Jodie Marsh new 'Superwoman' figure

 Ex-glamour model, Jodie Marsh is not still tired of showing off her rippling new body at every available opportunity.

The 32-year-old revealed to Heat magazine that she has been training as a body builder with her coach Tim for three years.

'I feel proud when I look in the mirror. I still can’t believe it’s my body. Like, when I look at my abs, I’m just like, f****** hell, I love it so much! I’m the prettiest I’ve ever looked,' Jodie enthuses.

Naturally aware that the muscular look isn't to everyone's taste, Jodie continues: 'If you’re not in the bodybuilding world it is scary, but to me it’s normal. I think I still look really feminine.'

Na you get your body!!!

Three women share Nobel Peace Prize

Sirleaf, Karman and Gbowee

Two Liberians and a Yemeni have been awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee honoured the three women "for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights."

The honour which comes with a 10 million kronor ($1.5 million) prize, was awarded to Africa’s first democratically elected female president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberian, 72, peace activist Leymah Gbowee and Yemeni democracy campaigner Tawakkul Karman. Karman is the first Arab woman to win the prize.

‘I’d Marry My Husband All Over Again But…’ – Joke Silva

Three days to the 50th birthday celebration of screen idol Joke Silva and her ‘Renewal of Marital Vows’, our team of reporters paid a visit to her Ikoyi home, where she grew up; and the encounter was nothing short of beautiful. The warm, accommodating mother of two boys took us through her childhood memories as well as how she’s carved a niche for herself in the entertainment industry.



Although she refused to spill her trade secrets lane, Jay speaks on her 25years of marriage to her 69 year old husband among other things. Between losing their only and eldest daughter and being swindled by movie pirates, the England trained actress, mother, wife, daughter and reality show principal chronicles her five decades in this interview. It’s the 26th of September, 2011.



How does it feel to be 50 in a couple of days?



I’m looking forward to the day. I feel blessed that colleagues, friends, and family feel that it’s worth celebrating. Yeah!



Tell us a bit about your childhood days. Where did you grow up?



I started out life in Yaba, then my parents moved to Glover Road in Ikoyi when I was about the age of five. So I basically grew up in Ikoyi. Then we moved to Ikeja when I got married. And now we’re in our own house in Ajah.



Were your parents professionals?



My dad was a lawyer. He retired as Legal Advisor to UAC. He died 14 or 15 years ago. My mum is a medical doctor, and she’s 85.



Wow. Are you looking at surpassing her age?



If the lord is willing; in good health.



How many siblings do you have?



We are five. I have an elder brother and three younger sisters



Was there any pressure being the first girl? With your parents being working professionals, you must have had to do the family cooking very often.



My mother never made cooking a chore for us or for me. Whenever she was in kitchen I always joined her. I learned to do everything. It was fun. She used to love baking on Saturdays especially. I used to do all the mixtures with her and I used to get the bowl and the spoon after we put everything in the oven. This was years earlier before blenders and other cooking gadgets came on. One thing I hated was grinding pepper. Ooh, I had to grind pepper on that stone; pepper, tomato, onion and beans if we wanted to make ‘Akara’ (bean cake). There is really hardly any Nigerian dish I can’t make. The only thing I can’t do is pound yam. I can cook some Eastern dishes like Banga soup and Starch. I cook some Ghanaian dishes as well but erm, pound yam? No way.



Does it mean you do your cooking yourself?



Not all the time. I have a cook. But once in a while I may. I do it ‘cos I feel like not ‘cos I have to.I really don’t have the time to cook now as I used to. And also when you train someone to cook the way you like. Why not employ him/her to cook to your taste.

Apart from the cooking memories, what other fond memories do you have of childhood?



I grew up in a time when Ikoyi was pretty big. We didn’t have that much traffic. A lot of us used to ride on bicycles to our friends’ places. Late Pastor Bimbo used to live just behind the road. It was a fun time. When my mum travelled, it was exciting for me to go to my Aunty’s who lived in Yaba. It was exciting to take a bus as a child. Normally, we don’t take buses. There are not many of those Red buses around now. I remember No. 79 used to go to Yaba from Obalende. I think that’s the kind of memory that our present governor has and that’s why we have more comfortable buses now that everybody can go on.



I also remember that when we were on Glover Road, we used to have family re-union practically every month and all members of the family would come together to play Badminton. We were a Badminton playing family. By the time we moved on to Bourdillion Road still in Ikoyi, we didn’t have so much space.



Getting formal education.



I started out Primary school in the Anglican School on Broad Street but I didn’t stay there for too long before I moved to St. Saviours. From there I proceeded to secondary school and then A-Levels. I took a year out, and then went back to study Drama at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic art. Then years after getting married and having my kids, I decided to go to the University of Lagos where I acquired a Bachelor’s Degree in English. A couple of years after that I went to the Fate Foundation and did a course in Entrepreneurship.



Wow, your mum a doctor, dad a lawyer and you wanted to study…



Theatre.



Why?



I felt that was what I was wired to do. My family had known since I was a kid. They encouraged and nurtured it but more as a hobby. We had so many others in our family who were into entertainmen – . People like Aunty Francesca Emmanuel, Aunty Ibidun Allyson and Uncle Jabba. They got me involved in whatever I could do to nurture the talent. So I became a member of Steve Rhodes voices. I tell people that any discipline that I have in this industry – and people say I am very disciplined, I learnt from late Uncle Stevo. I particularly wanted to go for training and later I worked at the University of Lagos Cultural Centre and then the National Theatre…



Working as what?



As an actor. I was getting a lot of acting work. I worked on NTA television and then radio. I was making quite a bit of money and my father was like ‘whatever you had to do, train and train well’. And I began to see reason with him, especially when I was working at the National Theatre on ‘June’s Metamorphosis‘, a play. I couldn’t really analyse the role and it was really getting on my nerves. And then my father said,’you need to train for this thing’. And that was when I got an acting coach in England. He was one of the top acting coaches. He wrote a book on voice training. And it was with him I did my voice training and audition training. Then I applied to several drama schools and at the end of the day I chose Douglas Academy of Dramatic arts. And that’s where I was for two and some years.



