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  • What you need to know about Pension Reform Act 2014

    On July 1, this year, President Goodluck Jonathan signed into law the new Pension Reform Act 2014, which repealed the Pension Reform Act.

    The key objectives of the reform are to ensure contributors receive their benefits as and when due and to assist improvident individuals to save in order to cater for their livelihood during old age.

    As an employee or an employer, there are implications of this change in law that you need to know;

    Access to benefits in event of loss of job

    The Pension Reform Act 2014 has reduced the waiting period for accessing benefits in the event of loss of job by employees from six months to four months. This is done in order to identify with the yearning of contributors and labour.

    Opening of temporary RSA for employees that failed to do so

    The Pension Reform Act 2014 makes provision that would compel an employer to open a Temporary Retirement Savings Account (TRSA) on behalf of an employee that failed to open an RSA within three months of assumption of duty. This was not required under 2004 Act.

    Enhanced Coverage of the CPS and informal sector participation

    The Act expanded the coverage of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in the private sector organisations with three employees and above, in line with the drive towards informal sector participation.

    Upward review of the penalties and sanctions

    The sanctions provided under the Pension Reform Act 2004 were no longer sufficient deterrents against infractions of the law. Furthermore, there are currently more sophisticated mode of diversion of pension assets, such as diversion and/or non-disclosure of interests and commissions accruable to pension fund assets, which were not addressed by the PRA 2004. Consequently, the Pension Reform Act 2014 has created new offences and provided stiffer penalties that will serve as deterrence against mismanagement or diversion of pension funds assets under any guise. Thus, operators who mismanage pension fund will be liable on conviction to not less than 10 years imprisonment or fine of an amount equal to three-times the amount so misappropriated or diverted or both imprisonment and fine.

    Power to institute criminal proceedings against employers for persistent refusal to remit pension contributions

    The 2014 Act also empowers PenCom, subject to the fiat of the Attorney General of the Federation, to institute criminal proceedings against employers who persistently fail to deduct and/or remit pension contributions of their employees within the stipulated time. This was not provided for by the 2004 Act.

     Upward review of rate of pension contribution

    The Pension Reform Act 2014 reviewed upwards, the minimum rate of pension contribution from 15 per cent to 18 per cent of monthly emolument, where eight per cent will be contributed by employee and 10 per cent by the employer. This will provide additional benefits to workers’ Retirement Savings Accounts and thereby enhance their monthly pension benefits at retirement.

    Corrective actions on failing licensed operators

    The Pension Reform Act 2004 only allowed PenCom to revoke the licences of erring pension operators but does not provide for other interim remedial measures that may be taken by PenCom to resolve identified challenges in licensed operators. Accordingly, the Pension Reform Act 2014 now empowers PenCom to take proactive corrective measures on licensed operators whose situations, actions or inactions jeopardise the safety of pension assets. This provision further fortifies the pension assets against mismanagement and/or systemic risks.

    Restructuring the system of administration of pensions under the Pension Transition Arrangement Directorate

    The Pension Reform Act 2014 makes provisions for the repositioning of the Pension Transition Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) to ensure greater efficiency and accountability in the administration of the Defined Benefits Scheme in the federal public service such that payment of pensions would be made directly into pensioners’ bank accounts in line with the current policy of the Federal Government.

     

     

  • ‘New Pension Reform Act’ll boost economy’

    The new Pension Reform Act, 2014 will further concretise the statutory foundation of the pension industry and position it for the attainment of greater heights, the Managing Director, Premium Pension Limited Wilson Ideva has said.

    Ideva who spoke to The Nation in Lagos, commended the Federal Government on the signing into law of the Pension Reform Bill, 2014.

    According to him, the industry is  set to witness unimaginable growth that has never been seen in any sector of the Nigerian economy.

    The new pension law repeals the Pension Reform Act, No.2, 2004, which has been in operation for the past ten years.

    He added that the Nigeria’s CPS has recorded tremendous success in its first decade of operation enlisting 6.4 million Nigerian workers and raking in about N4.3 trillion  as funds under management.

    He said: “It is widely believed that the growth in the industry would have even been more expansive if the previous law allowed the application of very stringent measures on noncompliant institutions and individuals.

