- Most Europeans don’t go to church or believe in God, she says
In this interview, she talked about her television programme, her experiences in Europe and many other things.
How did your TV programme in Germany come about?
I did not plan it, but things started falling in place when I arrived Germany. My husband is a missionary pastor, who has travelled wide. When he was posted to Germany, I was already making myself known, as a television presenter in Nigeria. It was not, therefore, a new ground for me.
I presented Kingdom Connection, a television programme with my then boss, Nworah Aghadi and Arthur Otuya, for Billtop Group. The programme was aired on Minaj TV. It was later aired on NTA 2, Channel 5. I was also a master of ceremonies. My manager, Mr. Ashley Nwosu, gave me a lot of encouragement in those days. I also remember the years we spent going around Lagos for modelling castings. Kate Henshew-Nuttal was my contemporary and a host of others. We all used to meet at castings.
I started as a model. I won my first modelling competition when I was at Mary Harney Girls School, Oron, Cross River State, in 1984. I was Miss Calabar in 1986. I was still modelling at Yemi Fawaz Modelling School, called People in Pictures, when I gained admission into University of Lagos, where I studied English Arts and graduated in 1995. So, the klieg lights and cameras are not strange to me.
What are the major challenges you face as a presenter and producer in Germany?
Any one who finds him or herself any where in Europe, where English is not spoken, would have language problem. You can never communicate with people except in their local language, be it Italy, Spain, France, or Netherlands. When I got to Germany, language was my first challenge. At present, I am still learning Deutsch language. The good thing is that the programmes I present are in English.
My programmes have been on for almost five years now. I do two programmes. One is live and the other is recorded. The most popular is Great Africa Live, which is aired live twice in a month. In the programme, we showcase Africans, especially Nigerians. We have hosted several people, including ambassadors, director of organizations, African entrepreneurs, community leaders, immigration lawyers and activists. I also present another programme, entitled, Why I believe. It is a Christian programme where we propagate tenets of Christianity. It is common knowledge that most Europeans do not attend church, let alone believe in God. Berlin has a population of approximately 3.5 million inhabitants and just about 25, 000 are religious. The so-called representation of Pergamos, the seat of Satan talked about in Rev 2.12-13, in Turkey, was brought in during the war and is in a museum right in Berlin, if you know what l mean
What drives you?
I must say that the inspiration for the programme derives from the need to promote, educate, empower and inform the vast majority of the German public and its environs of the positive aspect, success, input and contributions of the black man to humanity. These achievements are being viewed against the backdrop of negative perception and racial bigotry faced by people of African decent in Europe. In other words, we produce the programmes to project a positive image for the black in Diaspora. A major aspect of the programme exposes rights and privileges with emphasis on integration into the society, as a means to properly enjoy living in Germany. However, my greatest challenge is my inability to run the programmes in Deutsch.
Who are your guests in the programmes?
We choose our guests based on the level of challenges they have overcome or still dealing with to survive in Europe. We have hosted people who have experienced racial attacks or discrimination. Also, issues, like election in African countries, international relations and politics or new policies by the government is often discussed with heads of missions of the countries, as the case may be. We also interview visiting ministers and governors, and thereby give them the opportunity to explain to their people and the Diaspora certain controversial issues back home.
What have you learnt from meeting Nigerians and other Africans abroad?
I have learnt so much that I can’t begin to enumerate here. But one of the basic things is that not all Nigerians, who believe in God, come to Europe and continue with their belief. The way of life and the problems they see make them derail. I have also learnt that people’s problems are as diverse as their faces.
What do you think is the future of these programmes?
The future, for me, is very bright, as more doors are opening, both on satellite and for the broadcast on the net. However, my greatest desire is to own the first black TV in Germany. Currently, my programmes are beamed on a Berlin channel that is also on the net. You can watch from any part of the world. Right now, we have an agreement with MediaNest-OBE TV broadcasting from Hamburg and in England and a daily newspaper soon to be out
As a Nigerian, how do you feel about the stigma that follows Nigerians around the world?
That the image of Nigeria is battered abroad is no longer news. However, for us who live abroad, it is a pain because not all Nigerians are fraudsters. The truth is that Nigerians are unique wherever they are. Sadly enough, every Nigerian is a suspect. I always make this point in all interviews granted to foreign media: that in every society you have the good, the bad and the ugly. Nigeria is no exception. The best way for all is to be exemplary in character and work ethics. Strive for excellence with the highest level of honesty.
As an ambassador who promotes Nigeria and Africa abroad, what is your wish for Nigeria?
I wish that we had a country, where every thing works. The leadership and followership must change things. My intention is to get the authorities; I mean people in government, to convince our foreign investors that Nigeria is safe because there is so much negative report about Nigeria with regard to 419, Niger Delta problems and general safety. They simply don’t want to hear of it. You can ask some of our German businessmen. Those going to Nigeria are diehards, who have been there before or some who want to see things for themselves. So, we need to do a lot of campaign to attract investors to Nigeria.
From Saturday Sun, By FRED IWENJORA (Saturday, April 10 , 2010)
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