When I came home after my A-level I wanted to get into the University of Ibadan or Ife to study Theatre Arts but then I was late, I had to apply the next year. So that year my parents decided that I began work in the field I wanted to train in with the hope that I’d change my mind if I found it difficult. An uncle at the University of Lagos later introduced me to a company of actors – the University of Lagos cultural centre now called Creative Arts department. We used to prepare plays for convocation or whatever ceremonies were on. It was while I was at the University that somebody came from NTA saying he’d heard about a young girl who just came into the country and was doing an amazing work. We met and he introduced me to television drama. We’d rehearse for about 7 to 8 hours right into the early hours of the morning. There I met a lot people who were working in radio like Jide Ogundade. He introduced me to radio and I became part of his company for radio drama. All that was before the invitation to perform in ‘Jane’s Metamorphosis’.



It’s interesting to know you started out singing. Do you still sing?



I can’t sing to save my life. *Laughs. You know the funny thing is that, even then, I didn’t have much confidence in my singing. But Uncle Steve didn’t believe anybody couldn’t sing and I was always enthusiastic about my rehearsals. So it’s not like I don’t sing, I sing, but I wouldn’t take up singing as a profession. Not even in a million years.



But how about being on Project Fame?



In that respect, yes! The thing is that I have an ear for music. I can tell when you’re off, flat and things like that. But that case is just like people who train actors but they themselves cannot act.



So when you were faced with the project fame job, did you feel qualified?



I asked what the necessary qualification was, and they said I had it. It was the need to be able to nurture young talents and that I’ve been doing for more than ten years in different schools. They also needed me to help in their speech. Of course a lot of them who come can’t speak clearly you know so I am there. I also help out in interpretation. So all those put together worked for me. I’m head of the academy; I’m not the voice coach or singing coach.



When was your first stage play?



That was in late 1980s and there were two of them that we did back to back. ‘The Exception‘ and ‘The War – Omoodo‘ both by Bode Afam. I started working on stage before television.



At what point did fame start setting in?



I remember walking down a road in Aguda with my husband-to-be one closing hour, and all the school children, just made a B- line for us screaming, ‘Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that’s headmaster’. I was scared. I held him so tight, he was like ‘honey it’s okay they like your work’. I was shaking you know. So ‘Second Chance‘ and ‘Mind Bending‘ did it for me.



What year was that?



That must have been in 1984/85.

So did you have it mapped like ‘I’m going to conquer the stage audience, the TV audience, then radio audience’?



No, it’s just the way it happened. I’d say ‘Second Chance’ and ‘Mind Bending’ did it for me with the television crowd. ‘The King Must Dance Naked‘ did it for the theatre crowd and the theatre practitioners. It was produced by Fred Adueze. For the movie audience, it was ‘Violated‘ by Amaka Igwe where I played Mama Tega. And for the Yoruba audience it was ‘Owuro L’ojo‘.That’s my mum’s favourite.



If she has a copy I really would like to get one.



How did your family react to your new-found popularity?



My parents were very proud, even before I began to train. I can remember compeering an event with Sola Omole and it was at the National Theatre. They sent a car to pick me up and my mum told some guests she had with her with so much pride that, ‘Joke lo wa gbe yen o’ (It’s Joke they’ve come for)*Laughs. ‘Oh she’s an actress and she’s also a very good compeer. That’s the official car to pick her’. *Laughs.*I thought that was so sweet. ‘And she’s earning this and that, much more than some civil servants, honestly she’s doing well’. They were so very proud. Before my father eventually died after taking ill, there was no show I did that they both didn’t come. Sometimes a friend would phone to tell them that they saw me on Tv and they’d be so offended I didn’t tell them about it. My mum is still very supportive.



Any particular reasons you don’t feature much in films?



I’m constantly moving between thin and thick. That’s why you’ll see I haven’t done as many films as some of my colleagues. I’ll probably finish this film, and then I have two or three plays waiting for me. I love the stage. I’m not saying I prefer the stage to films though.



And if you were to quit one for the other…



No, I won’t. I enjoy both. Now we’re in talks on a project that’s coming up November/December, and that’s going to take most of my time.



A stage project?



Yes, an amazing stage project. My husband and I have a production company called the Lufodo Company. Under Lufodo production we’ve produced twenty theatre plays. We’ve even taken one to England, and performed at the Hempen Park.



When you were on TV and started acting in the movies did you get poached from Hollywood producers?



I wouldn’t really call it Hollywood. It was a mix of Hollywood, BFI (British Film Institute) and the French Film Institute. It was actually a BFI project. And it was a play written by a Nigerian based in England. There was a proper audition for people of our set where you don’t meet whoever else was auditioning. You’ll only find out about the other people that auditioned much later. And I met with the producers at Eko Hotel. After my performance, they said I’d hear from them latest in the next two weeks. I heard from them the next day and they hoped I was available. They needed me to sign some papers but I told them to hold on ‘cos somebody had to take a look at them. I did sign on eventually. The challenge we had then was that the Nigerians working in Britain or the British of Nigerian descent were like ‘I was coming to poach on their own turf’. But the producer was so adamant because I brought the flavour that she needed for that character. It had Colin Firth, who won the Oscars recently for the ‘King’s Speech’.



‘The King’s Speech’?



Yeah. He won it this year and I was so happy for him. He actually spent some time in Nigeria then. Collins played my son-in-law, and Nia Long played my daughter in that particular production. It’s called the ‘Secret Laughter of Women‘. It’s still on Youtube.



How did that help internationally?



