Omotola the trailblazer - written by actress Omoni Oboli

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.

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