tansali paparazzi

Rita Dominic is a fierce Nollywood diva who is good at intrepreting her roles diligiently. Omawumi Megbele is a sultry singer who emerged from the tv show, Idols west Africa and has been soaring into greater hights musically.



But both ladies rocked the same outfit (or did they buy it as aso-ebi?, lol). While Rita rocked hers at the just concluded African Movie Academy Awards in bayelsa, nigeria where she co-hosted the night with comedian, Basorge Tariah Jnr, Omawumi rocked hers at the Women in entertainment awards in Uk. Over to you guys...who rocked it better? Rita or Omawumi?

http://www.underdarock.com/blog/2010/04/17/rita-dominic-and-omawumi-who-rocks-better/

Rita Dominic is a fierce Nollywood diva who is good at intrepreting her roles diligiently. Omawumi Megbele is a sultry singer who emerged from the tv show, Idols west Africa and has been soaring into greater hights musically.



But both ladies rocked the same outfit (or did they buy it as aso-ebi?, lol). While Rita rocked hers at the just concluded African Movie Academy Awards in bayelsa, nigeria where she co-hosted the night with comedian, Basorge Tariah Jnr, Omawumi rocked hers at the Women in entertainment awards in Uk. Over to you guys...who rocked it better? Rita or Omawumi?

http://www.underdarock.com/blog/2010/04/17/rita-dominic-and-omawumi-who-rocks-better/

By Samuel Olatunji
Sunday, March 14, 2010

As ShowBizNow exclusively reported that contestants threatened to pull out of GUS celebrity edition because Genevieve emerged the host, three of the original contestants billed for the show eventually pulled out.

Star actor, Ramsey Nouah, Rita Dominic and ex-beauty queen, Omowunmi pulled out. A source said one of the contestants pulled out on medical grounds as her doctor did not certify her fit for participation.

“The doctor was not privy to the activities they would be doing as the contestants were not told. If they had asked for medical report before the contract was signed we would have known what to do. She pulled out because her doctor did not certify her fit”. However, people on the side of NBL, Bate and Cosse, the company in charge of the event insist that some of the contestants started raising questions immediately they got wind of the fact that Genevieve would be the host of the reality TV show.

Ramsey was said to have pulled out of the show as he got wind of the fact that Genny was hosting it due to the fact that he and Genny do not enjoy the best of relationship. Ramsey who was once very close to Genny fell apart with her when he called the actress and told her that colleagues in the industry said she is too proud. He consequently advised her to stop giving diva-attitude to fellow actresses as it won’t help her career. We learnt that one thing led to another, the two argued, exchanged hot words on phone and consequently fell apart. However, a source insisted there is more to the feud. The source said it was a romantic affair gone sour that actually caused the fight and that the exchange of words on phone was as a result of a feud they both had before Ramsey placed a call to her using the industry complaint against her as excuse.

From that time on Ramsey and Genevieve have not been on talking terms, and Ramsey is not hiding it. When we spoke to Genny on how she felt that some of her peers pulled out of the reality show, she said, she was not disappointed but surprised. “I am not disappointed but surprised that they did what they did” she said. When pressed further to elaborate she said she won’t speak more on the matter.

But Ope Banwo, the CEO of the company that manages Genevieve said Rita and the rest that pulled out should be sued for breach of contract if they pulled out because Genevieve was chosen as host. If it is true they signed a contract to appear at a show, I don’t think it will be right for them to pull out simply because they don’t like the hostess. And I think that’s part of the problem we seem to have in this country where artistes don’t seem to respect contracts. If you are a professional and you signed a contract then you honor it .

It doesn’t matter who they bring. It will be different if when you negotiated the contract you reserved the right to have a say on who the hostess is going to be. That did not happen because I know that was not in the contract, I have some starson the show. I think this is wrong except of course there are other reasons why she withdrew. If the third party did not breach their side of the contract which to the best of my knowledge didn’t happen , then it would have been wrong for any professional not just Rita now, to pull-out because from what we are hearing they do not like the person that was chosen as hostess for them. But of course we do not know the full story, so I cannot speak for her or the other side. If she pulled out because of the hostess, then it will be wrong .