Not particularly well because it came at a time in my life when we just lost our eldest daughter. My husband was like, ‘Joke go and work. It will help you, you know’. So I didn’t bother using it or sending it or things like that. Of recent, it is the younger Nigerians who are probably the age of my eldest son, who have come to ask me to be part of their projects. But they’ve done so in a way that I find disrespectful. So I don’t get involved in their work. And all that’s just because we don’t have that formal division of talents like we have abroad, that let’s you know an A-Lister, B-lister, C-Lister and things like that. You think you can just come and ask me to do what a C would do? The way you employ a C is the way you want to employ me? No way! I don’t care who has signed on to the project. When you met the whoevers who signed the project, did you ask for their show reel? Did you ask them to do a film? At this stage of my life, I am upward only. Anywhere in the world we are auditioning, I’m meeting the director one on one. You make your decision there.



Wait, have you had this kind of situation recently?



Yes, especially from people abroad. Unfortunately for them they need to have a bit of manners. They think they’re coming to do Nollywood a favour by picking us for international films. For us it’s (featuring in international films) no big deal. We’ve worked with some of the best. And the people we’ve worked with have a lot of respect for our work. I mean there’s a new asking that was done properly. It’s offer only. And they’re waiting to find out if we’re interested. That’s how it works. That’s how you deal with our own calibre. You don’t ask us to send you a short film or show reel. How dare you?



Having experienced such disrespect, are you looking at doing anything about putting proper structures in place by joining the AGN (Actors Guild of Nigeria) or similar bodies?



I am a life member of the AGN. My husband and I are involved behind the scenes. The structuringis happening but it’s slow. I mean in other parts of the world, the person that I’m talking about that’s asking for a show wouldn’t speak to me. He would speak to my agent. I have several agents and it’s a tough industry. And some of them don’t realise how tough it can be to be an agent. So the agent I’m with now, she’s perfect. Most people don’t have her telephone number so they still call me but I just refer them to her.



How have you managed to stay relevant?



(Exhales) It’s a secret I gained from one of my friends. And I’m not prepared to share it. (*Laughs*) It’s what gave me leverage, and it’s my own, urm, there’s a business term for it. You know, I’m not going to share it. Even the person who told me didn’t realize she was saying it. I got it, I picked it up, and I’ve never let it go since then. Again it’s the grace of God that has kept me relevant. And I think one of the things I learned from my husband is to be able to read where the industry is going, and be part of that move, because there’s always a change. One needs to be able to read that, ‘this is where is the industry is going right now. How do I fit in this look of the industry and be compatible with it?’



Project Fame helped a lot in projecting your image to a lot of young people. Was it a strategy?



What I’ve learned over the years is, once you’re in this industry there’s no job you shouldn’t take on as long as it’s not indecent. There was a time in my early years when I used to present a program called Teen Talk on Channels TV. Sometimes you say to yourself, ‘all I want to be is an actor because that’s what I trained for’. But you’re not going to get acting jobs all the time.



Why don’t you have your own talk show? Like ‘The Joke Silva Show’ or something.



Talk Show? It’s not just my thing. My mentor was actually planning one for me, but I said no.



Why?



If I could get a talk show, then I would probably have a television series. Do you understand? For me my comfort zone is acting and that’s what I’m passionate about. I’ve been asked to be the head of school in Project Fame, I love that a lot because I love mentoring young people. My job on that program is to teach the young people life skills. Project Fame went well for every single day for three months.



How tedious was that?



You know it’s very tedious, very tedious. But I like it. I’ve seen them grow from when they come into the house to when they leave. And it could also be heart-wrenching because there are some contestants you hope will stay for long but then they go.



People notice the friction between the judges and the faculty at the shows, why is it like that?



It’s because we (faculty members) are on their case everyday and we see what progress they make you know. So the judges are like ‘this is what we saw last week, this is what we’re seeing this week’. And we are saying that this particular person has improved but that’s not their own job description. Their job is to judge what they see. That’s why it gets emotional sometimes because we have a bond.



Is any of all that drama scripted?



No.



Through the three seasons, have you ever been disappointed in who was named winner of the talent show?



I’ve never been disappointed with any winner. Sometimes it’s the runners-up I feel, ‘oooh, somebody else should have been there’, but for one reason or the other, they left the competition too early. That’s the nature of the game anyway, isn’t it? It’s a competition and there can only be one winner.



Have you produced any movie before?



Yes, my husband and I did a movie. We produced a film called ‘The Kingmaker‘. It examined the political arena of Nigeria, and focused a bit more on the god-fatherism that we have in our politics. Basically the argument we were trying to project was that even if you get into power through the political platform of a god father and you see that the god father does not have the interest of the populace at heart but he just has you in that position so he can siphon money, then jettison the god father because there’s nothing like the power of incumbency. That’s basically what the film was about.



What year was that released and which actors did it feature?



‘The Kingmaker’ was probably shot in 2006 or thereabout. It featured people like myself, Bimbo Emmanuel, Olu Jacobs, Aunty Bukky, Enebeli Enebuwa and it was directed by Fred Amata. I remember when we released it; we got a phone call from a man in Abuja and he was like ‘Who have you been talking to?’ And we were like; ‘talking to who? Who are we supposed to be talking to?’ The movie theme suggested that we were talking to people in the presidency but really any fool reading the newspaper would deduce some of the things we did. The script was written by a lady called Bunmi Oyesan who’s an amazing writer. She wrote ‘Owuro l’ojo’ too. She’s written a lot of novels. She’s now in Canada. But we ran into trouble waters with the distribution of the movie and the pirates gave it to us in a way we’ll never forget in our lives. We later met a distributor who told us, ‘you know we were the ones who killed ‘The Kingmaker’ in the market’. I’ll keep his name quiet. He actually met me at BOB TV and he said, it was a brilliant film and he made good money off it. The film was a very good film but they killed it in the market. It was pirated.



Didn’t you learn about the marketing and distribution terrain before venturing into production?



We were actually venturing into our own network. We were joining forces with other people to set up our own distribution network and it’s very difficult to fight the mafia. But we haven’t given up on setting up a formal distribution network. It’s a necessity not just to make money on our own, but for the survival of the industry.



How much did you invest?



I think it was about 5million at that time. We did everything possible and we were able to pay back every single one of our investors.



And that’s the only attempt you’ve made at producing movie?



