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Tag: Hilda Dokubo

  • I’m alive, Hilda Dokubo debunks death rumour

    I’m alive, Hilda Dokubo debunks death rumour

    Veteran actress Hilda Dokubo has debunked rumors of her death, confirming she’s alive and well.

    In an Instagram live session, she addressed the false claims, emphasising commitment to speaking out on politics and governance.

    Dokubo expressed frustration over the rumors, stating that blogs frequently claim she’s died, and it’s not a big deal.

    The rumors allegedly started on Facebook, with claims that Dokubo was organising a rally with suspended Rivers  Governor Sim Fubara to pressure President Bola Tinubu and Minister Nyesom Wike.

    She said: “Everybody, this is me, healthy and strong. I’m not dead. I’m not dying now. I’m not afraid. Do you know how many times blogs have written that I d!ed? Every second, every minute, they’re killing one actor or the other. So, it’s not a big deal.

    “But a lot of people have been worried. I also worry for my friends. People had even gone to visit my mum who is almost 80 years old.

    “If you know anything about me, I am fearless. Whatever I want to do, I will do. And I will say exactly how I want to say it. I was properly raised by very good parents. Money is the least of my cares. Everybody, including (Sim) Fubara (suspended Rivers State governor), knows that I am not ‘bribable’. If I were, I wouldn’t be where I am. I wouldn’t be on the side of truth.”

    Dokubo denied these claims, saying she loves to dance and make speeches, not organise rallies.

    Dokubo maintained that she’s fearless, properly raised, and not bribable.

    She vowed to continue advocating for good governance and truth, ignoring those who spread false information.

    Read Also: Nonso Diobi credits Hilda Dokubo for Nollywood break

    She added: “I have no business organizing a rally or whatever you called it to push a man. If you had any sense in your chicken head, you would have known that I love to dance. Every time I attend an event in my community, I dance. If you can’t find me dancing, you can only find me climbing up a stage to make a speech.

    “I would never wish him dead. I am not a proponent of politics with bitterness.

    “I am not a coward and can never be one. No matter what they do, I will not change my position. I will try my best to ignore ignoramuses. But I want you to take this as a fact: I, Hilda, will never, ever wish death on anyone. Not even at my lowest.”

  • Nonso Diobi credits Hilda Dokubo for Nollywood break

    Nonso Diobi credits Hilda Dokubo for Nollywood break

    Actor Nonso Diobi has revealed how his resemblance to veteran actress Hilda Dokubo played a key role in securing his first major acting role in Nollywood.

    Speaking on the Nollywood Hardcore podcast, Diobi shared his struggles, recalling how he attended over 1,000 auditions without success.

    His breakthrough came when Hilda Dokubo noticed him on a movie set and saw a resemblance between them.

    Read Also: Why I vanished from movie scene – Nonso Diobi

    “She spotted me and saw something in me that others didn’t,” Diobi said, reflecting on the turning point in his career. Her support opened the doors that had long been shut, paving the way for his rise in the industry.

    Diobi explained: “Back to the story of how I got my first movie role. I was at an audition and I started hearing people calling me from afar. I approached. Before I could get close to them, Hilda Dokubo said, ‘This young boy looks like me. He can play my brother.’

    “That was how I finally got my first role after three years and more than 1000 auditions. I didn’t even audition for it.”

  • Junior Pope: It’s time to prioritise actors’ welfare, says Hilda Dokubo

    Junior Pope: It’s time to prioritise actors’ welfare, says Hilda Dokubo

    Veteran actress Hilda Dokubo has called for necessary precautions in the film industry especially among producers.

    Her thoughts stemmed from the tragic death of popular actor, Junior Pope and four other crew members. 

    In a video on Instagram l, the actress sent her condolences to Nollywood practitioners as she stated that five of their colleagues lost their lives to an avoidable death.

    She suggested that if producers provided life jackets and actors refused to board boats without them, the recent unfortunate incident could have been avoided.

    Read Also: Actress Hilda Dokubo seeks LP’s Reps ticket

    The actress made a plea to Emeka Rollas to prioritise the welfare of actors and take action to prevent further tragedies.

