General Manager, AIT Network
Operations,Namure Edoimioya, has spent over two decades in the
profession.....
She tells Ademola Olonilua about her life, career and
pastime
Why did you study theatre arts in the university only to end up as a broadcaster later in life?
I wanted to study mass communication and
I also wanted to become an actress. Those were the areas I wanted to
focus my studies on in the university, but I did not qualify to read
mass communication in the University of Lagos. However, I was admitted
to study theatre arts in the University of Benin.
My father wanted me to become a doctor
while my mother was rooting for me to become a nurse but when my father
died, I filled in Mass Communication and Theatre Arts in my JAMB form
and I was qualified for Theatre Arts in UNIBEN.
How was it like to lose your father very early in life?
I lost my father when I was about 14
years old. He was meant to be 52 years old the year he died. It was a
very terrible experience. If you lose the breadwinner of your family you
don’t expect things to be all fun and juicy. It affected everybody in
the family. As for me, I had to grow up fast and I learnt a lot about
life. One thing our father taught us was integrity and humility. We were
taught that our name is very important, more than anything in the
world. After my father died, I was still writing him letters because I
was in denial for some time. I grew up with the mentality that I always
had to make my mother proud of me in anything I do even though my
friends would laugh at me. I replied them that my father died early, so
everything has to be about my mother. Now, I do everything to make my
mother happy.
My father’s death really affected the
family and at some point, I had to move from a private school to another
less prestigious school. After my father’s death there was nothing like
new school shoes every term. It also made me learn about friendship
because before my father’s death, some of his friends were always in our
house but after his death, only a few of them came to ask after our
well-being, the rest just moved on.
How did you become an actress?
I did my youth service in DBN but acting
was more like a hobby for me before I got into school. Before I gained
admission into the university, I was always at the National Theatre
looking for an acting job. I did more of stage production then and I
acted alongside someone like Funso Adeolu. I did some stage production
before I was accepted to study Theatre Arts in UNIBEN.
After my service year, DBN retained me
before I joined African Independent Television in 1997. Although AIT
trained us after we joined them, on my part, I went back to school to do
a postgraduate diploma in mass communication. From there, I proceeded
to acquire another certificate in international law and diplomacy.
If you love journalism that
much, why didn’t you pursue a master’s degree in mass communication as
opposed to international law and diplomacy?
I felt that when it comes to practising
the profession, I had achieved a lot. Initially I wanted to have a
master’s degree in mass communication but the school policy did not
allow me. They said that if you do not have a first degree in mass
communication, then you cannot do your master’s degree programme in that
course. That was why I had to opt for postgraduate diploma. After my
PGD, I felt that I already had the professional know-how about the job
and I did not need another certificate in that field. I have always
loved international relations, so I felt it was wise to study
international law and diplomacy. Our job takes us to different areas in
life and you never know when you can get a job or contract with the
United Nations. That was why I decided to do international law and
diplomacy.
Since both your parents
wanted you to be in the medical field, how were you able to leave home
for the National Theatre where you got acting gigs?
When my father died, we all had to
adjust and to be honest, it was not easy for everyone. I had a set of
friends who also wanted to be actresses, so we moved together. My mother
knew before my father’s demise that I did not want to read medicine. So
during the days of ‘awaiting result,’ my mother allowed me to pursue my
passion. She was not even in Nigeria when I gained admission into the
university. My mother never pressured me even when I was acting. Of
course she would caution me about staying out late, she never stopped me
from following my dreams. When I started working at DBN, there were
times I would go home and tell her that I was not interested in the job
anymore but she would urge me to go back to work.
Do you regret dumping acting for broadcasting knowing that you probably would have been more popular than you are currently?
If I had continued acting, I would been
being more popular because our society recognises entertainers more. I
would not say I regret my decision because I can always go back to
acting. There was an event where I was seated with a lot of film makers
and we all knew one another. The late Amaka Igwe told me that she still
had my file in her office when I asked her whether she remembered when
we used to queue for auditions and we both burst into laughter. The way
our profession is, you don’t just stick to one thing. Just because I
studied theatre arts did not mean that I could not study mass
communication. I tell some of my friends who are filmmakers that I don’t
think I have fully maximised my acting potential. Broadcasting takes a
lot of my time no doubt, for me to concentrate on acting. My friends
always say that they would find a movie role for me but they always end
the conversation with ‘we know you would not have time’. When I joined
AIT, I was in the series, ‘Three is company,’ which was commissioned by
AIT. I also did another movie during that time. I can always go back
into acting.
You started from the lowest rank in broadcasting, how were you able to rise above the ranks?
I started work in 1995 with DBN and they
gave me a rugged approach to journalism because we were drilled. I
started as a programmes officer in DBN before I later became a producer.
