also doing celebrity Hollywood interviews with actors. I interviewed Morgan Freeman and he told me that my story should be told. Interesting enough despite my upbringing and story I did not see the reason for anyone praising my hardships that I had to overcome and challenges faced despite a wonderful upbringing. It was a wonderful compliment needless to say, so I actually worked on becoming a better lady so that I could go back to Mr. Morgan Freeman and say ‘hey, this is the story, but I haven’t gone back.

To be honest, the challenges I had as to why I went from being a beauty queen to producing films and helping other filmmakers is that first of all, it is not easy being typecast, for me I was typecast. I will go for an audition for a character. They would say no, no. We want to put you here or sadly I did not look like the ethnic origins of what I was sent to play, and agents were often told we do not have a place for her. So I had to begin considering roles playing Asian, Latin American, and even at the last minute have accents of other countries when I practiced for mixed race characters. Also I was type cast not for authentic roles where I wanted to focus on character driven stories and not beauty queen because once an actress gets an image for beauty only and not talent it is hard to have longevity. That was when I said this is crazy and I had to stop and start producing my own movies. Just because I’m an actress does not mean I must always be in front of the scene, that is how I feel.

The challenges will always be there, the key thing is to believe in yourselves and you can do whatever you set your mind to do. You are your own biggest enemy if you believe what other people say you can’t do. Always remember what you can do.

Being bullied as a kid how has it affected your relationship with people?

The good thing is that I have found other children that are being bullied, I’m mentoring them, and my experiences, makes me have pity for bullies because most of the time, they are insecure people. But the problem of bullying is getting out of hand. When I see children being bullied it affects their self-esteem. My advice to parents is always to try to believe your child when they come back and tell you that they were bullied, even if it is a teacher because bullying doesn’t have age, it could be an adult, it could be children.

Overcoming the obstacles of being bullied caused me not to talk until I found something that made me believe in myself which was the arts was not easy. I used to be embarrassed to talk about it, but once I overcame it, I tried to dismiss it. But in my adulthood, I discovered this is what makes me unique and when I tell my story it helps parents, and others that have gone through it and also are afraid to talk. My late mother used to always tell me, V is for Victory not for Victim.