    “Moral suasion yielded little results hence it is expected that when the new pension law is fully applied, majority of the country’s working population in the public or private sector or even artisans would be covered by the scheme.

    “The Pension Reform Act among other things, enhances the enforcement responsibilities of the regulatory institution, National Pension Commission (PenCom).”

    Ideva said it will also ensure further airtight protection of pension funds and unpacks guidelines and possibilities of creatively and professionally applying pension funds for national development.

    With the provisions of the Pension Reform Act, 2014, the pension industry in Nigeria is the sub sector to watch in the course of national development in the coming years. The industry is already well positioned to assert its centrality to social and economic development, he added.

  • ‘Child Rights Act gets action plan’

    ‘Child Rights Act gets action plan’

     A meeting of some stakeholders from three states has been held in Lagos to assess the implementation of the Child Rights Act of 2003. ADEBISI ONANUGA reports

    CHILD abuse, rape of the girl-child,domestic violence and other vices against the child were discussed as stakeholders from three states converged on Lagos to review the Child Rights Act.

    Bayelsa, Cross River and Lagos State are among the nine that United Nations  International Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) is using for the law’s enforcement. Others are  Imo, Anambra, Benue, Yobe, Kastina  and  Osun.

    The workshop with the theme: ‘Self-assessment of the Child Rights Law in Lagos, Bayelsa and Cross River states’ was organised by UNICEF and funded by the European Union (EU).

    It attracted stakeholders from the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Women Affairs and Empowerment (MWAPA), the Police, Child Protection Network (CPN), National Human Right Commission (NHRC), the Bench and the bar in the three states, Non-Governmental Organisations(NGOs) and the media in the three states.

    They looked into implementation and enforcement of the act and came up with fresh action plans on enforcement to stem the increasing tide of the vices. Of the three states,  only Bayelsa is yet to domesticate the law.

    On November 20, 1989, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The convention was later adopted by the assembly of Heads of States and Governments of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, now African Union (AU) as the African Union Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (CRCW) in July 1990. Nigeria has signed both the International Instruments and had ratified them in 1991 and 2000. Both protocols reflect children as human beings and as subjects of their own rights.

    After  heated debates, the bill was eventually passed into law by the National Assembly in July 2003. It was assented to by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in September 2003, and promulgated as the Child Rights Act 2003. Regrettably, only 24 of the country’s 36 states have passed the Act to date but with little or no enforcement in majority of such states. The Act is a legal document that sets out the rights and responsibilities of a child in Nigeria and provides for a system of child justice administration. It recognises the rights of children, restores their confidence and self-esteem and improves their status. It also enables children with disabilities, to enjoy their rights fully, as it provides special measures for their care and protection.

    But in spite of the good intention of the law, developments in the country indicate that  the law has not translated into improved legal protection for the child throughout the federation. Several issues such as sexual violence, particularly rape of the underage, children living or hawking on the streets, children affected by communal conflict, drug abuse, human trafficking coupled with the weaknesses of the juvenile justice system, have remained a challenge to a successful enforcement of the Act.

    Besides, the three states it was revealed that the implementation of the Act is faced with similar challenges. It was discovered, for instance, that all the states have challenges with the Police, even when there are Juvenile Officers.

    Vernice Guthrie told participants what was expected of them at the workshop. According to her, participants were expected to identify the gaps since  implementation of the Act commenced after its domestication, how to improve on the gaps and come up with a work plan for their respective states on the implementation:

    UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, Mrs. Maryam Enegiazu, who gave an overview of the programme, said since the states domesticated the Act, not much effort have been seen to advance the cause of the right of the child in Nigeria, especially to achieve international standard.

    She said this explained why UNICEF is taking the issue of the child with all seriousness, particularly on education, health, protection against violence, abuse and exploitation among others.

    She said the organisation has been working in adhoc manner by providing training for the Police and lawyers but without achieving the desired  result, hence the reason for organising a workshop of this nature.

    Despite of the domestication of the Act in most states, Mrs, Enegiazu lamented that the issue of rape has been on the increase. She said  their expectation was that states would provide protective environment for the child but that this has not been the case. She said the UNICEF is now placing emphasis on strengthening the social partners to protect the child, particularly in states that have domesticated the Act.