Yes. We haven’t ventured into movie making again until we are sure we can track them.



Do you have an autobiography in the works?



No I don’t.



Wouldn’t you like to have one?



I don’t know. What is it about my life that people want to know abeg.



Does it feel like five decades yet?



It doesn’t. It doesn’t feel like that at all. There’s still so much I want to do and I know I’ll do.



Give us some of the major highlights of your life.



Having my kids definitely and the various jobs that I’ve done. Winning the Solidra Awards, which is an award that the likes of Wole Soyinka, Aunty Francesca Emmanuel, Aunty Taiwo Ajayi Lycett have won is a great honour. I have it on my wall. I feel very pleased with that. So far I feel I’m the only actor that has won the AMAA twice. I’ve found out that practically all the awards system has been set up for this industry has recognised my works one way or the other and I’m grateful to God for that.

Why do a lot of people think you’re older than 50?



Laughs. Well it’s because one has been in their lives for so long. I’ve been in this industry for 30years. Very early in my career, I started playing an older woman. The very first older woman role I played was ‘Mama Tega’ in ‘Violated’ and she was a woman between her 50′s and early 60′s. I was playing mother to a Richard Mofe Damijo, who is actually a couple of months older than me in real life.



Your union is one of the most enduring we have in the Nigerian showbiz industry. Tell us, are things as rosy on the inside as they appear on the outside?



There have been one or two times people have written not-too-pleasant stuffs about us but you know the thing with marriage is that there are cycles. And one should mature with each passing cycle.



Have there been times you felt pushed to the wall and you felt you needed space away from each other or even throw in the towel completely?



Of course there have been. But the beauty of it is that by reason of our jobs we are not always together. So one can take whatever space you want during that time. Again we have realised, you know, that we are so bonded that we can’t do without each other. I mean even when you say you want space, the next minute he’s on the phone asking, ‘how are you’?.



How far apart are your parents in age?



Six or seven years.



And then you brought home a man nineteen years older than you. How did your parents react when they met him?



They loved him. He’s easy to warm up to. My mother didn’t have a problem with him but when my dad heard his age, he was like, ‘oti o’ (No). But with time, everything was settled.



Would you repeat the same thing all over again?



Ha, no o! I would marry the same man all over again but this time I’d like to be maybe four years older. That would close the gap a little. I got married at the age of twenty-five.



Source: The net

As a woman, be ready to suffer indignities –Chinwe Okoro

Soft-spoken Clara Chinwe Okoro is the chief executive officer of BrandWorld Media, a television production and brand architecture company. She is also the presenter of BrandWorld television. In this interview with us she revealed that women who intend to become entrepreneurs should be ready to face a lot of indignities, among other issues.

Where are you from?

I come from Arondizuogu in Imo State

What profession are you into?

I run a television production company and a publishing firm. I publish the magazine called Ice and I run the television programme called BrandWorld television.

How long have you been doing this?

For about 12 years.

How has the journey been so far?

It has been very challenging, but we are up to the task. I think if God gives you the enablement, you have to do your bit.

You are a very pretty woman. What is your beauty secret?

I rely on God for everything. I just ask him for the peace of mind and strength to face every challenge I meet and He does it.

What is your normal day like?

I wake up not too early because if I don’t sleep very well I tend to fluster during the day. So I wake up about 7.30 a.m., say my prayers and have my bath. I don’t do breakfast because I rush off to the office, treat my emails. I move around a lot, I am on the road a lot.

Beauty routine

I use a lot of natural products from the south of France because I have extremely sensitive skin. I don’t put chemicals on my skin. I don’t even use make-up except on rare occasions because I break out so easily that I was told to avoid putting any form of chemical on my skin.

Are you married?

Not yet.

What are you waiting for?

I guess it’s God’s time and also for the fact that there are some accomplishments that I needed to do before settling in a man’s house because if I give him that divided attention, I guess it would be unfair.   This also affects a lot of people’s lives and I needed to do that and get it over with before settling down.

Some people believe that when a woman is the CEO of a company, she does not get married on time because she is so involved in what she does that she doesn’t think of marriage. How true is this?

There is some truism in it because a sheep normally can’t have two masters. If it is so time consuming, definitely it can bring some sort of discord in the marriage and you see the fatalities these days. There is so much divorce in the environment and I think it is the question of a woman actually making a deliberate effort to make some sacrifices because it can’t just work out 100 percent.

What is that fashion item you cannot do without as a woman?

Hmmm, I think it should be my baby lotion; that is what I use on my skin. As I told you my skin is very sensitive, if I don’t use it, it tends to reflect.

Everyone has one fear or the other in life. What is your greatest fear?

Not to accomplish the mission I was sent to. That is to transform the lives of so many people before I leave. It is a burning desire.

If you were not running your own business, what other career would you have pursued?

It might be shocking to you but I would have loved to be a nursery school teacher.

Why a nursery school teacher? There is a general belief that teachers’ reward is in heaven, because they are not well paid.

I guess when your pupil all grow up and you look at them, the pride is there that you helped

built these lives.

What are the major challenges you face as the CEO of a company?

Well the fact that the challenges are rarely there in our day to day running of business. We have the energy problem, staff, and liquidity issues, there are so many challenges but it is just a question of managing in every aspect. The sort of wisdom you apply to every situation will always get you out of it.

What are your hobbies?

I like to relax a lot. I like to listen to music, read, travel and celebrate people also.

What kind of books do you read?\

Everything that interests me from science fiction to fiction, biographies, history and documentation about issues.

You said you love to travel. What part of the world would you love to visit?

Maybe somewhere called Belis. I think it is an island I would like to eventually go.

Why?

It is a beautiful set-up whenever I see the pictures and I think if a paradise like that exists on earth, I would like to go there.

What is it about that womanhood that makes you happy?

The fact that women can juggle so much and still keep our sanity, men don’t understand it. That is why when you see a woman get angry, it is so much that has been pent up inside of her, juggling a home, going to work, trying to train her kids, taking care of the husband’s needs, trying to take so many things into cognisance and yet she has to be sane and behave as if nothing is happening.