It is unprofessional and I think it’s the problem in the industry where people sign contracts and they just feel they can walk away from it because they don’t like something. Once you have signed you are stuck. That’s the way it works in the US and that is what they do in any other country. They will be sued for that, you don’t sign a contract and walk away because you don’t like something. You should think of all of that before you sign and once you have signed you are bound, even if you don’t like some of the issues that came up after. We are not babies here , we are professionals and when you sign a contract you need to honor your contract. I think somebody should start holding stars accountable for their contracts.

That is why the industry is not developing, that is why foreigners are afraid of signing Nigerian artistes-on because they don’t know what they are going to get. So I am very passionate about this, a contract is a contract. But when we sign contracts we should honour them and those who do not should be made to face the law. What I’m saying here is that if a professional signs a contract and without the consent of the other party, he walks away from it, an example should be made of him and this is what I’m advising the organizers to do. When you make an example of one, they will learn to honour contracts. There is too much of it in Nollywood and I think they should be sued by the organizers. I will like to be quoted on that. I think they should be sued by the organizers because it costs them money and they have to do a last minute run around to get them replaced. They didn’t get the kind of people they thought they would get.

When we explained that some pulled out on medical grounds, Ope dismissed the talk as cheap. “Well you can read between the lines yourself, at least my artistes that were there all went through the medical test and I was even there when they evaluated two of my artistes. It was nothing invasive. They just checked their blood pressure to ensure they were fit to go into that kind of event. So you cannot pull out when they have not told you you’re not medically fit. After all they said they were going to get them insurance and do you know an insurance company that will insure people without testing them?

The contract says they will be given a comprehensive insurance policy for the duration of the event, so if the insurance company now says they want to do testing to be able to insure them I think as a professional you should not have a problem with that, and nobody else had that problem except those people. It will be different if after they tested them and they said they were not fit. Then, that is a ground under which they can pull out; but that is not what happened here, they were never tested from what I know”, he said.

Mildred Okwo, Rita Dominic’s Manager also had some comments on the issue:
Sam, I don’t understand the need for people to grandstand when there is absolutely no reason to. Our country has become a place where people cheaply market themselves on the pages of a newspaper as opposed to gathering facts and advancing proper solutions for real problems based on those facts.

Rita Dominic did pull out of Celebrity GUS but not before we explained the reasons to those with whom she had a contract . We took out time to explain to the head of the brand and the COO of Bate Cosse why she had to pull out. She pulled out for unavoidable reasons. To the best of my knowledge, they accepted my explanation and aside from those two gentlemen, every other person is speculating for their own ulterior motives and we will not dignify them with a response. It is unprofessional for any person to make sweeping statements when they are not privy to both sides of the story.

A close source to the Chief Operating Officer of Bate Cosse, the agency that handled the reality show, told us that one of the contestants pulled out of the show on medical grounds, but denied that Ramsey, Rita or Omowunmi pulled out because of Genevieve. “We spoke to over 20 celebrities, and some said yes, some said no. Some people who indicated interest earlier later pulled out because of the scope of the programme. That can’t be said to mean pulling out” the source disclosed.

One way or the other, GUS Celebrity edition is generating so much interest that the viewers cannot wait to start watching by end of March or early next month.

SATURDAY GOSSIP
Source: www.punchontheweb.com   
By Saturday Life & Beat
Nonye Ben-Nwankwo

Since the news of the collapse of the marriage between actress Monalisa Chinda and her estranged husband, Victor Dejo-Richards, broke, more sordid details have been unfolding.

Monalisa’s acquaintance, Florence, who Segun said was his link to Monalisa, told Life and Beat during the week that while she actually did the introduction, she never supported the idea of the two getting married.

Recalling how the whole thing started, Florence said, “We used to attend the same church in Isolo. Yes, he saw the picture of my friend, Monalisa with me and he said he wanted to see her. “He actually drove all the way from Isolo to Lekki to see Monalisa.”

Giving an insight into Dejo-Richards’past, Florence said “Victor was married to one Kemi before then. There reception was held in one fast food centre in Lagos. But the marriage did not last up to six months before they divorced.”

