An article written by Nollywood actress Omoni
Oboli and published in today's Daily Independent. Read below...
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 place 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. Share
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