    For instance, Hon. Ebamua Empere of Bayelsa State House of Assembly said at an attempt was once made in his state to domesticate the law.  He said the bill came before the assembly in 2010 but was sent back to the executive to correct some lacuna discovered in it so that it could be passed and domesticated in the state.

    Head, Family Court, High Court of Lagos State, Justice Yetunde Idowu, who gave an account of the situation in the state, said  its problems were so many because of its nature. Justice Idowu said, Lagos like other states, has witnessed increased child rape and child hawking among other abuses. She also said  there were abuses against the child even at home. She said the state government has, however, taken it upon itself to stem the tide.

    According to Justice Idowu, a lot of sensitisation is on-going in Lagos, adding: ”People are being made aware of their rights,  that where to go when raped is the Mirabel Centre at LASUTH in Ikeja or the police station. We have also been creating awareness in schools among female students that nobody has the right to touch their body.”

    She lamented that in some cases, the culture of the people was  a challenge  where abuses are coming from the family. She said there was need to let the women know that while they are to be submissive to their husbands, they should not keep quiet when their husband is defiling their female child.

    UNICEF Project Coordinator, Vernice  Guthrie, said at the end of the one week workshop, stakeholders the three states met her expectations in the sense  that they all came together and engage on honest discussions about the degree that their respective states had met statutory obligation about Child Rights Act.

    “I think they have done that and they have done it quite effectively. Some of the gaps identified will require reform of the law absolutely”, she noted.

    Guthrie said many of the challenges discussed at the workshop reflects challenges  in capacity, “so  there is going to be more focus on training, institutional engagements, we have the police, the prisons, the judiciary, the bench, social protections, how do they function on a more comprehensible coordinate  factions;  all   those areas are part and parcel  of UNICEF programmes  and commitment to supporting full implementation of the Child Rights Act. And it has been fully discussed here”.

    Guthrie said UNICEF’s  first state of support will be to assist and learn from other states the best practice to domesticate the Act; thereafter assist  in putting the various institutions in place and  of course building the capacity of various stakeholders responsible  under the new law. She said that the three states at the workshop have committed to taking the issue raised starting from September, this year.

    Director, Child Protection Solutions, Mr. Taiwo Akinlami, one of the stakeholders from Lagos, described the workshop as the  coming together of experts to discuss the justice sector. It is a big project that we want to reform the justice sector for quick and justiciable service delivery.  He said stakeholders came to look at critical issues of  justice reforms as it relates to  children in Lagos, Bayelsa and Cross River states as it affects the implementation of the law.

    “The making the law, the enforcement and the implementation of the law, all the key sectors were represented in the workshop. Through the workshop, we have come to identify that in Bayelsa, there is no law and they are saying that between now and September, they are going to come up with the law. We have also been able to find out that in Cross river, the family  court that sat only one year and is no more  sitting, they are going to look back to their budgetary provisions and put their house in order.

    “We have also been  able to  discover that in Lagos, we have offences that not  have punishments, for example child defilement, child rape is an offence under the law but it is not criminalised.   We have a situation where we are not able to charge offenders appropriately  under that law and so we have to use the criminal code. The  criminal code, by not making specific provisions as it affects the severity of punishment, which the Child Rights Act has recommended. For example  Child molestation,  that is rape ,is life imprisonment.  Any form of abuse is 14 years’ imprisonment. If we are able to bring it to bare here it will help.”

    Justice Doris. E Adokeme of the Bayelsa State High Court, said since  the state appears to be  the only one that has not enacted the Child Rights law,  they have  to ensure that the law is enacted soon.

    She also stressed the need  for the state to do  proper sensitisation since the public  is  not well sensitised in the knowledge of the law.

    “In Bayelsa, we will soon establish Family Courts. She, however, counselled that  in  states, where they have family court, victims should  go there get redress of the issue. As I said every  court will give redress to any infringement of  the Child Rights Act.

  • Caught in the act?

    Caught in the act?