She also disclosed that Dejo-Richards got engaged to one other Lady in their church after his divorce.  “He got engaged to Sister Ann. Their plan to get married was announced in church. People knew them as an item. That was before he went to England. Nobody knew why he ended up not marrying Sister Ann.”

But if she knew all this, how come she didn’t tell Monalisa, Life and Beat queried. To that Florence said, “I was on my own when Lisa (MonaLisa) called me fro England and said I should guess who she was with. She told me she was with Victor. I told her all I knew about the guy, but she said she was an adult and I should leave her alone. She asked whether I was the only one who knew that Victor had been married. When I saw that her mind was made up, I left her.”

Life and Beat called Dejo-Richards to confirm the story, but he said, “Is that the matter on hand now? I had those relationships and the people have moved on with their lives. They are happily married with children. I want to make up with my wife and have my kid home. You people don’t seem to help matters. I have vowed not to talk about this any longer. What has what she said got to do with what is happening now? My marriage is what is important. I don’t want my marriage to break.”

By Rita Dominic
first published in What's New Magazine 

Oftentimes, Nigerians travel out to the west for vacation, ignoring some of the beautiful spots in our great continent.  Prior to this trip, I had never been to South East, Africa, so this was indeed a fantastic opportunity for me to start visiting those parts of our continent.  The advert promoting my trip to Malawi was on television for a while so workers at the Muritala Mohammed International airport were especially nice to me on my way out.  I felt all fuzzy and teary eyed when about 10 immigration officials called me aside to wish me a safe trip.

Malawi has been in the news lately because American music star Madonna adopted a child from there, and is currently trying to adopt another one.  I applaud Madonna for her good works but Malawi is so much more and I can understand why she and other celebrities choose to go there on vacation.  The country was originally known as Nyasaland and is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Malawi also shares a boarder with Zambia to the Northwest and the official languages are English and Chichewa.

Accompanied by my manager Mildred, my personal assistant Chioma and celebrity photographer Buki Tijani, we flew to the capital city of Lilongwe via Johannesburg on South Africa Airways (SAA).  We had to fly 5 hours to Johannesburg to catch a connecting flight to Lilongwe which was only a 2 hour flight from Jo-burg.  The coldest month of the year in Malawi is June, so I made sure I packed some warm clothes to protect my hot West African body.

My arrival to Lilongwe was memorable.  There were plenty of people at the airport to welcome me including some Nigerian women who live in Lilongwe.  I secretly wished they would prepare some local Naija dishes to bring to my hotel room.  Don’t laugh, I always long for Nigerian food especially Afang soup no matter where I go. 

The warmth of the ordinary Malawian was evident right from Lilongwe airport.  They are laid back and full of smiles for the anxious visitor.  The motorcade ride from the Airport to Sunbird Capital Hotel was nice and I enjoyed looking out the window to see the wild flowers and tobacco farms along the road. The air was very clean and something about Lilongwe reminded me of the Irish country side.

The Sunbird hotel is well maintained, beautiful and appealing to the discerning eye.  I was especially impressed by the lush green grounds, something that is often lacking in many Nigerian hotels today.  We were welcomed by a friendly manager and a smiling waiter with a tray filled with glasses of refreshing fruit cocktail. My suite overlooked a beautifully manicured landscape which included a very inviting sparkling pool. 

After an hour of rest, I was off to a radio station for interviews, then to dinner at the Crossroads and then more interviews.  There is only one local television station in Malawi and it started operations only 8 years ago.  I was informed elections were only a few days away so images of my visit were indeed a welcome distraction from the various political programmes on the local TV.  The current president Dr Bingu Wa Mutharika had served for 5 years and was facing some competition from the opposition but as I write, he has been declared the winner in a mostly free and fair election.

The first president of Nyasaland and Malawi was Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda.  Many people in Malawi hold him in high esteem as the founding father of the country.  In 2006, a mausoleum was erected in President Banda’s honour.  I visited the Banda mausoleum on the morning of my second day in Malawi, May 14.  During the tour around the expansive complex, I was informed that President Banda’s body was preserved to last 99 years.  It was heart warming to know that Malawians appreciated the contributions Banda made to the country and even paid tribute to him by celebrating his birthday which coincidentally was same day I visited.