Is there any time in your life you would have loved to capture a particular moment but did not, and regrets today?

Yes, it is a very funny scenario. When Richard Branson, the CEO of Virgin came to Nigeria to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Virgin Atlantic, I was standing and speaking to him for about five minutes and there was a photographer in front of me and it just never occurred to me to

tell that photographer to capture that moment in time for me and it became a turning point in my life that you never have a second chance to make a first impression. And I learnt from that situation.

How was your transition period from girlhood to womanhood?

I had a very balanced childhood and that is what I am advocating for young people. Young people of nowadays, grow up so quickly. You savour your childhood, the adventures of being a teenager; you go to the parties with your friends and then transit to adulthood. When you begin to desire the things that adults do at the age of 13-15, what then are you going to do when you hit 30, 40 or 50.

So, I had a very balanced life and I think that is what people should also aspire to do. When you are young, do what you want to do, so when you are old, you overlook it as well - that you have been there and done that.

What were those fun childhood memories you hold dear?

My father taking us to the airport, and (we) riding on horses when we go to the beach. When the amusement park was here in Lagos, my mother taking us there, parties we went to, birthday parties of my friends, my school parties, the nursery school I attended, then the centenary celebration of Methodist Girls High School when I first became a secondary school student, all these were exciting moments in my life.

What is that fashion item you would never be caught wearing?

Multi-coloured hair (Laughs). I just don’t know, I don’t think I buy into that idea.

Are you a fashion freak?

No, I just like classics, things that you can’t ever tell whether they are in fashion or not. They just look nice.

What advice do you have for young ladies who intend to own their own business?

You have to be ready to suffer a lot of indignities because people are going to think you are a female so you shouldn’t be taken seriously. You must be ready to make sacrifices and to go the extra mile to make sure that the business survives in terms of tenacity, hard work, staying late nights and doing up things that you would have paid somebody else to do. So if you really want to juggle that and own your business, then, you must make sure that you have made that decision to make sure this decision you took does not fail.

‘Nigerian women don’t recognise their importance’ - Dr. Ndok

For eloquent Ebiti Onoyom Ndok, the Chairperson of the United National Party for Development (UNPD) and the only female leader of a political party in the country, no woman can climb up the political ladder on her own. She told  us in this interview that women need to join hands if they must occupy a good leadership position come 2015.

Who is Dr Ndok?

My name is Chief Dr. Ebiti Onoyom Ndok. I am from Cross River State and I am the chairperson for the United National Party for Development UNPD). I also doubled up as the presidential candidate in the last election.

How was the experience?

Waoh, being a woman, where do I start from? First of all, we had logistics problem which was why we were not able to campaign all over the country. Also, I contested on a very new platform, a new political party but we thank God for the opportunity we had to showcase because I was able to participate in the debate.

How was it for you coming out for the post of a presidential candidate as a woman?

Funny enough I had no problems. I believe the only problem we had was financial. If the money that the incumbent president had was able to go round the country to showcase the manifesto of the United National Party for Development, I believe we will be in Aso Rock by now because we are talking about socialist ideology, welfare of the people and basic needs for Nigerians. Nigerians are entitled to better life. What are we having now is nothing, purely zero. Every Nigerian is a local government on his own, you provide your light, food and all. I mean there is pure suffering in this country.

We believe UNPD can change that but we had no money to be able to go round. But presently, we are re-strategising to educate Nigerians of our policies and programmes. Yes, we start now, we are  strategising for 2015.

What would you say was the major challenge as a woman?

Well, as I said, not many knew me. And I believe if I was out more often, I would have gotten enough support from women as at that time. So, that is why we want to start early to be out. I have to be out there more often and let women know that they have a strong representative, a strong and intelligent one.

What are some of your antecedents?

I lived in the United Kingdom for 22 years. I am a trained lawyer, a diplomat. I had a Master’s degree in International Relations and I have done a lot of work on women issues in England. I headed an organisation called Organisation for the Welfare of the African Women in the UK. So all my life I have been fighting women causes. And when I came to Nigeria in 2005, I saw that the whole situation scenario is still the same. I went around to other political parties and see if I could work with them but their policies, programmes and manifestos didn’t suit what I was looking for, so I gathered people around and we registered the UNPD.

Apart from being the chairperson of UNPD, I am the president of Nigerian Women Solidarity, a women organisation here in Nigeria. I am also a publisher.

What do you publish?

Well, I have Christian books that I have published. I have a book on local government that is coming out very soon.

What would you find in this book for local governments?

It contains the administration of local government to its contribution to the development of Nigeria because I believe that the development of this country should be taken to the grassroots. So, we need to empower more local government chairmen to develop this country.

Is it empowerment they need or redirection?

They need redirection but, you see, they need to be empowered diligently, guiding them and restructuring. So you need to empower them intelligently, you talk to them, you guide them. The extra mile that is guidance, performance measurement, you need to begin to put the right things in place.

Where does this trait of your activism come from?

I think I just was born. I’m a gift to Nigeria. My name is Ebiti and it means gift. I have been a fighter right from my mother’s womb, I believe. I contested for chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) when I was 25 years old in Ondo State. I did not win because of the usual men thing. I was a staff of NTA, Akure then. I was in the media from 1979 to 1983; I started with the radio station, went to NTA where I left as an acting chief presenter in NTA.

Why do women think they can just come in and jump in sometimes? What about mentoring the young ones who would follow when you get up there?

We are talking about forming a data base. Nigerian Women Solidarity is looking into training and we are talking about starting now. If we come together and have workshops, seminars on a regular basis, I wish to impact myself into a million Nigerian women. They become fighters and you can imagine if we all go out, we will get what we want. One thing that is lacking in this country is women recognising their position in this country, their contribution to nation building. We are very important and until we recognise that, we are going nowhere. And that is where Nigerian Women Solidarity is coming in.     

 

Good idea but how do you intend to achieve this?