I did a lot in DBN because I was the programmes officer, producer,
marketer, presenter, duty continuity announcer, etc. We all had the
passion and commitment to the job unlike the present day where everyone
is either looking for money or fame. We did not even care about the
money but we loved the job. From DBN I moved to AIT where I started as
the programmes officer. We were the ones in charge of anything that goes
on air. From the programmes department, I started a late night show
before I moved on to the radio. I was also a reporter. Then, I would get
to work, do the reportorial before going to sort out the programmes
that would be aired. The day I had musical programmes, I would go on and
produce them; that was basically my schedule. I have certificates in
presentation as well. That was how I was able to climb the ladder. Of
course, some people left the company as well; so as they left, I moved
up.
As someone whose face is always seen on the television screen, how often do you get amorous advances from men?
In my early days at DBN, I used to have a
lot of people write letters to me, some would go as far as asking to
speak with me. I have always had this mind-set that when a man
approaches you, all he wants to do is have sex or take you out to show
you off to his friends. They could even go as far as saying we are
dating even though nothing is really happening. Over time, I withdrew
into my shell because my name is of utmost importance to me. Some people
tell me that I know a lot of big people and I should be moving around
with them, but it is against what I preach to the young people who are
interested in broadcasting. I tell them that it is either you are in
this profession to work, sell your body or become popular overnight. It
has advantages in different ways. Some people would send me flowers,
they could call themselves or ask friends to call on their behalf. There
are some people who would ask colleagues to inform me that they are
interested in me. There are some people that see me outside and are
scared to approach me.
My elder sister actually fought with
someone because of me in a salon because the lady in the salon had my
picture in her catalogue as if she had ever made my hair. They soon
began to talk about me and my sister had to ask them if they ever knew
me and instead of answering the question, she asked my sister what her
business was. It eventually turned into a quarrel, then my sister told
them who I was to her before the salon owner calmed down and began to
apologise because all they were saying about me was false. These are
some of the issues I have faced. I love having male friends around
because I used to be a tomboy but I had to cut them off because people
could begin to spread stories that I was dating them. The advances keep
coming but you have to know how to handle them. Some people think that
because we are broadcasters, we know a lot of men and we sleep around
but that is very untrue.
Have you ever had stalkers?
I once had a stalker. In fact, there was
another female colleague that also had a stalker but it was something
that we quickly resolved because it was not safe. There was this guy
that always sent me jewellery and his complimentary card. We knew he was
crazy the day he told me that he had a seminar in China and he needed
assistance. He sent me some documents and asked me to give him money.
There are times some women would just call me, other times, some people
would call me just to hear me breathe and they would cut the call. There
are many cases where some people would be at the reception waiting for
me even though they do not know me. They would just give the
receptionist my name and keep waiting all day till I am through with my
work.
Have you had cases whereby some housewives would call you their husband’s onscreen girlfriend?
Yes I have instances like that either
from the husband or even the wives. There is one particular family that I
became their friend because they always watched my late night
programmes. Till date, I still meet a lot of women who tell me that
their husbands love me on the television. Sometimes, my bosses would
call me and say that there is an old man who is crazy about me because
he saw me on the television. During the time my late night show was
running, I had crazy experiences like that. I meet some of my admirers
at events and they really appreciate my work, nothing out of the
ordinary that could cause trouble.
Have you been robbed of certain things due to your known face?
Being a thespian, I am a very realistic
person. I have always told myself that I will not allow my profession
take the better part of me and I lose myself in the process. I still
have my friends and I go to where I want to. There was a day I was in
Balogun Market in Lagos and a man grabbed me by my shoulder and began to
shake me violently. There are times I go somewhere and probably someone
offends me, when I want to react like any other human being, I hear
them say, ‘ha! AIT’.
There was a day I was driving in Lagos
and a guy was pleading for space in front of my car but I refused. The
next thing he said was, ‘AIT why now’. I was forced to laugh about the
scenario. I am not that person that lives beyond my means. I still go to
amala joints to buy amala.
As a plus size lady, have you always been comfortable with your physique?
I was born big but I always have this
philosophy that if you are big, you are beautiful and smart as well.
That is something I was able to conquer at a very young age. I have
always loved my body and I never allow anyone bring me down when it
comes to my physique. I sometimes exercise and diet but it is not always
constant.
I remember when someone told me that it
is only my boob they look at on television. Even as a young girl, I have
always had this issue of talking to someone and they would be staring
at my boobs but I do not care because it is covered, I don’t reveal my
cleavage, so, I grew up loving myself. If I do not love myself first,
nobody would love me. My physique has not affected me in anyway.
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