    Captioning the video, she wrote: “Some deaths are avoidable! It is time to put actors’ welfare on the table! It is time to save the lives of those still alive. It’s important to practice in a safe and secured environment. 

    “There must be travel rules.., haba! Five people one day? Then water spirits, native doctors, mermaid worshippers and all other kinds of craziness!”

  • Success is not achieved through wishful thinking – Hilda Dokubo

    Nollywood actress Hilda Dokubo has advised that one needs to take the necessary steps to achieve one’s goal in life.

    The actress who was one of the popular faces at the recent premiere of the movie, ‘Between’, stated this.

    “As you see me so, na so I be,” said Dokubo.

    “Take a daring step forward every time. Success is not achieved through wishful thinking.”

    This could be seen in her passion for putting up a school for the less privileged. The veteran actress, who is popular for her soft and usually sorrowful roles in movies, is a mother to more than 50 children.

    According to the actress, the adopted kids need support and she gives them that by paying their school fees, clothing and feeding.

  • Hilda Dokubo not my employee or relative, says Amnesty boss

    The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Prof. Charles Dokubo. has clarified that Nollywood actress and filmmaker Ms. Hilda Dokubo is neither his relative nor an employee of the Presidential Amnesty Office.

    In a statement  in Abuja yesterday, Dokubo decried insinuations that he hired his relations, particularly Hilda Dokubo to run the affairs of the Amnesty Office.

    He said:  “I have deemed it extremely important to clarify that since I assumed office as the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, I have not hired any person. In particular, I have not hired Hilda Dokubo in any capacity at the Amnesty Office and I don’t intend doing so. It is also not true that she is my relative. We are not even from the same local government area.”

    He explained that he was aware that since the inception of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hilda had been participating in the reintegration component of the Amnesty Programme and it was on this score that he allowed her and other stakeholders of the Programme to visit a number of times to share lessons learnt with him in the few days following his appointment.

    “The Amnesty Programme is a classical Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) Programme. All DDR programmmes are fluid and the only way you deepen and improve DDR programmes globally is through sharing experiences and lessons learnt. Hilda Dokubo has come to me to share her experiences while executing certain reintegration assignments given to her by past Coordinators of the Amnesty Programme.

    “In the same regard, so many other persons who have been involved in the Programme since inception have also been coming to brief me and I have even visited those I deemed important to learn a few things from. I really do not know why people now go about saying Hilda Dokubo is my staff or relative,” the Amnesty Coordinator stated.

     

  • Hilda Dokubo not my staff or relative – Amnesty Boss

    The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Professor Charles Dokubo has clarified that Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Ms. Hilda Dokubo is neither his relative nor a staff of the Presidential Amnesty Office.

    In a statement he personally signed and released to the media in Abuja yesterday, Dokubo decried insinuations that he has hired his relations, particularly Hilda Dokubo to run the affairs of the Amnesty Office.

    He said: “I have deemed it extremely important to clarify that since I assumed office as the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, I have not hired any person. In particular, I have not hired Hilda Dokubo in any capacity at the Amnesty Office and I don’t intend doing so. It is also not true that she is my relative. We are not even from the same Local Government Area.”

    He explained that he was aware that since the inception of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hilda had been participating in the reintegration component of the Amnesty Programme and it was on this score that he allowed her and other stakeholders of the Programme to visit a number of times to share lessons learnt with him in the few days following his appointment.

    “The Amnesty Programme is a classical Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) Programme. All DDR programmmes are fluid and the only way you deepen and improve DDR programmes globally is through sharing experiences and lessons learnt. Hilda Dokubo has come to me to share her experiences while executing certain reintegration assignments given to her by past Coordinators of the Amnesty Programme.

    “In the same regard, so many other persons who have been involved in the Programme since inception have also been coming to brief me and I have even visited those I deemed important to learn a few things from. I really do not know why people now go about saying Hilda Dokubo is my staff or relative,” the Amnesty Coordinator stated.

