'We need money to make global impact'
By Tade Makinde
FeyiCongratulations on
your honourary that will hold in Ibadan. Why Theology?
Thanks for the well wishes. Theology? Well, it's an honourary thing. I was nominated by an unknown person, which proves that whatever one does, there are others that are watching.
Will you become a pastor in future and have your own church?
God knows the future, but I don't plan to build a church , or even work in one for now.
Has Owuro
Lawa diminished your love for acting since we don’t get to see much of you in movies?
No, it hasn’t. In fact, Owuro Lawa has nothing to do with my acting life at all. I know how I balance handling the two. Sometimes I take time out to imagine how one may be suffering at the expence of other, but truth is that my acting life and that of the time I put into producing Owuro Lawa has never affected each other because I have planned well ahead on how to handle both.
How many years has Owuro Lawa been on?
It's the fourth year now. Come September 6, 2008, we will be celebrating four years of the production of the programme.
What’s been the staying strength?
My brother, na God ,but then it has not been easy leaving your bed early in the morning to rush to the studio to present the programme. But with the help of God, dedication and determination, we have been able to withstand all pressure for this programme to be known, accepted and for it to benefit our viewers all over.
Do you get short of ideas for the programme once a while?
Not at all, we plan the contents of the programme ahead of production time. Owuro Lawa has came to stay as it has now become bigger because we now have more than six heads that brainstorms on how to improve on the quality of topics and on how to expand our frontiers. We have two producers, four presenters .
Are you a member of ANTP?
Yes, I am a bonafite member of ANTP, the Ikeja cacus though.
Recently, Kanran lost his properties in a fire out-break and he lamented not insuring them. Do ANTP members believe in insurance?
Well, to me, I believe it should be an individual's decision whether to insure anything or not. My colleagues have done it and we are benefiting from it. But I will advice our people to do the health insurance on their own. I don’t think there's any body in Owuro Lawa that's not under health insurance. It's a very simple thing, just pay at the beginning of the year and go there anytime you are ill or when you feel weak.
Lots of ANTP members have lost their lives and properties despite claims by ANTP excos that members are insured. What’s the truth about this insurance noise in ANTP?
I don’t think I can answer that question, let's ask the ANTP executives on the issue of insurance for it's members. For me, I have taken personal care of that.
You recently got back to the country from a trip to London. How true is it that Nollywood is now a factor in England’s movie industry?
Yes, it's true that they see Nigerian films a lot in London. I can say it's gradually making an in-road into the British market .
Is it as popular as Bollywood?
Well, I can’t tell if it is popular as Bollywood, but among the blacks over there, Nigerian films are hot.
What is the strength of Nigerian movies?
I believe its the epical proportion of our story lines. Nigerian videos sell for two, three Pounds, but I believe we still need to improve on our distribution network.
What weakness would you love to be dealt with?
Like I said, it's our distribution network, it's weak. Also,we can't overlook the importance of money in the industry.We have ideas, but finance is not in place.We need the support of the co-operate organisations,especially the banks. Through this support, their products,and organisations,will be known and promoted,costing them far less than what they expend on adverts annually.
The first thing you do each day?
What else, I pray to God, I hand over everything to God, because he is the source of my living and my back up.
Do you support members of the factional group, One Brotherhood?
Well, I can’t tell. I believe they have reasons for pulling out, I know everybody in the group, but you can’t cut your knee to spite your face.
What changes would you like to see in ANTP?
A lot, but most importantly that they take care of members welfare.
Will you contest for any post during next election?
(Laughs) No, I think 'am filled up for now.
K1 shuns Malaika's wedding - Malaika hits back in Appreciation
By Tade Makinde
K1 The already strained relationship between
K1 and Sule Alao Malaika has taken another dimension following the instruction of FUMAN National President, Saka Orobo, that Malaika should face a panel one week after the inauguration of its new executive on June 1, 2008.
Malaika, whose current album, “Appreciation,” rubbished K1, with two others, will face a panel that monitors fuji songs to find out if its Iyrics are abusive, affrontal, and demeaning, to other members or listeners.
Malaika is expected to prove to the panel that he didn’t have K1 in mind when he said “to ba toju mi mole, maa ri e fin, maa boju e je” in his recent album.
Trouble purportedly started after K1 stayed away from Malaika’s wedding two weeks ago, a development the young musician saw as “a big disappointment and let down,” source said.
Although this was not deliberate, he said, as K1 had to attend a funeral same day Malaika was to be married, a pained Malaika went to studio to put his pains into words in “Appreciation” not bothering to find out what kept K1 away from Malaika’s second marriage.
“Wale Bello, Wasiu’s godson,” informed source, “lost his mother same day and the woman had to be buried according to Islamic right. “Wale was in London when the sad event took place and K1 had to take care of home for him. The poor boy is even yet to arrive Nigeria, but had been told Alhaji had played a fatherly role in bank-rolling the funeral.
“What Malaika doesn’t know is that Bello is like a son to K1. Malaika would have done same if he lost someone very dear to him, and K1 would have understood. “To have rubbished Alhaji in his latest work,despite a standing instruction from the Trustees members of FUMAN, including Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Alhaji Ayinla Kollington, that such lawlessness would not be allowed again, it only shows Malaika is not a law-abidding member of our association,” he claimed.
Reports had it that Malaika was angry with K1 that he didn’t deem it fit to honour him by coming to his second wedding,despite the fact that he had gone out of his way to please the Ultimate musician by travelling to London for K1's birthday party in March,and for also showing up at his daughter"s Walmot last year.
Taju Ayinla System said all fuji members were aware of the penalty should anyone run foul of the instruction that no Fuji musician should sing abusive songs again, but promised to still look into the allegations against Malaika once it gets to the Disciplinary Committee which he’s the chairman.
The panel will sit for two weeks and is expected to submit its report to the DC June 15, 2008.
Repeated calls to Malaika were not returned by the time of production.Meanwhile,Barrister gave his daughter out in marriage last Friday.It was strictly a FUMAN affair.
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