    • The ICPC sting operation that caught a lowly civil service in alleged receipt of  bribe is one up for anti-corruption

    Sales of petty corruption are probably as old as the civil service itself. But a reported case of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) using a sting operation to apprehend a civil servant allegedly involved in such an act holds the promise of ending the criminal culture of silence that has fuelled that impunity for too long.

    According to news reports, one Abbah Adikwu, a Grade Level 07 officer with the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Abuja, allegedly kept on demanding bribe before doing his legitimate duty. Another civil servant (names not mentioned) had, according to the report, been visiting the suspect’s office since 2012. His mission was to regularise his appointment. But each time, Adikwu allegedly always stonewalled his efforts, allegedly insisting on gratification before doing his job.

    Adikwu’s conduct therefore compelled the unnamed colleague to lodge a complaint with the ICPC. The anti-graft body told him to play along, agree to a bribe sum and gave the complainant marked notes to pay Adikwu. But no sooner had Adikwu collected the marked bribe money than ICPC operatives swooped on him to effect his arrest.

    To show Adikwu was probably not alone in his alleged pastime, some of his colleagues tried to obstruct the ICPC agents from arresting the suspect, who had earlier turned violent and tried to bolt for it. These misguided sympathisers (at best) or accomplices (at worst) even tried to cage the ICPC agents and their quarry, until back-up security foiled their efforts. It is however gratifying to note that both Adikwu and accomplices are cooling their heels at an ICPC facility.

    Corruption often appears a huge and fearsome monster, on which virtually nothing can make a dent. But that is not true. What appears so mighty and formidable is only an agglomeration of millions of tiny turpitudes. So, if you keep hacking at those tiny misdeeds, the chances are you are attacking the base of the worrisome monster. With persistence and focus, it just might crash.

    That the unnamed Abuja civil servant shunned criminal silence and abject submission is a thing of cheer. If many people take after his bold lead, the criminals entrenched in the corrupt practice, from the messenger to the minister, would surely be less brazen. If people had always challenged requests for gratification, corruption would not today have assumed the worrisome guise of the norm, rather than the abnormal it is.

    The defiant victim has also earned praise by resorting to the bounds of law and decency to trap the suspect. But he would have got nowhere if the ICPC had not risen to the occasion and supported him. On this score, the ICPC deserves praise. It should do more of that by timely responding to similar requests. To the extent that the ICPC has been perceived as somewhat less vibrant than the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), this is a move really to cheer.

    But every action so far taken would amount to nought if the Adikwu matter was not pursued to its logical conclusion. Even more than punishing the suspect if he is guilty, the innocent civil servant must get his due by getting his service regularised. The FCSC must see to that, if only to publicly demonstrate that it tolerates no bad conduct from bad eggs in its employ.

    Then ICPC should bring Adikwu to speedy justice, to serve as example to others. But it must also go after bigger rogues in the civil service. Nigeria has no choice than to win the war against corruption. Otherwise, the future is bleak.

     

  • Ship owners deplore govt’s failure to enforce Cabotage Act

    The Indigenous Ship Owners Association of Nigeria(ISAN) has deplored the Federal Government’s inability to enforce the Coastal and Inland Shipping Act 2003 (Cabotage Act) to enable them participate in crude oil lifting.

    Speaking with The Nation in Lagos, ISAN General Secretary Captain Niyi Labinjo urged the government to implement the law to give indigenous shipping companies opportunity to participate in oil business.

    The country, he said, exported about 2.5 million barrels of oil yearly, wondering why indigenous ship owners are not empowered to lift about 1.5 million barrels.

    The banks, the ISAN scribe said, were willing to give them loans if the government could give them appreciable quantity to carry.

    He gave the example of Brazil where the government approves about 700 agencies which issue certificate of compliance on local content.

    Labinjo said about five years ago, the government trained 200 cadets under the National Seafarers Development Programme. He noted that since there were not enough shipping companies to work with, the cadets have been jobless.

    He advised the government to provide enough funds for the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, Akwa Ibom, to enable the academy to produce skilful cadets for the nation.

    He, therefore, sought proper compliance with Nigerian Content Act and encouragement of the association to participate fully, in the cabotage regime.