    It could be recalled that on Tuesday an advocacy group, Niger Deltans for Accountability and Good Governance (NDAGG) disclosed that it has uncovered plot by persons it described as “unscrupulous contractors and enemies of the Niger Delta” to distract and possibly defocus the newly appointed Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and vowed to do all that is legal and within its powers to thwart this plot.

    The Spokesperson for NDAGG, Barrister Claudius Egba in the Statement dismissed a recent publication by another group, ‘Trained Agitators Forum’ alleging that the new Coordinator was allowing a relative of his to wield powers at the Amnesty Office as false and misleading. “First, we must clarify that there is no such group as Trained Agitators Forum. It is just a creation of some disgruntled contractors and enemies of the Niger Delta, who are not happy at the decision of the new Coordinator to review the huge and un-performing contracts awarded by his predecessor, Brig-Gen Paul Boroh (Rtd). They want business as usual but the new Coordinator assured us that he will never allow that and we believe him and totally support his decision to carry out a holistic review of the huge contracts awarded by his predecessor,” the NDAGG Spokesman said.

    The NDAGG Spokesman also refuted reports that renowned actress and movie Producer, Ms. Hilda Dokubo was “running the activities” of the Amnesty Office. “We have just met with Prof. Charles Dokubo, the new Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme, he assured us that he has not made any appointments since he assumed office. He has been working with the personnel he met on ground. We, in fact totally frown against that because we are aware that a number of the management staff that worked with his predecessor, Brig-Gen. Paul Boroh did not live up to expectations. Some of them were even known to be very corrupt. We advised him to clean up the place even if it means doing away with most of the personnel in that office,” Barrister Claudius Egba disclosed.

  • Hilda Dokubo out with website to ease casting

    Hilda Dokubo out with website to ease casting

    PROFESSIONALS in the African film industry, especially casting directors as well as actors and actresses are in for a game changer, as a new website is set to revolutionise how actors would be cast.

    Simply known as Casting Call Africa, the website, www.castingcallafrica.com, enables casting directors view actors’ profile to determine who will be suitable for their films. It was unveiled at Silverbird Galleria, Lagos during an industry session at the ongoing Africa International Film Festival, AFRIFF, on Tuesday.

    Explaining how it works, Nollywood actor, Hilda Dokubo said the platform would ease the whole process of casting for both the directors as well as the actors.

    “For the director, it is a lot of hard work to sit down and see endless faces in the name of auditions,” said Dokubo.

    “And people said I was not part of the cast because I did not sleep with him. We’re cutting that out because except the casting director has need for you to be around, you won’t be around.”

    The website has sections for actors, directors, crew members to producers and the professional uploads their profiles. That way the profiles of the actors, directors, crew members and producers can be viewed in that pool.

    The website also has a special section where child actors can be registered.

    Hence, directors can search for instance actors between ages 18 and 25, actors who can certain languages in an instant.

    “So, you cut away all the troubles of people showing up somewhere, she said. You cut away all the security issues for both the females and our children.”

    There is also a ‘Manage Me’ section where a team is assigned to a particular actor.

    Dokubo praised the efforts of the founder of AFRIFF, Chioma Ude; filmmaker Kunle Afolayan and President of the African Film Consortium, Mykel Parish for ensuring that the website came up.

  • Hilda Dokubo basks in new award

    Hilda Dokubo basks in new award

    For her role in the advocacy movie, Stigma, a film on HIV/AIDS, veteran Nollywood actress, Hilda Dokubo has been named Best and Most Outstanding Female Performer.

    Basking in the honour, which she says is her 10th international ‘Best Actress’ award, the actress took to her Instagram page to celebrate with fans.

    “The tenth international award as Best and Most Outstanding Female Performer, based on my performance in the movie, Stigma… You haven’t seen a movie until you’ve seen this movie,” she captioned a photograph of herself clutching the award.

    Speaking on her role in the movie recently, the actress said; “the issue of HIV has been discussed over and over again but not stigmatisation. People have done movies about how we can contract HIV and living with the ailment, but we have hardly done anything on what happens after people have contracted the virus and how to deal with living with it and how people deal with living with it. Stigmatisation is a killer. It just means rejection as a result of it. And when people reject you, it is the same as showing you hate.”