After my visit to the mausoleum, I attended a press conference to meet and mingle with members of the Malawian press.  There were many questions about Nollywood, women empowerment and the fight against AIDS.  I sensed that the media were doing their part to encourage women to excel in society.  HIV/AIDS is very prevalent among the adult population in Malawi so my answers to questions about the disease seemed very important to them.  It can be nerve wracking meeting members of the press but I most say that this was a pleasant and informative meeting all around.

After the press conference and a special interview with Studio 53, a popular show on MNET, it was time to meet the fans.  My heart was pumping as I saw so many fans waiting at the multi-choice offices for autographs.  I meet fans all the time but I am always filled with anxiety each and every time.  Are you surprised?  Well I will let you in on a little secret, actors are generally shy people in their regular lives and not as brave as people think they are.  Malawian fans were so excited and cheerful which made it easier for me that afternoon.  I signed so many autographs, my fingers went numb but nevertheless it was nice to see lots of smiling faces. 

My final event in Lilongwe was a cocktail party for subscribers of Africa magic. The subscribers won a contest by cutting out adverts in the local newspaper and correctly identifying several Nollywood stars. A public lottery was then conducted and the winners announced.  My entrance into the cocktail venue was choreographed with two Malawian actors acting a comedy skit.  My character in the skit was Rita Dominic, the Nollywood actress. I thought it was quite funny and the audience seemed to enjoy our performance.  We called it a night after food, drinks and beautiful music from gospel singer Ethel Kamuwendo Banda.   

I woke up early the next day to fly 45 minutes to Blantyre, the largest city in Malawi.  I am informed that it is the oldest urban centre in East, Central and Southern Africa. Blantyre is to Lilongwe what Lagos is to Abuja except it is not quite as chaotic as Lagos.  The city sits on various residual hills surrounded by several mountains.  Even though the weather was colder than in Lilongwe, I fell in love with Blantyre at first sight. There was a constant bustle of people and it was easy to figure out why it’s called the commercial capital of Malawi. I am naturally drawn to the hustle and bustle of big cities which obviously explains why I love living in Lagos.

In Blantyre, we checked in to the Sunbird Soche Hotel and they gave us VIP treatment all the way.  We ate lunch in a private dining room upstairs away from the prying eyes of the public.  The staff members were friendly and motivated me to try local food Nsima with pumpkin soup and Chambo. Nsima can be compared to our local fufu in Nigeria but it is made from maize not yam or cassava. Chambo is the most popular fish in Malawi. The meal was delicious and I must add that they make wonderful deserts at the Sunbird Soche; it took all my will power not to go back for seconds.

The most emotional and heart tugging part of my trip was my visit to the Chambo Orphanage Mission later that afternoon.  To whom much is given, much is expected.  It has been a real struggle to reach the heights that I have in the industry today but I cannot begin to imagine how I could have done it without the help of my late parents and my loving siblings.  Imagine then what hope little orphans have to make it in the world. 

When Multi-Choice Malawi approached my management about this trip, we requested that a visit to an orphanage be added to the schedule.  Having been to other orphanages in Nigeria, war torn Liberia and Sierra Leone, I make it a point now to go see the kids everywhere I go in Africa.  I was grateful when my hosts graciously accepted our request and even went as far as donating DSTV equipment and subscription for life to the orphanage.

I was overwhelmed by the beautiful faces of these orphaned children and the courage of the owners and workers.  The children danced and sang and I must say many of them do have a future in entertainment. Thanks to the kind gesture of multi-choice, I officially handed the equipment and subscription to the orphanage.  Now the children can watch the educational channels on television just like other children.  Children are our future and it’s our duty as adults to encourage African children to strive to succeed.  I am working towards my dream to start a scholarship fund for less privileged children in our society.

Thanks to Odette and Tatanya of Multi-choice, I got some personal time from the schedule.  We drove up to the Zomba Plateau which is over 2000 meters above sea level.  Zomba town used to be the capital of Malawi until 1974 when Lilongwe became the capital.  It is an hour drive from Blantyre and it gave me the opportunity to see the Malawian countryside.