    “We will continue to press the government. We’ll continue to make our views known about the need for proper compliance with cabotage; about the need for proper compliance with the Nigerian Content Act.” If I have a government that is insisting that this year out of the 2.5 million barrels of oil that Nigeria exports, 1.5 million barrels would be carried by Nigerian and they say ISAN take this 1.5 million barrels, go and carry it, we will gladly go to the bank; the bank will give us money and we will do it.

    “So if you now say what is our expectation then we will now say this year we will struggle to carry the one million the government has given to us and hopefully by next year, we will do 1.5 million barrels. That is the expectation.

    “That is what has happened in the case of Brazil. Their government insists that you must use local content and the government approves about 700 agencies which were issuing certificate of compliance on local content.

    “So if you are producing this locally and it is being used by the oil and gas sector, someone will intend to continue to do it,” he said.

     

  • Civil society group urges media to use FoI Act

    A civil society coalition, the One Voice, has urged the media to make more use of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act to hold the government accountable.

    Presenting a survey at a media forum in Lagos, the group said since the Act’s passage in 2011, there has been no report of any media organisation taking government to court over denial of access to information.

    The forum had the theme: Media and Democratic Governance: The need for media pluralism.

    One Voice comprises groups such as the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP); the Human Rights Law Service (HURILAWS); the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG); Access to Justice (A2J); The Network on Police Reform in

    Nigeria (NOPRIN), among others.

    All are supported by the United States National Endowment for Democracy.

    Speakers included Executive Director, Media Rights Agenda, Edeatan Ojo; Dr Tayo Popoola of the University of Lagos, Deputy Law Editor, ThisDay Newspaper Mr Jude Igbanoi, and Chair, One Voice Media Committee, Pastor Deji Adeleye, who read the survey report.

    The group sought more collaboration with the media, saying: “The Nigerian media needs the civil society organisations as non-state actors to advance the cause of democracy and good governance, just as the civil society groups cannot do it alone without the media.

    “The media in a way have become one of the strongest linkage institutions – bridging, as it were, the gap between the state and the citizens.”

    One Voice said the survey showed that the level of newspaper report on transparency, accountability and other good governance issues was seen by 65.63 per cent of respondents as low.

    The report said most newspaper reports are mostly sensational and lack investigative depth; while others are too patronising of government, even to the point of self-censorship.

    It attributed the decline in the quality of newspaper reports the “brown envelope” syndrome, ownership interests, unskilled reporters, poor and unpaid salaries and corruption.

    One Voice said: “The media serves as an effective check on those in power. They serve as the eye, ear and voice of the larger society. Indeed, it upholds the right of the public to know.

    “However, the ability and willingness of the media to carry out this function effectively depend largely on the form of the state in which the media operate and the character of the media itself.

    “This is another way of saying that there is a correlation between the existence of a free media and democratic governance. As a matter of fact, one of the main distinguishing features of a democratic form of government is the existence of free and independent media.

    Igbanoi said some of the limitations of media outfits include economic considerations.

    “The truth of the matter is that civil society is very critical of the government and understandably so.

    “But every media outfit wants to survive and must survive on patronage from the government at all levels, from ministries, government agencies and parastatals.

    “Therefore, the economic logic is very simple, ‘publish and be damned!’ So, when a newspaper engages in overtly and openly criticising the government and its agencies, it is tantamount to economic suicide,” Igbanoi said.

    He added that a balance must be struck between the media’s survival needs and effectively carrying out the watchdog role.

     

  • The final act

    The final act

    Freshers watched with mouths agape as the final year students of Performing Arts (PFA) Department of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) came to the campus in funny cultural dresses, last week. Many of the students thought they were going for a cultural festival somewhere in town.

    The students came for serious business: a stage performance to commemorate their final year project work. The exercise was a combination of drama and music, which is part of the requirements for the students to be graded in PFA 499, a final year project course.

    The department uses students’ performance in stage plays to determine their ability to apply the practical aspects of the discipline, such as casting, costuming, acting, directing, lighting and stage properties, which they were taught for four years.

    The students were divided into 12 groups and each group was expected to perform a stage play at the PFA theatre.