    Stigma, which stars the likes of Emeka Ike and Jackie Appiah tells the story of the daughter of a local midwife whose childhood was brought to an abrupt halt when her mother decides to marry a local Lothario.

  • No regrets reconciling with my husband –Hilda Dokubo

    No regrets reconciling with my husband –Hilda Dokubo

    Followers of the Nigerian movie industry in the 90s and early 2000s will remember Hilda Dokubo for her role as a television sweetheart. After a few years’ hiatus, the thespian says that she has returned to the movie scene with her role in the advocacy movie, Stigma. Standing elegant as she advances in age, she talks about the negative effects of stigmatisation. She also encourages young people who have had to deal with one setback or the other, while she talks about family, career and her beauty routine in this interview with OVWE MEDEME.

    WHAT is so unique about Stigma? The issue of HIV has been discussed over and over again but not stigmatisation. People have done movies about how we can contract HIV and living with the ailment, but we have hardly done anything on what happens after people have contracted the virus and how to deal with living with it and how people deal with living with it. Stigmatisation is a killer. It just means rejection as a result of it. And when people reject you, it is the same as showing you hate.

    So when people show you hate, you can’t grow. Hate is a negative energy. You can’t tap any kind of strength from rejection or from hate. But you can tap a lot of strength from love and that is what is special about this. We have two characters in the film script, a mother and a child. One dies as a result of rejection. The other lives and even achieves more as a result of love.

     In your own view, what is rejection?

    Rejection is when somebody says to you, you have this ailment, this disease or this defect and the first thing that comes to their mind is that you are going to die. Then you begin to feel sorry for yourself, you feel sorry about the life that you have lived, about the life you are going to live and the people that you will leave behind when you go. That self-pity stage is a stage that can destroy anyone. At that point, you condemn yourself. It doesn’t matter whether people are condemning you, as long as you don’t condemn yourself. It is a difficult thing to deal with when you have so much hate around you. It is difficult for you not to condemn yourself. It is difficult for you not to hate yourself.

     Is this movie your own way of coming back to the industry?

    Yes, it is a comeback.

     Are you working on any project now?

    I am actually working on two projects. I’m working on my talk show right now and I’m working on another movie. As a matter of fact, I’m working on two scripts back-to-back. When I’m done with one, I’ll move on to the next one. Everybody knows that you must wait for me to finish one and move on to the second one.

     At some point, you left the movie industry for politics. Why did you make that move?

    I didn’t go into politics, I held a political office.

     But a lot of people were expecting you to run for a political office…

    Maybe at some point, I might. When I left the industry, it wasn’t to go into politics. When I left, it was that I wanted to give back to the society. When I left, it was to work with young people, and that is what I did. It was in working with young people that I got appointed as a Special Assistant. I held that political office, I did my work and I’m grateful that by the example that I left, entertainers are today being given political offices to run. If I had messed up that role, nobody would call any entertainer to hold any assignment because I was the first person to be given that role. I thank God that I left a good example and now when governors speak they say give them, they know how to do this.

     How seriously are you considering contesting?

    Right now, I’m not. But I’m not God. I don’t know what tomorrow would bring.

     Do you think it is right for artistes to openly support political parties?

    It is their conviction. If you are convinced about something, you can do it openly or closely. If I can publicly say that I am a born again Christian, the same way, I can publicly say I am a pagan. It is my conviction. If there is a political figure that you love and trust and you agree with his or her ideology, yes, you can do that.

     Have you had any negative experience that you think people can learn from?

    I’ve been through several hells and I’ve been out of all the hells. When you lose your father as a child, then you would understand what it means to live with pain, especially if you grew up like me who was a daddy’s girl, whose major source of strength is your father. I grew up being a daddy’s girl. Until my father died, my mum and I were in the house as mother and daughter.