When we got to Zomba, there were political pamphlets littering the roads. We were told it was left by politicians making their last hour political campaigns.  It took us another 20 minutes to drive up to the beautiful Sunbird Ku Chawe mountain resort.

The plateau is covered in African Juniper and Widdringtonia trees, and many beautiful streams and lakes.  The stunning scenic views atop the plateau made me so happy but I must warn you if you are afraid of heights, do not attempt it.  You can head to the beach instead.  Buki Tijani, our official photographer and over confident Manchester United fan is afraid of heights and I believe she must have held her breath all the way up this gorgeous plateau.

After a sumptuous buffet at the Ku Chawe, we drove higher up the plateau in a massive hummer looking utility vehicle. We saw more tranquil lakes and beautiful waterfalls in the middle of this dense forest but also saw many trees that were cut down by locals.  We saw some of them transporting firewood down the plateau on their bicycles.  I was assured by our guide that the Malawian government regulates the cutting of the trees in hopes that this beautiful place will be around for generations to come.

My trip to Malawi ended with a huge concert at Blantyre Sports Centre on Friday, May 15.  My hosts were excited because the show had sold out hours before the show, something I guess does not happen often.  Apparently, Malawians prefer buying their tickets on the day of the event not unlike Nigerians.

For years to come, I will remember the faces of the children at the Chomba mission orphanage especially the little boy who suffers from HIV.  Whenever I remember the calming effect the Zomba plateau had on me, a little smile will appear on my face.  All in all, I hope Multi-Choice will do this again; it is a wonderful way of giving back to the subscribers and the countries that they operate in. 

To the warm heart with love!!!!  

Stylish actress, Rita Dominic was a year older on sunday 12th of July and she gathered colleagues, friends and well wishers for a unique beach party to mark the event in honour of the silky skinned actress. It was a two day fun filled event as the actress partied with friends a night before at her abode and the party proper which held at "La campagne tropicana" beach resort in Lagos.









The roll call was simply endless, Kate Henshaw Nuttal, Omawumi Megbele, Ini Edo, Joseph Yobo, Adaeze Igwe, Ex-beauty queen, Helen Priest Ajayi, Fashionista, Remi Lagos,Susan Peters, Ex-miss nigeria, Bibiana Ohio, Ufuoma Ejornobo, Kalu Ikeagwu, Stephanie Okereke, Uche Jumbo, Mike Ezereonye, Senator Florence Ita-giwa, Emma Ehumadu, Chidi Mokeme, Ernest Obi, Footballer, Joseph Yobo, Tchidi chikere and so many notable people in the showbiz industry.  Pictures from her birthday bash are already in the photo section. Here's wishing Rita a happy belated birthday, wey my cake oh, lol

Tansalites REE D (Rita Dominic) and VAN VICKER may have signed multi-million naira deals to become ambassadors for Nigerian Telecom giant GLOBACOM.  

There has been a rumour for months that Globacom signed up Nollywood and Gollywood actors to become ambassadors for the brand. Van Vicker has been participating in the Glo Rock and Rule tour for months but had not signed on to become an ambassador until now.

When contacted, Rita Dominic would not confirm nor deny the good news. However, some soft sell magazines are already reporting that she along with Kate Henshaw, Desmond Elliot and Mike Ezuruonye were spotted recently entering Digitrack Studios in TBS Lagos Island where Glo was purportedly conducting a photo shoot.

Actress Uche Jombo may have confirmed the rumours when she uploaded her picture taken at the photo shoot to her Facebook Profile.  Other confirmed Ambassadors are Ramsey Nouah, Nnoso Diobi, Chioma Chukwuka-Akpotha, Funke Akindele who recently starred in the blockbuster comedy JENIFA, Ini Edo-Ehigwina who was added just a few weeks ago and Mona Lisa Chinda.  The deal is rumoured to be for 2 years and will cost the company billions of Naira.

Apart from Gollywood's Van Vicker, it is rumoured that the Company is currently in negotiations with Jackie Appiah and Nadia Buari to represent the brand.  Globacom has opened up operations in Ghana and is looking to expand business by signing these bankable stars who are popular all over Africa.