    One of the groups, G 12, performed a drama entitled Voke, which was written by Peter Odogbor. The play is about a young woman, Voke, who is the only child of her parents, Idi and Omuta.

    Voke fell in love with a young man, Johnny, but she was promiscuous and not satisfied with Johnny. During their wedding, the officiating priest asked the congregation if anyone had a reason the couple should not be joined together in holy matrimony. Three men stood up; they claimed Voke was their lover. On sighting the men, Voke fainted but she was revived to shame.

    Other groups presented their drama and opera, which portrayed different experiences.

    Present at the event were the acting head of the department, Adeoye Abdulrasheed, General Manager, Radio Kwara, Mr Abdullateef Adedeji, Deputy Head of Press, Kwara State Government, Mr Ayo Akanbi, Prof Nasiru Akanji, Dr Jelili Ojuade and Dr Solomon Ikibe.

    A final year student, Folake Omoyiola, said rehearsing the drama before presentation was challenging for students, but praised the department’s lecturers for rendering support to students during the project defence.

     

     

  • ‘Problem with Land Use Act’

    The Land Use Act of 1978 has done more harm to housing delivery, the President, Association of Housing Corporation of Nigeria, Dr. Ifenna Chukwujekwu, has said.

    He stated this while presenting a paper entitled: Access to land at affordable prices at a forum by the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV in Lagos.

    He said: “The implementation of the Act has brought to the fore the cumbersome and costly procedures for obtaining Certificates of Occupancy, Consent to Mortgage, Assignments and leases thereby hampering housing delivery.”

    He called for the enactment of supplementary legislation to facilitate the effective and efficient implementation of the Land Use Act.

    While criticising government for the high cost of serviced plots, he called for an effective land administration system involving secure, registrable and marketable titles on land.

    He said “because of the perceived security and genuineness associated with government allocation, the demand for such land is very high and government has been using this to increase cost of allocation yearly. Land charges keep going up every year as government sees these as avenue for income generation.”

    Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, said his administration is continuously reviewing land documentation procedures to make them more investor-friendly. He also revealed the creation of a mortgage division to ensure that matters relating to mortgage transaction are expeditiously handled.

    He called on real estate investors to take advantage of the enabling environment to invest in the state for greater advantage.

     

  • Why I may never act again —Ego Boyo

    Why I may never act again —Ego Boyo

    After starring in popular TV soaps over two decades ago, the name Ego Boyo, better known in the industry as Anne Haastrup, still rings a bell. Ego Boyo continues to be a household name even when she’s not on TV like some of her colleagues.

    In the 90’s, the mother of three surfaced on the screen but this time in a movie titled Violated, her very first film, which she also produced. Directed by veteran filmmaker, Amaka Igwe, Violated caught the attention of many; and of course Ego’s acting prowess endeared her to a number of movie buffs. In an interview with MERCY MICHAEL, the actress who confirmed to have found a new love in movie production as against being in front of the camera, opened up on sundry issues. Excerpts:

    I was in junior class in secondary school when you already attained limelight, and after all this while I must say you look quite graceful. What have you been doing?

    I have been exercising, though I think most of it is in the genes. I guess I inherited it from my parents, but of course as you get older you have to focus on a lot of things, you have to eat the right things like lots of vegetables and a lot more fruits.

    You also need to pay attention to exercise and make sure you take your makeup off at the end of the day as well as moisturise your skin. That’s really it. Drinking a lot of water also helps with cleansing. Once in a while I do facials but I don’t break out often, so there is really no need for facials. When I feel my skin needs a bit of treatment, I do go and have a facial but I think more than 50 percent of it is good genes.

    What kinds of exercise do you do?

    I do aerobics. Recently, a friend of mine talked to me about yoga. I want to try that because apart from the health benefits, it also helps the mind and soul. It relaxes, but mainly I do aerobics and I go to the gym.

    If I get you right, you said you are done having kids. So what is motherhood like for you?

    Motherhood, to me, I guess is the fulfillment of my dreams. I have three wonderful children and I love them dearly. They fulfill me.

    How were you able to balance being a working mom with the task of motherhood?

    I think in our industry, it is actually something that is a bit easier to manage because we don’t really work all the time. There are times when the job takes up all our time though. Our hours are not regular hours but then we also have all that time when we are not working.