Well, we want to first of all stabilise Nigerian Women Solidarity. We want to start by bringing in more political women leaders, professional associations and old students associations. We will bring all these women together and start talking from there, they will create the interest and then, you begin to formalise. We also have a micro-finance bank we are looking into that we want to set up. It is called Able Worth Micro Finance bank. We are going to have N25 billion base and with that we can sponsor 12 female governors come 2015 and they will win. They don’t need the money but we need to start working with them from now. There are 774 local governments in Nigeria; a third of it belongs to women.

We have 36 states and six zones. That means in every zone there must be two female governors. We should have 33 female senators and 120 House of Representatives for women in 2015. So if we elementalise it that way, we will be able to use this structure to put things in place. So that is why Nigerian Women Solidarity is coming working with United National Party for Development.

It is commonly believed that women are their own enemies. How do you intend to handle this?

For me, I don’t see any woman as a threat. I believe if I add my strength to your strength, your knowledge to my knowledge, we will be better off. So what you need to be telling people is look for the best in each other. We will source for the best and use it. Everybody has weaknesses, so we will strengthen our weaknesses, create an opportunity to become a threat to the other person and that is it. That is my own SWOT analysis.

What strategies do you think women should put in place so that 2015 election can be carried out effectively?

As I said, Nigerian Women Solidarity is looking into bringing more women together in different professions. If you look at the deputy governors that are in now, they are from the bank. So, we need to bring in all these women, sensitise them and open their eyes to the goodness that is out there waiting for them. A lot of women shy away from trouble, from expected violence. But as I said, if we create our fund, then, there is no need to be afraid. We need to create that funding ourselves; we are not going to be looking out. What I found out presently is that a lot of women are waiting for donor agencies to sponsor them. You don’t expect somebody from outside to come and build your house for you. You need to sow to reap. When we begin to understand that, we begin to implement, we prepare, plan and we proact.

Don’t you think the issue of godfatherism could be a threat?

Not at all, because the money is not coming from anybody, it is coming from our money collectively gathered together. So, there is no issue of godfatherism this time around. So we will source for the best.

I've values that I would want maintained ... I refused to be boxed in a corner - Uwa odefa

Pretty and eloquent Uwa Odefa is not a woman to be pushed around. An iconoclast, though her dream was to become a newscaster or an actress, today with her charity group, The Girlfriends Nigeria, she found herself helping women and the girl-child, a passion that rubbed off on her because of her late father’s legacies. In this interview with us she talked about politics, style, her major achievement and other issues.



Background

I am from Eboniyi State and I come from a family of seven children. My father was a political godfather as it were and I grew up in the political circle. He is late, but he has left a lot of legacies that have made me who I am today.

Predominantly, my empathy for the less privileged and physically challenged in our communities I got from him because he was someone who had lots of adopted children whom he took care of and all that sort of rubbed off on me. I’d like to be seen as that which is why I am doing most of what I am doing especially with the charity group I started called, ‘The Girlfriends Nigeria’.



What is the Girlfriends Nigeria about?

Currently, it is an informal group of young and old women from different aspects of the society who just have a passion for helping other women because we have seen that there is a disconnect among women. A lot of people say if only women are more united they would rule the world, so we are trying to create a platform where that can happen and it is not just about taking over the world per se but it is also about helping and supporting one another. So our focus is women and the girl child.

Does it also involve handling cases that have to do with violence against women?

Not specifically but because violence affects women, it will take it up. So we deal with violence against women, to education, fashion and style, cooking, taking care of your home and the family to everything that affects a woman.



What was the motivation?

I would say having friends who come up to me to say I have this or that challenge and you can see that the only reason that person is facing that, be it in the workplace or at home or wherever, is because they are females. You would find people who say to me, my father won’t pay school fees because I am female, women being pressured to do ordinarily what they would not do and because they don’t have anyone to help or support them and let them know they can stand up for themselves and not accept the fact that you are a mediocre or a second class citizen. But a human being in your own right and should have all the benefits accruable to the next person.



What would you say is the greatest achievement of the Girlfriend Nigeria so far?

For me, I would say it would be when we had the seminar on violence against women, last year November. Generally in Nigeria women don’t talk when they are abused, especially not in public because you are meant to feel that it is your fault, it is your problem and it is disgraceful so don’t talk about it. Meanwhile, you are the victim so you should be shouting from the roof top that this is happening to you so that people would sit up and take notice.

When I was trying to organise that seminar, a lot of people told me no one would ever talk. But it was supposed to be an avenue for women who are in the situation to talk about it. People who have been through that situation and came out successfully to talk about how they did it so that they could also help people who are in the situation and figure out how to get out of it. And also for people who have never experienced it, to know that violence against women happens and it could happen to anybody. There is no law that says it could only happen to a particular set of people, so long as you are female, it could happen to you.

In that seminar, three women told us stories that were so shocking. It was like watching Nollywood. And for me, the satisfaction of that seminar was when the people who spoke said they feel better for talking about it and that it has even made them see the situation clearly and that they would be willing to talk more about it. For some, it was the first time they were talking about it in public.

One of them is a personal friend and until we had that seminar, I never knew she went through domestic violence for four years. For four years, I knew her as a vibrant, young woman who never had any issues, so she was living two lives. Fortunately she had mentors who supported her or else she would have broken down during that period. So that for me is a major achievement.

Some people blame the clergy for women keeping quiet when they are going through domestic violence because they are advised to go back to their husbands because the Bible and Quran do not support divorce. What do you have to say about this?

It is crap as far as I am concerned. We all have our contributions to the problem. Even the women who are receiving the beating at home also have their own share of the responsibility. You are a human being; you should have the natural survival instinct. Why would you stay where you are about to be killed and say it is the church that said you should stay? That means if the pastor says you should stick your finger into the fire, you would because it is the pastor telling you. You have access to the Bible and Quran, read them. There is no where it is written that you have to stay in a violent relationship where your life is at stake. As far as I am concerned, when you stay in a violent relationship and you are killed there, you have committed suicide and with suicide, you won’t get into heaven.

