Clementina Olomu
9 February 2008
interview
Lagos — Saint Obi needs no introduction as one of Nigeria's renown actors. For a while now, he has not been appearing in movies, the sector he made his mark in.
In his quest to move up the ladder of success in life, Obi came up with a public relations firm, Agwhyte International Limited, under which he produced his first movie, Take Me to Mamma'. That was three years ago and that marks his first experience in production. In order to give his viewers some good stuff, and for him to be able to achieve the dream production that he had always craved for, he wrote into the scripts a scene where he actually had his BMW car wrecked in a bombing incident.
Right now, Obi is coming out with a new one, which is bills to be the blockbuster of the year. He has titled it True Color. In his burning desire to ensure that Nigeria's image is uplifted beyond the pedestrian, Obi has been doing lots of research on how to produce that special movie that can stand side by side with a Hollywood job and so would be able to sell Nigeria's image in a better and more positive manner on the international stage amongst renowned global actors and film makers. He talked about all this in this special encounter with Clementina Olomu.
What have you been up to. Most of your fans have not see your face in movies in a long while?
I've been working on my latest movie titled True Color, and I'm also trying to see how I can get involved in packing and repositioning Nigeria, how we can move her towards the positive light in a global setting
How do you intend to do that?
I feel my new movie can serve as that medium. I'm a film maker and l have the greatest medium to do that, which is film making. I've always said that Hollywood is America's greatest result yielding weapon. Bollywood, located in India, is using the industry to showcase the beautiful side of India, That's not to say that these countries don't have their ugly sides, they do. They select the beautiful side and showcase them on television. The power of film and television cannot be over emphasised. I decided to shoot this movie so as to match words with action. I feel very bad when I step out of this country and get treated shabbily because of my identity. I'm a proud Nigerian. For the fact that some 0.01 percent of us are bad does not mean that the world should see all of us as criminals.
When you say 'treated shabbily', what do you mean?
From the time I started traveling abroad, each time I present my international passport for scrutiny at the airports, I'm put to ridicule. I say that with a quote now. If they give other nationalities a minute or two, they give me six to ten minutes, that is if one is not given a worst treatment. It is not right that people would judge us without knowing who we are. Other countries also have crooks, just like they have good people. But ours is just different. People look at us firstly as criminals, before they see the genius in us. I feel this is because we are not telling our own side of the story, because the good guys are not coming out to say, Nigerians are good. Except this is done the few bad guys will keep representing us. I think the time has come for us to take back our image.
So how do we go about telling people our own side of the story?
We need to tell the world that we are honest and hard working men and women. Nigeria is a country full of possibilities and honest people. Every one of us has the opportunity of meeting different people at different times. We must always seize on any available opportunity to educate them. And we should try to be nice and honest in every transaction we do because these people we encounter everyday, will pass on the message. Nigerians have produced some of the brightest people in the world in different field of endeavour's. We have the likes of Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Mike Adenuga amongst others.
If we cannot stand our grounds on who we are, few rotten eggs will mess up the whole lot of us. By the time you say Jack, our image goes likewise.
My movie is the weapon I'm using to launder our image. Apart from this, I have also designed something I call Project Tell the World. I want to tell the world that Nigeria is just like any other country. We have the good, bad and the ugly people. I also want to tell the world that the Nigerian government is working in conjunction with other foreign security agencies to track and punish fraudsters. There is no safe haven for fraudsters in Nigeria. It is also important for them to know that before people will fall for fraudsters, they had to have been fraudulent themselves. This is the side of the story that is not told. People look at advance fee fraud and think Nigerians are corrupt. What about the man that wants to make millions that he did not work for?. This is what people are not looking at and it is the story that must be told,
My movie is also a love story. I'm telling the story in such a way that people will see where I'm coming from, this is what I've done. I portrayed the good, bad and the ugly. What ever you want from a good movie is what is in my movie.
I'm still discussing with the government sector and corporate organisations We must move this campaign beyond the shore of Nigeria. Other Nationalities must know that Nigeria is the best place to do business, we have everything you can imagine. God has really blessed this country. We must prioritise and get our image right.
You came out with your first movie, Take Me to Mama, three years ago. Why did it take you this long to shoot the second?
I set a record with my first movie. I don't believe in going to location every week. It is not a business of buying and selling. Movie making is an art; as we all know, art is priceless. If you want an artwork to come out well, you need good planning, articulation and perseverance. You must get the right people to work with you to ensure that the vision comes to pasts. If it takes one year to come out with a movie, just do it well, because we are supposed to be ambassadors.
After that film, I told myself I have to do something better. I wanted to do something that will look at par with Hollywood works. I am discussing with an international distributor that will distribute this movie to the western world because the world must hear the story. The movie serves as a point of contact to the young ones who watch foreign movies, so they will know it is not generally a bed of roses out there.
If the Americans and Europeans did not build their environment the way they did, most of us would not want to go there to spend holidays. Our leaders must live up to their responsibilities; they must look inwards and search their souls.
They should endeavour to build and give back to society. I know that the future is bright, the present administration is doing everything humanly possible to put things right and l can see light at the end of the tunnel.
In your first movie, you blew up your car. Did you recoup the money at the end of the day?