    I devote all that time to my children, dropping them off at school, taking them out. I would say I’ve been lucky. I haven’t had any problems with being able to juggle both. I have had good support from my family. Here in Nigeria, we have people to help. I’m not one to turn down help when it’s offered or when I can get it because I can’t do everything myself.

    You are known to always be on braids. Is it that you don’t wear human hair?

    I do, but people always say that. The thing is I went through a whole phase of human hair. You know women, we have those moments when we just want to have a particular kind of look. When I’m exercising or swimming, it is good to be on braids because then, with all the sweating and all, it doesn’t mess your hair.

    I thought it was a case of not wanting to change a winning formula. If you do, does it work for you?

    But then it works as well so as you said, you don’t really bother to change a winning formula. You just keep on with it. Every six weeks I go back to get it done.

    It seems that after Checkmate, which brought you into limelight, you took a break from acting.

    Well I haven’t really been in Nollywood. I have been doing more corporate works, not feature films. I have done a few short films, documentaries and adverts for clients. That is what I have been focusing on.

    I try to keep my ears in there to see what is going on. I still get invited to these things because I haven’t left the industry. I still plan on doing films. I did a pilot for a soap opera early last year. I still work with quite a number of people in the industry and all of that.

    Before you worked on this soap last year, what were you doing?

    Before then, I was always doing corporate work. I have been doing corporate work since, I think, just after we did Violated. I really got into it when I set up my company, Temple Productions. We were doing rental of equipments and that sort of thing. It was more of that side of the business than being in front or right behind the camera. We were renting out equipments, working on post production for a number of films. So we’ve always been in the industry. The only difference is I have taken a quieter role, just doing my production, because really, it is only the actors and actresses that you keep seeing. You don’t have to see producers like me. We just do the work and send it out.

    For someone who started with acting, was it marriage that took you off the screen?

    I got married when I was acting Checkmate, so that wasn’t the case. From time, I had always wanted to produce, so when Amaka Igwe and I discussed Violated, I got my first job as a producer. It was just what I love to do. I love the whole ability to organise and see a project come together, practically from scratch, from reading the script the first time, to choosing actors and the actual shoot. I like all of that. Being an actor in a film, limits one. You come in, you do your part and then you leave. With production, I get to stay on for the whole run. I’m there from the beginning to the very end. I always liked that so when I got the opportunity, I took it and I stuck with it.

    After Violated, what other movie have you produced?

    I didn’t act in any but I’ve produced Keeping Faith, To live Again and 30Days. I have been working. It is just that my films are not films that you see every year. I have long spaces in between them. In between all that space, I have always had different jobs. It is either a documentary for a client or a production of some sort for corporate clients. I’ve done quite a lot of work.

    Is it right to say that you have a preference for soap operas than movies?

    I like soaps. I definitely do, coming from where I started off. I think television is still a very large part of our lives as individuals. It is something that we watch with friends and family. It is something you watch every day. I don’t watch a movie everyday but at least I watch some sort of television. Of course, on television there are movies. It is just something I like but then I love films. I always want to do a film. I want to rush out there and do a film but most times you have to plan and ensure the money is there.

    What has prevented you from rushing out there and making films?

    I have slowed down because of the fact that there is really no market for our films, like a more structured distribution network where our films will go. One tends to end up thinking, if I release this film after spending so much money, where will it go? In the last five years, there has been a lot of progress in that direction though. It is not perfect but we are getting there.

    That has given me hope that maybe this is time to do another film. Now also, I have the cinemas where I can go and release my film and people will see. Hopefully, at the same time, we are working on a distribution network for DVD’s.

    Often we’ve had Nollywood forums, but don’t you think there has been too much talk and less work?

    I think there is a lot of talking and not enough work, even though I think that it is still important to do the talking because eventually the work will come out. We just have to get our act together. We just have to know exactly what we are doing. I don’t think it is too much. I think we should keep up the dialogue, meeting each other to see how we can progress.

    If I’m correct, Violated was the last movie you acted. What are your thoughts on it?