The fact is that we all have our own roles to play, the victims, and the families of the victims who watch and see this happening and say oh let’s reconcile. For me, the first thing to do is pull the victim out of the situation and then look for a solution to the problem. First, let us protect the value of life that is the most important thing.



Your late father was a politician, do you ever think of going into politics?

Not as it stands in Nigeria now. Maybe in Lagos State because it seems pretty clean and fair and they listen to what you really have to offer. That is my perception but not in other states, especially not in my state as it is now and I can say that anywhere.



Why not in your state?

There is no equal opportunity there for women as at today that we speak; maybe tomorrow it would change. If it does change I would be interested because it is an opportunity to help more people and proffer policies that would continue to help people.



You appear to be a stern person. Who is Uwa Odefa?

First of all, I am a very stubborn and eccentric person. People think I am odd and I like that. I don’t like to go with the flow especially when the flow is leading me in a direction I don’t want to go or that I think is wrong. I have values that I would do anything to maintain, I refuse to be boxed into a corner, and I refuse to be labeled. I think I am the kind of person you need to experience to figure out who I am.



You are a fashionable woman. What is your style secret?

I just wear what looks good, not just good but interesting and something that makes people stop and look. It is really not about conforming to the trends because I may not wear what is fashionable especially if it does not fit my body type. I don’t believe in going with the fashion trend just because some star is dressed like that. I try to have my own unique style and I don’t do labels so long as the quality is good and it fits me.



What is that clothing item you won’t be caught dead in?

I won’t be caught dead in skin jeans because it doesn’t look good on me.



What is that fashion item you cannot do without?

I will say chunky wristwatches because they look more masculine. Up until a few years ago, I even used to stick to men’s perfume.



What were those childhood dreams you had when growing up?

I wanted to be first of all a newscaster and presenter; secondly I wanted to be an actress.



So why didn’t you follow those dreams?

Up until university, I was still into acting. I belonged to a theatre group in school and even in church. But after school when I really would have actively pursued the acting career, there was a lot of negative feedbacks like you would have to sleep with directors, actors; and actresses are not taken seriously and I am not someone who would not want to be taken seriously. If it was what it is now, I probably would have gone into it. I think it is a bit more serious now. The artistes are contributing a lot to the community and their environment.



And what about news-casting and presenting?

Well, I tried to get in to study Mass Communication but when I couldn’t I just let it go. I know now that that is not a handicap. Eventually, I intend to have a programme or two on television that I would anchor.



What are your hobbies?

I have very odd hobbies. I have an orange belt in karate so I am a very physical person. I like to walk out, I do aerobics and karate. Right now I am in middle of learning how to ride a power bike. I also like to read, write and talk.

Who is your role model?

I would say Mrs. Josephine Effah-Chukwuma, I admire what she is doing. She has dedicated her life to women that are abused and for the most part, I think it is a thankless job, so you have to be really passionate about it. It must be a calling and I think that is what it is for her, otherwise she would have given up years ago. The strength with which she continues to do it and her job is something that can be very demoralising. I mean you see the worst of humanity everyday and you still have the will to go on and to believe the best in people. That takes a lot so she is one of my major role models.



What is the best decision you have made so far in life?

I would say the decision to be more involved with my immediate environment. To open myself because they say you are not really living a full life when you haven’t impacted on those around you. And for me, it brings a lot of satisfaction. I am happy that I can give even if it is not something tangible but I can give of myself.



Everybody has one fear or the other. What is your greatest fear in life?

My greatest fear is that I will die and no one would notice. I want that when I die, people will say oh somebody died, not just my family. My family will say somebody died because they have known me for years but strangers would say ‘oh somebody died’. So, my greatest fear is dying unknown or unacknowledged.



What advice would you give to single ladies who are scared to get married because they see their father beat up their mother?

I would say that is not a good reason to be scared of marriage because there are people who never saw their father hit their mother yet they hit women. All you need to do is open your eyes wide, think with your head as well as your heart. There are certain attitudes and traits that a young man would display that tells you this man is going to be the kind that would lash out physically even if it is not physically but who would lash out.



How many times in a year do you organise seminars for these women?

It is not just seminars; we just find activities around things that help women. We actually try to do it once a month but each month, we target something different. For instance, some time ago, we had a cookery class encouraging women to learn how to cook different dishes so that there is variety in the home; keep their husband and children interested in eating healthy meal. We are planning a make-up section to encourage women to experiment with make-up, look and feel good about themselves. It is not only going to be make-up but a total wellness package and lots more.



What is your favourite piece of clothing item?

Up until a few years ago, I would have said jeans trousers but now I have shed part of the tom boy image, so I like fitted knee length skirts.



What makes your day?

When someone shows some appreciation for something I did, it makes my day.

How I started caring for the elderly – Seinye O.B Briggs

Mrs. Seinye O.B. Lulu-Briggs is the Chief Executive Officer of Rachael Hotels. She is a seasoned administrator and business-woman. She obtained a Diploma in Data Processing from East London University (formerly East Ham College of Technology) in 1981.



She started her working career with the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lagos in 1982, and rose to the position of Head of Computer Operations before moving to Oceanic Bank Plc in 1991 as Head of Administration, a position she held till 1993.



She was made an Executive Director at LA SIEN Center Limited in 1995. She is currently the Executive Vice Chairman of Moni Pulu Limited and a Non-Executive Director of Intercontinental Bank Plc.



She has attended various local and international training courses, including courses in Structural design methodologies (California, USA), Quality Assurance Testing Techniques (California USA) . In this interview, she talks about the 10-year anniversary of the Foundation she founded for the elderly.



What influenced the choice of the Foundation’s area of focus?

Over ten years ago, a close friend of mine and I were on the way to attend a function in the village. On the way there, we stopped by to visit the elderly aunt of a close friend of mine.



She was once a very beautiful lady, but poverty and the pain of the reduced circumstances in which she was now living, had changed her countenance greatly. Apart from being almost penniless, the roof of room in which this lady lived had a leak and rain was dripping onto her body and belongings.