I'm a professional, and with all sense of modesty, I believe that only the best is good enough for the public. During my first movie, we did not have the technical knowledge of what it takes to blow up structures in a movie. Since it was my first time of producing a movie, I did not know how to blow up a car and make it look real, I did not want any part of my movie to look fake. So I had to make that sacrifice. But if I have to produce a scene like that today, I know there are technical ways of achieving that without wrecking my car. In terms of getting my money back, well, God is faithful.
You've been an actor and a producer, In what ways could an actor be short-changed by the producer?
I don't know where to start from, (laughs). In case of being an actor and a producer, I must say that it is not easy. As an actor in Nigeria, acting is not a means to an end, unfortunately, unlike the way it is in Bollywood or Hollywood. For that reason, you must wake up while you still have your head high, or else, they will use you and dump you and you find yourself left with nothing at the end of the day. This is the mistake a lot of our predecessors made. They ran with the euphoria that the fame brings, and at the end of day, it did not bring in money. An actor must gravitate into producing, this is very important for those who believe that film making is actually where they really belong. For me, it comes naturally because I am one of those who acted in most of the blockbuster movies that is seen in Nollywood today. But I must confess it is not easy playing dual roles. In terms of short changing the actor, I must say this, if you want to be exploited, you will be exploited. Some of us have paid our dues and exploitation is not part of the game.
In what way will you be actively involved in Nollywood? Is it as an actor or a producer?
Both. I've always been an actor and a producer. But I would love to co-direct with people whose creativity I trust. These are things I will always do. Nobody can portray my vision the way I want it, because it is my dream, Idea and story, I think I should tell it all.
You've been invisible for a while. What has been happening to you?
There comes a time in ones life when you don't want to settle for less. You want to raise the bar, not in terms of money, but in terms of imparting something into the society. When you are young, you think you are going to be forever. But as you grow older, you now discover that life is short and you start thinking of leaving a mark and impacting into the society. This realisation makes me want to contribute my own quota to my country and the environment. If Americans did not contribute to their country, it would not have been what they have today. I feel every Nigerian must stand up for Nigeria and be called.
You talked of leaving a mark, most people believe you can also achieve this through your own offspring. How well have you prepared?
There is nothing wrong with having children. But leaving a mark goes beyond that. It has to do with how one helps to make his environment cleaner and better without closing the doors to other generations. If I had decided to close the door, we won't be here today. I'm more particular about what to impart into the society.
How would you describe yourself, taking into consideration the love scenes you have acted in?
I see myself as a selfless, down-to-earth and very simple person. People who don't know me ascribe all sorts of things to me. I don't blame them though, it is due to the nature of my job. In terms of playing romantic roles, well, I'm a professional. I read Theatre Arts at the University of Jos, so most roles comes effortlessly to me. I do a lot of research before going on location so that I would be able to interpreter my roles well.
In most of my interviews, actors confess that they sometimes get carried away in the course of executing love scenes. At what point in time did you get carried away?
It has never happened to me before. I need to see that girl. When I was in Jos, I knew one of the big names in the industry I admired so much; I'm not going to mention names. When I started acting, I now find myself playing a love scene with this person. When the camera started rolling, then the professionalism in me set in. After that movie, nothing can ever shake me.
You once said most of your previous relationships that were publicised did not work. Is that why you decided to get married without letting your fans know?
Yes that is why I don't talk about my relationships any more, most times when it is published, before you know it the woman is stressed up and they are singing a different tune. If I shut my mouth and the relationship works, then I'm okay. If I tell the world what is happening in my kitchen and bedroom only to meet so much stress there, then it is not working. For me what is important is that it works. I'm married now, I've got a son, God is good.
Was that the reason you married someone who is not in the limelight?
To me what is important is that we are together, limelight, low light; whatever light for that matter. What is important is that God is in my relationship. Since the Almighty is in my relationship, it will blossom, be it in any light
How did you single out your wife out of your numerous fans ?
It is not me, it is God. When He decides it's time, it happens. (At this point, he started speaking in pigin English.) "Like they say, the water you go drink no go flow pass you. Whether it comes as pure, bottled water or even rain fall, river or flood."
Nollywood marriages, with due respect to most of the female actresses who had normal quiet married lives, has always been ups and downs. What do we expect from yours?
I'm not God, only him knows what is going to happen tomorrow. As human being, I hope for the best. I come from a home where divorce is not an option. My family have longevity in relationships. The problem with most stars is they live their lives on the pages of newspapers. This is what I don't want to do with my relationship. I keep it within the house.
Your parents must have waited for this for so long. When you eventually made the announcement, what was their reaction like?
They were happy, everybody is happy and they are resting now. A lot of times when people don't understand where you are coming from they get worried unnecessarily. But for me, I know that when God decides it's sure going to happen and it happened
What is your message to your fans?
I plead with all young people to listen to their parents, teachers and be respectful. There is no hurry in life. When one is young, they want to pull down the heavens. Old age is good, our fathers who now walk with the aid of a stick, were once like them. They will get there and make their mark, There is no rush about it. For all the other beautiful people out there, I say they should remember that HIV/AIDS is real. And I say, play safe. Just like the popular radio jingle goes, 'if you cannot hold body, always use condom.' Our leaders should lead us right. Once the head is right the body will always follow suit.
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