For nearly two decades, Nollywood actress Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, AKA
"Omosexy" has dazzled her fans on silver screens throughout Africa and
beyond. She has played various roles in her career, from a disillusioned
prostitute to a poverty-stricken mother to a village princess.
But now, Ekeinde has a new role. It's one that places her on the same path taken by the likes of Ken Saro-Wiwa and Nnimmo Bassey.
Joining forces with Amnesty International, Ekeinde is calling upon the Chief Executive of the Shell oil company, Peter Voser, to own up to environmental pollution in the Niger Delta.
"You make the money, you drill the oil, you get the product and you are responsible for your product," Ekeinde, who is also a UN Ambassador, told SaharaTV's Chika Oduah.
During the exclusive April 28th interview on SaharaTV, the award-winning actress reinforced her decision to join Amnesty International's campaign. Not only has she scribed messages seeking support on her Facebook wall, but she also featured in a mildly-stylized campaign video for Amnesty International.
The Ondo-state native said this cause is a very personal one for her. As an actress, she is forced to face poverty while traveling within the country for movie productions. She said she witnessed the dire penury and sufferings of people in Nigeria's oil producing region, while on a production shoot in Bayelsa State.
"I saw first hand some parts of this poverty and the flares and the people and you can see the restlessness," she told SaharaTV's Chika Oduah.
"These are mothers, these are fathers, these are children like you who for no fault of theirs are suffering and these people are being pushed to the point where they are doing crimes…because these people are so desperate and no one is listening to them and their cries," Ekeinde said.
Amnesty International's West Africa campaigner, Makmid Kamara, credited Ekeinde's involvement for the hike in interest in the cause. Speaking on behalf of the international advocacy organization, he said he is grateful for Ekeinde's support.
But the question of credibility nearly always comes to mind when celebrities decide to align with social causes. And for Ekeinde, the questions are: Is she a credible activist? With her wealth and celebrity lifestyle, is she simply too far-removed from the stark desperation facing the people of the Niger Delta? Perhaps, Ekeinde's supposed membership in the tightly-guarded circle of Nigeria's elite is one that she treasures?
"I think being part of the elite in the society or anything is in the mind really," she said after a light chuckle when Chika Oduah asked if she considers herself as part of the society's elite. " I would just say I am educated and I am informed and I am ready to do anything to keep our society civil."
For Ekeinde, part of that means acknowledging that any fight in Nigeria, be it social or economic or political, is ultimately a fight against corruption. But she said she is not "going to sweep that under the carpet." On the contrary she said she's ready to ask tough questions, she's ready to speak for the people of the Niger Delta, and she is ready to take her activism to the next level.
"I, Omotola, having aligned myself with Amnesty International, is ready to go as far as Amnesty International is ready to go with me."
And for the critics, she simply says this: "You will never be able to stop what anybody would say…This is not a cause you can really criticize except you're actually, you know, jobless or you just want to pick up a fight. But however, I just want to say to people who want to criticize, really we need you. The more the merrier."
But now, Ekeinde has a new role. It's one that places her on the same path taken by the likes of Ken Saro-Wiwa and Nnimmo Bassey.
Joining forces with Amnesty International, Ekeinde is calling upon the Chief Executive of the Shell oil company, Peter Voser, to own up to environmental pollution in the Niger Delta.
"You make the money, you drill the oil, you get the product and you are responsible for your product," Ekeinde, who is also a UN Ambassador, told SaharaTV's Chika Oduah.
During the exclusive April 28th interview on SaharaTV, the award-winning actress reinforced her decision to join Amnesty International's campaign. Not only has she scribed messages seeking support on her Facebook wall, but she also featured in a mildly-stylized campaign video for Amnesty International.
The Ondo-state native said this cause is a very personal one for her. As an actress, she is forced to face poverty while traveling within the country for movie productions. She said she witnessed the dire penury and sufferings of people in Nigeria's oil producing region, while on a production shoot in Bayelsa State.
"I saw first hand some parts of this poverty and the flares and the people and you can see the restlessness," she told SaharaTV's Chika Oduah.
"These are mothers, these are fathers, these are children like you who for no fault of theirs are suffering and these people are being pushed to the point where they are doing crimes…because these people are so desperate and no one is listening to them and their cries," Ekeinde said.
Amnesty International's West Africa campaigner, Makmid Kamara, credited Ekeinde's involvement for the hike in interest in the cause. Speaking on behalf of the international advocacy organization, he said he is grateful for Ekeinde's support.
But the question of credibility nearly always comes to mind when celebrities decide to align with social causes. And for Ekeinde, the questions are: Is she a credible activist? With her wealth and celebrity lifestyle, is she simply too far-removed from the stark desperation facing the people of the Niger Delta? Perhaps, Ekeinde's supposed membership in the tightly-guarded circle of Nigeria's elite is one that she treasures?
"I think being part of the elite in the society or anything is in the mind really," she said after a light chuckle when Chika Oduah asked if she considers herself as part of the society's elite. " I would just say I am educated and I am informed and I am ready to do anything to keep our society civil."
For Ekeinde, part of that means acknowledging that any fight in Nigeria, be it social or economic or political, is ultimately a fight against corruption. But she said she is not "going to sweep that under the carpet." On the contrary she said she's ready to ask tough questions, she's ready to speak for the people of the Niger Delta, and she is ready to take her activism to the next level.
"I, Omotola, having aligned myself with Amnesty International, is ready to go as far as Amnesty International is ready to go with me."
And for the critics, she simply says this: "You will never be able to stop what anybody would say…This is not a cause you can really criticize except you're actually, you know, jobless or you just want to pick up a fight. But however, I just want to say to people who want to criticize, really we need you. The more the merrier."
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