The article below was written by Nollywood actress Omoni Oboli and published in today's Daily Independent.
Read:
I am Omoni Oboli and I represent Naija!
Our
country is littered with success stories that have shaped us into who
we are. We have icons that have, through their consistency, paved the
way for many of us to walk right through. Many have done it unwittingly
by just focusing on achieving their personal goals and in their resolve
to break through the stereotypes, disenfranchisements and stigmas they
have shown the rest of us the endless possibilities in their chosen
fields. Others have done it with a plan to leave a trail for others to
follow.
I will continue to celebrate these icons that I consider
to be the true role models for our youth to emulate in our nation. One
such icon is our very own Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde. The original Omosexy
who has been tagged the African Magic.
Omotola waltzed into the
movie industry before it was nicknamed Nollywood and took her lace at
the top of the industry as a leading lady like she actually owned the
place. She fits into it easily like one who knew that she was born to do
this. Her consistency at the top is evidence of her prowess at
delivering every role consistently from when she stole our hearts in the
movie Mortal Inheritance.
The ever-growing fans of Nollywood
have been held spellbound by her believability in all her varied roles.
At such a young age when many didn’t know their left from right she
understood the responsibility that came with being the leading lady. We
saw her cry, laugh, rejoice, explore and display other emotions and
adventures that Nollywood has been consistently propelling us actors
through in the last 21 years of its existence so that we have come to
believe that we know her personally.
With her own style and wits,
Omotola has somehow shown us her life and yet kept the personal bit
intact, even though she got into marriage at an age many consider to be
too young. She has stayed in the marriage when many casualties of failed
marriages litter our nation and our industry. She simply defied the
odds! Even though pilots are reputed to be philanderers, she has been
successfully married to one for many years. Actors have a global
reputation of divorces, citing the flimsiest excuses for their actions,
but she has been steadfast in her marriage.
Don’t get me wrong,
I’m not putting down actors for their divorces because many other
industries surpass them in divorce rates. I’m just showing that these
are perceived notions the world over. Many of them, especially the
actresses, have had to endure strenuous relationships due to their
celebrity status in the hands of their spouses,. Through it all, our
Omosexy remains a pillar of virtue as an example to many that it is
possible to stay focused, achieve success in any field of endeavour and
still maintain a good family.
She continues to break grounds
globally, being celebrated for what we already knew she is, one of the
most influential figures of our time! This is due to the impact of our
film industry, Nollywood. This industry that many do not yet see its
direct and indirect impact on our society, but has broken grounds the
world over. This Nollywood that gave the opportunity to many of us to
find our voice globally. Where we would have been big fishes in our
small pond, we find that the world hangs on our every word and action.
This is such a huge responsibility for us to bear, and Omotola has held
her place there such that she has been commended for it consistently.
I
don’t need to talk about all the awards she has acquired over the
years, and I don’t know if she can count how many awards she has
received till date, but we know that she has not failed to deliver on
most of her performances. The Bible says that a man’s gifts makes room
for him and brings him before great men, kings or captains of
industries, and it certainly has in her case. She has been honoured for
her performance on screen and for her activities off screen. She has
lent her voice to many worthwhile causes and championed many of her own.
She
is the mother of four children and has managed to stay in shape, not
only for the screen, but for her husband. She is truly an icon in the
movie industry and in Nigeria as a whole. She has shown that with hard
work, consistency, diligence, focus and a desire to achieve, there is
nothing that can stop your rise to the top of your game.
I try to
celebrate the icons in our nation that are worthy of emulating so that
our youth and our people can begin to heal from the damage of
inconsistent, morally decadent and corrupt role models that we have
followed in the past and start chatting a new course for ourselves by
looking to people whose lives have paved a walkway to greatness.
Remember
to go out there and start or continue buying and watching our movies,
like Anchor Baby, Last Flight to Abuja, Doctor Bello and many other
titles out there that are good quality products. My movie, Render to
Caesar, will be in the cinemas sometime in November. It promises to be a
must watch for everyone. I’m starring alongside Gbenga Akinnagbe (The
Wire, Lottery Ticket), Wale Ojo (Phone Swap, Johnny English), Lucky Ejim
(The Tenant), Kalu Ikeagwu, Dede Mabiaku, Bimbo Manuel and many others.
Our future depends on your consistency in supporting us so that we can keep smiling.
The continued Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike and the
government's nonchalant attitude towards it, shows how insensitive the
government is to the cries of the citizens. Since the ongoing strike
started, all that is heard everyday on Nigerian dailies is the
government negotiating terms with ASUU over the agreement made with the
university body in 2009.