This experience lingered on my mind and made me realize that we cannot ignore the fact of aging and the attrition that growing old can bring. It was in a bid to alleviate the pains of the elderly, especially in the rural areas where poverty is rampant, that we started the Care For Life programme. This you may say is our foundational and flagship programme.



The Foundation started its operations in 2001, with one area of focus which is care for the elderly. Ten years later, we work in 5 distinct programme areas: Care For Life; Education and Scholarship; Medical Missions; Micro credit and Entrepreneurship and the Safe Water Project.

Our choice of programme areas is directly influenced by our Vision, which is to ‘bring joy, purpose and meaning to the lives of the elderly and deprived among us.’



Don’t you think the result would have been greater if you had to concentrate on smaller challenges?

In a situation where the need and neglect is so great and so deep seated, there is no small challenges; all challenges we face are great ones. In a situation where you provide free medical treatment and discover that the root cause of some of the ailments being treated is the lack of potable water, what do you do? You have to tackle the safe water issue as well.



We are very aware of the need to make interventions in a manner that will not only be sustainable and scalable, but also where the impact is likely to be significant. And this is what we have done through each of our programme areas.



What has been the greatest challenge of running the Foundation?

The challenges are varied, depending on the programme area. The acute poverty and deprivation of people in the rural areas of the Niger Delta, obviously is a major general challenge. The dearth of modern infrastructure also poses a challenge. We have experienced great difficulties in some of the rural areas in which we have carried out our Free Medical Missions.



In some cases, we have refurbished and equipped entire hospitals and health centres. There is also the reality that many young professionals are loath to work in rural areas, so getting qualified medical personnel to attend to patients during the medical missions is also a challenge. Usually, we have to move into the outreach location with a team of out-of-town volunteer doctors, pharmacists etc. We have also had to purchase mobile operating units-so you can imagine the expense involved with that.



Above all, I would say that God Almighty has blessed us mightily and as He has laid this vision in my husband’s heart and mine, He has also provided the resources with which to actualize the vision. So I highlight these challenges just so you can have an inkling of what has to be overcome. More importantly, it is to enable me glorify God, from whom all of my blessings and help flow.



One of the major drawbacks of Foundations is the challenge of continuity; what steps have you taken to institutionalize the Foundation?



After 10 years, yes, we have certainly considered the issue of continuity and taken appropriate steps to address it. The O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation was started by my beloved husband, High Chief (Dr.) O.B. Lulu-Briggs, OON, DCF. It is a privately funded, registered charitable organization, with a properly constituted Board of Trustees.



The Foundation is run by an Executive Director, and there is a Director of Programmes and programme staff who handle each of the programme fields.

We regularly conduct vision sharing and mission evaluation exercises with our Board and staff, in order to properly share the Vision and ensure all stakeholders are on the same page regarding our vision, values and objectives.



Did you imagine the Foundation would live into its tenth anniversary?

Great oaks do grow from small acorns. We may not have planned that the Foundation would grow to be so big but we certainly planned to be here for the long haul.You see, our objectives are to assist the elderly, heal communities, improve lives and create opportunities for the indigent and needy. There is no foreseeable point when we can safely say all these objectives have been satisfactorily met; so now we’re here, we look forward to the next 10 years-with God being our helper.



What would you consider your greatest achievements thus far?

Being of service to our fellow man-what greater achievement could there be? We are called by our Lord, Jesus Christ to love our neighbour as ourselves. Every time we help one more household get ready access to clean water, we are loving our neighbour. Every time we provide free consultation, diagnosis and treatment to one sick person, we’re fulfilling the commandment to love that Jesus Christ gave us.



These are the achievements we choose to count for the Foundation.



Has there been any contact with some beneficiaries of your scheme to ascertain how the assistance has impacted their lives?



Let me explain, we are a very hands-on organization. Apart from the Free Medical Missions during which an average of 3000 people are treated, we keep track of the beneficiaries we have in each of the Local Government Areas in which we operate.



The Foundation employs trained caregivers to visit our beneficiaries regularly, and so we get regular feedback about how our programmes affect their lives.



Let me share one story with you. There was a lady in Abonnema, a village in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State. She used to look very frail and old and would frequently bemoan her life very publicly, calling for death to take her way from her travails. Well, after the Foundation took her on as a beneficiary and started visiting her readily, providing a monthly stipend, food stuff and sending evangelists and doctors to minister to her, each in their different ways, the lady changed her tune and today, she’s one of the most joyful senior citizens around. That’s another testimony to point to.



As at today, we have about 200 senior citizens like her from different communities that we have ‘adopted’ and who will remain our responsibility till they pass on. That’s our commitment.



There are too many similar stories for me to mention; so suffice it for me to say, we are a direct intervention organization, we stay close to our beneficiaries and we have a structured way of getting feedback about the impact of our programmes on the lives of the beneficiaries.



What are your dreams for the foundation in the next 10 years?



Our unspoken but unanimously adopted motto after this first decade of intervention is to go ‘Onwards and Upwards.’ In all we do-whether it is medical mission or educational support or safe water or entrepreneurship development, we want to scale things up-make things bigger and better in order to cater to more people.



We would like to attract more partners for our work-actually this is something we are aggressively working on at the moment. It is our goal to have wide pools of volunteer medical personnel to work with; especially those in specialized areas like maxillo facial surgery and opthalmogy. We also intend to partner with pharmaceutical companies in order to get highly subsidized pharmaceutical supplies for our Free Medical Missions.



We want to model best practices and show that things can be done well for the poor and needy and by so doing, encourage more people in Rivers State, other parts of the Niger Delta and all over Nigeria, to take our simple ideas, apply them in their communities and grow the oasis of love and care.



Do you keep track of how much you have committed so far to actualize the Foundation goals?



Yes we do have a systematic way of capturing and tracking our financial commitments. More importantly, we capture and track our spiritual commitments to ensure that our heart is always in the right place and that we carry out our actions from the point of view of love.



Source: Vanguard