    My relationship was with my father. So, if you are out there and you suddenly wake up one morning and that source of everything that you have is removed from you, be strong. I was only nine at the time. Be strong because there is strength inside of you. If you give up, you may never find out why that happened. You may never know how strong you are. You may never know the quality of your character because you are who you are by what you do when no one expects.

     Does the experience in any way affect the way you relate with your children?

    Oh yes, it affects the way that I look at young people. When I’m dealing with my children, I prepare them for eventualities. When I’m dealing with young people, I prepare them for eventualities because anything can happen. You don’t let what has happened stop you. Keep moving. You will get there.

     Aside acting, what else do you do?

    I run an organisation called Create. It encourages people to create something. It is called the Centre for Creative Arts Education. We use creative arts to empower young people and women. We teach them how to think creatively, how to create their own work, how to create the businesses that they want, create the situation that they want and how to use every single talent that they have to create their own world.

     What activities have you carried out so far?

    We are running a school. If you go online, we have the fourth best innovative training institution in Nigeria out of 298 institutions. That is not a joke. We are rated as the best creativity education centre in West Africa and we are still pushing on. We empower 60 women every year and we do it religiously. We find them and we empower them. Our best criterion is your willingness to survive. Once you show us that you are willing to survive, we will give you a lifeline.

     After all these years, you still look radiant. What is the secret?

    I think it has been God. It is all about grace. I drink plenty of water and I live very healthy, I must confess. I don’t drink alcohol, I don’t keep late nights and I don’t worry at all. I never do that. I rest well when I need to rest. I play. I’m a very happy person. I don’t brood over anything. If you annoy me, I tell you on the spot. I forgive you on the spot and I move on.

     In fact, I have a lot that I take for myself. It is a personal principle. I forgive everybody in advance. So before you annoy me, I have forgiven you. The reason I do that is; I’m not forgiving you because of you. I’m forgiving you because of me. I need to be happy. If I don’t forgive you, I will keep battling with anger inside of me. So, for my sake, I forgive in advance. When you annoy me, I look at you and walk away. I deal with a lot of children and I hear when you play with children, you stay happy.

     How does your family cope when you are away on set?

    I am very grateful to God for what I have and I pray that God will give a lot of people the kind of family that I have. I have a very supportive family. They know that part of what is keeping me alive and makes me very happy is my work.

    So they are very encouraging about my work. We have also created for ourselves what we call our time. At our time, we are off. Meaning off without our phones, meaning off without distractions. It is my family quality time. When it is my family quality time, it is my family quality time and I use it to the fullest.

     It has been two years since you reconciled with your husband. How has it been?

    We thank God. It is fine. God is doing what only God can do. There were no regrets in the beginning, there can’t be any regrets now.

  • Hilda Dokubo bounces back in new movie, Stigma

    Hilda Dokubo bounces back in new movie, Stigma

    Veteran Nollywood actress, Hilda Dokubo has returned to her first love, acting, on a new advocacy movie titled Stigma. The actress who has been away for quite a while revealed that she is presently working on more scripts as well as her own TV show.

    Speaking with The Nation at the screening of Stigma, a movie on stigmatization which took place at the Nigerian Film Corporation last Saturday, Dokubo said that her decision to star in the movie is because it is a cause she believes in.

    “People have done movies about how we can contact HIV AIDS, living with HIV AIDS but we have hardly done anything on what happens after people have contracted the virus and how people could deal with living with it. Stigmatisation is a killer. It just means rejection as a result of it. And when people reject the victims, it is the same as showing hate. When people show you hate, you can’t grow. Hate is negative energy. You can’t tap any kind of strength from rejection or from hate. But you can tap a lot of strength from love and that is what is special about this,” she said.

    Hilda plays the role of Ibiso who works as a local midwife. In the cause of her work, she contracts HIV which she passes on to her daughter, Vanessa (Jackie Appiah). While the mother dies of rejection, the daughter thrives in an atmosphere of love and acceptance.

    The movie, directed by Dagogo Diminas, also stars the likes of Emeka Ike, Ngozi Nwosu and Soibifaa Dokubo among others.