    It was a very nice production not only because of the excellence of the script which was written by Amaka Igwe. It was the group of people who worked with us. A lot of us had come out of that experience feeling like we were from Checkmate set because a lot of the people that were in Checkmate also were in Violated.

    We all knew each other very well. It was a very comfortable, very family sort of set up. It was a really fun time. We laughed a lot. We made fun. I’m sure people will be rolling in their seats if they get to see the out takes from Violated. It’s a comedy on its own. It was a wonderful experience to have as a first film. It is the sort of experience I wish everyone could have. Unfortunately, we can’t always have that sort of experience.

    For your calibre of actor, there is no doubt scripts would probably be falling at your feet. So, why haven’t we seen you in movies?

    Most of the offerings I had were roles that were either Anne Haastrup with another name, or the girl from Violated with another name. It wasn’t anything different or challenging. It was just me doing more of the same, what they have seen me do. So what’s the fun in that? It was never enough to make me want to go back.

    If I get you right, you’re done with acting?

    I don’t know because it is something that I still think about. If somebody offers me something really fantastic, I might do it. If it is something challenging, very interesting, I might but as I said, nobody has. Everybody wants me to play the same person. Always the same person, Anne Haastrup, with a different name. I asked myself, if I did that for four years, so why would I want to keep doing it in different films? It is very stereotypical. Until I find that one challenging role, I’m sticking with being a producer.

    What is your dream role, if I may ask?

    I want something that would challenge me, something very dramatic, a role that requires a lot of emotions to be played, somebody that had gone through so much, all of those reactions, adversity. I want something totally different from what I have ever done. I like to be able to play somebody something has affected so badly, psychologically that not even just their psyche but also their physical appearance is affected by that whole psychological trauma. So if I ever find a role like that, I could be tempted to go back.

    You don’t seem active on the social scene. Why is that?

    I do go to friends’ events but I’m not a socialite. You are not going to just find me at social events. Actually, the thing is, I get invited to premieres but there is always something. It’s either I’m not in town. Something always happens. I am hoping to be at The Meeting. They’ve told me all about it and I’m looking forward to being there by God’s grace on the 19th of October.

    Name two Nollywood movies in recent time that you find interesting.

    The last film I watched, which wasn’t exactly a Nollywood production, was during the African Movie Academy Awards. It was Akin Omotoso’s Man on Ground. I think that was the last film I watched and that was very good. Another film that I find interesting is Mamood Balogun’s Tango with me. There was another film that was quite amusing with Nse in it. I can’t remember, but it’s a recent one.

    Apart from acting, what are your other interests?

    I love reading. I’m always reading. I always have a book or two with me.

    What was the last book you read?

    It’s called The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk. It was a very good book. And I’m now trying to read his other book called Red.

    What did you find fascinating about the book?

    The Museum of Innocence is about a young man and his quest for something which he eventually found. It wasn’t what he wanted when he found it though. It is that soul searching kind of thing. It was really fascinating and I enjoyed it. I read quite a lot of books at the same time. I am reading another book. Joan Haris is quite a popular writer.

    I read both of them at the same time because with me, it depends on my mood. Sometimes I’m in the mood to read a certain kind of book so I then focus on that one. In the middle of it I may just decide I don’t want to keep reading it. If it gets heavy or too emotional or I get too involved, I just switch to one that is lighter. The Museum of Innocence took me a very long time because usually I’m very quick with books.

    When you are not working, how do you unwind?

    I read. I hang out with my younger son who is so interesting. My older children are all interesting, of course, but they are in school. I don’t see them as often as the youngest, who is at home. I talk to my older children on the phone, I Skype and I garden. Actually now I’m very obsessed with orchids. I have so many orchids and I’m obsessed with them. I have different colours.

    I’m constantly growing them. So that’s my thing. I started gardening because I grew up with my mother who had growing fingers. Anything she touched grew but it never was like that for me. Anytime I attempted it, it just never worked. For some reason, I found out that gardening really calmed me. If I’m having one of these stressful days, I just go into my garden, get my hands into the soil and I feel much better.

    When was the last time you took a romantic vacation?

    Last week. I just came back

    What was the trip like for you?

    It was very nice. That’s all I can say.