Globacom has shown its commitment to Africa through these deals and we hope that fellow Tansalites wish them well. 

JANE BOND
Sunday, June 14, 2009

Sunday, 03 May 2009 00:00

Born 34 years ago in Mbaise, Imo State, Rita Dominic is no doubt one of the most celebrated Nollywood actresses. Her consummate love for the... arts, especially music, dates back to her childhood years and this had prompted her to enter and win several dance competitions with vocal expressions in the art of traditional music. In this interview with the Nigerian Compass on Sunday, alluring Rita tells her story to Funmi Salome Johnson. Excerpts: How is life with you? Life is very well, thank you. I am taking one day at a time. What has been happening to you movie wise? Movie wise, I have been very selective with the kind of work that I do in the last two years. If you notice, you will find that I have not been jumping from one set to another because I think I have done my fair share of doing very typical commercial movies. Now I do jobs that will stretch me more as an actress, work that will challenge me more because I feel at a point in your career, in this industry, you have to set certain standards for yourself, which is what I have been doing in the last two years. This is my eleventh year in the industry, so I feel if at this point in my career I am still being seen in some movies that does not make sense or movies that are not good, then it only means that I am not trying to go further with my career or that I have not learnt anything. Now that you are more selective with the movies you do, what are those type of movies will meet up with the standard you are talking about? I have to read the script, the story has to be good, the character has to be challenging and it has to stretch me as an actress. Can you mention some of such movies you have done in recent times? Yes, there is a film I did about two years ago but it is just coming out now. It has just been released in Nigeria and it has also been released in other countries like Ghana, America and some other foreign countries. What is the title of the film? The title of the film is ‘Distance between’ and it was directed by Izu Ojukwu and Mercy Johnson was in it, Kalu Ikeagu and Yemi Black. It has a fantastic story, a kind of story that I hope will impact knowledge in people when they watch it. It is a very deep story. There is also ‘White Waters’ and then there is another one I did with Izu as well, we just finished it about a month ago, I think it is undergoing editing right now. Movie is like that and unfortunately we don’t have too many good scripts around. That is just the truth. Most scripts that people send to me are scripts that I have done the type over and over again, and right now that is not what I am looking for. I am looking for a more challenging work. Of all the works that you have done in recent times that has met up with your standard, which of them has been the most challenging for you? I cannot really say. The issue is that every role is challenging because you are going to play what you are not, so they are all challenging. The thing is that they are good stories; they were shot well and directed well. They are not the typical commercial films. I have been working on a lot of things with my management and hopefully, they will be coming out before the end of this year. How soon are we expecting to see a movie produced and directed by you? It is part of what my management and I are working on. So can you let us into it? No I’m sorry, it is still cooking or rather it is about to cook. Your being selective on the type of movie you do, don’t you think it will affect your purse in terms of income? I understand where you are coming from but before I took this decision, I have thought about that. But you see in life, when there are no pains, there will not be gains. If you are trying to set a certain standard for yourself, you know you are going to lose out for a short while at this stage. But you also know what you are looking for and you know that you are going to reap the reward in future. So that is what it is. But I am very fine. Has that not changed your personal schedule in a way, giving you more time for other things? You’re right because with that time now, I get to rest, I get to work out and I get to do things that I want to do. Besides all of that, I have other works that I do and there are also social events and appearances. Inasmuch as I am not doing so many movies, I am still doing some work in other areas that are related to the kind of job that I do. Also, there is a new website; www.tansali.com. They approached me so I get to blog on that website like every other day. It is a social website where I get to reach out to my fans. Learnt you are going to represent Nollywood in Malawi very soon. What about it? Well, African Magic is celebrating its fifth anniversary in Malawi and the indigenes of Malawi felt that they will like to see a Nollywood act or a Nollywood star. I don’t know how it happened but my name came up and they contacted my management and I am going to Malawi to represent Nollywood next month. What do you think was instrumental to your being the choice? I don’t really know why. It just happened. What runs through you each time you watch yourself on set? I always feel something like: this stupid girl, why do you have to act like that? This is not the right thing to do. I am myself’s greatest critique. I like to criticize myself a lot. I don’t like watching my films when there are people there. I like to watch it alone because I feel stupid and I just feel funny. When I watch my movies alone, I see my mistakes. People might not see them but I see the mistakes and I tell myself that I can work better on them next time. Looking back over the years when you first started out as a child acting in school and how you have made it this far, how does your parents feel about the success you have become now? My parents are late and that is one thing that I regret in life that my parents are not here today to see me become what I am today. All my life, this is what I have always done and my parents actually supported me and that, at that time, was a bit strange for a medical family… because my dad was a medical doctor and my mom was a nursing officer. So, it was actually strange that coming from such a background, you will get all the support from them to be an actress to do my act and luckily for me, I had all the support from my siblings and from my parents and it is just so sad today that they are not alive to see me become what I am today. As a person, how have you used your position as an actress to impact positively on the society that has given you so much? Yes, I am doing something in that line and I am still working on some other things which are part of those things I said I was not going to talk about previously. Last year I did some charity work with Desmond Eliot in Liberia and the Malawi trip I’m about to make, I already told my manager that I will like to use the opportunity to do some charity work while I am there. So they added that to my schedule. I am going to be visiting the less privileged. I like to put that in my schedule anytime I am going for things like that. If you have the opportunity, what are those things you will like to change about the movies being churned out in Nigeria? The stories and professionalism in the way we work. I think at this stage, we should transcend to certain kind of movies and pull the audience along with us. I think we should just raise up the quality of our movies a bit. I don’t know why people think it is all about money. You hear people say, if we don’t have money, we can’t do Hollywood standard… nobody is saying we should do Hollywood standard but at least let the shooting be up the quality just a bit and you will be surprised and amazed at what will happen because I think for Nollywood to go forward, there is a certain class of Nigerians we should try and reach out to with the nature of our movies and we have not done that. It is only when we start shooting certain kinds of films that we will reach out to those qualities or class of Nigerians who will get interested in Nollywood and who will help Nollywood go further. How well do you get along with your colleagues or are there some that you can not actually work with? I am an artist first and foremost and I should be able to work with everybody but the truth is that there are some people that I will prefer to work with than others… In terms of chemistry? Everything. People like? (Laughs) So you really think I am going to start mentioning names eh? You must be joking! Not long ago, in an interview with Uche Nancy, a costumer, she mentioned that some artistes are stubborn to work with. What do you have to say about that because she spoke about the film, Girls Hostel, which you featured in? My argument on that set was that the girls in the story of that set, ‘Girls Cot,’ do runs which in the literary sense means that the girls have sugar daddies or Aristos as they call them on campus. If you have Aristos, you will look good; at least you should be able to afford some certain things like buying good clothes and looking good. I know that when you go to universities, there are some girls who do these things and they look good and that was my argument. If you say that these girls are doing runs, they should be able to afford some certain things or are you trying to say that even with the runs they are doing, they will still wear rags? No. The only thing is that when the President’s daughter now came, she now introduced them to a higher level of men and they started wearing designer clothes and that was how I interpreted my role, I don’t know about any other person. In many of your movies, you smoke. Do you smoke in real life? No, I don’t smoke. So how is it possible or is it a film trick? If the character has to smoke in film, then I just smoke. Do you have any regret being an actress? None particularly. Just that the only thing I am not so comfortable about which I have learnt to live with is that fact that you don’t have any privacy. You live your life for the public. Thinking back over the years, is there any experience you find very memorable or remarkable that you will like to share? The very first AMAA edition in Bayelsa State: this girl just walked up to me and started crying and she was crying and crying and everybody gathered around her and she was asked what her problem is. She said that there was a film I did called ‘All my life’ and the film touched her because she could relate to my character that she had been through a lot. That is one thing I can never forget. It was like an eye opener for me because that showed me how much these movies we do touch lives and impact knowledge on people. That was one experience I can never forget because it was such an emotional one. When are we expecting the wedding bells to ring? When the time is right, I will let you know. So who is that special man making you happy at the moment? I don’t discuss my personal life in issues like this. So who is your kind of man? It is still personal… Well, but it is a generalised one? I like a man who respects the family values, a man who respects women and is God fearing and hardworking. I like a man who knows when to play and when to work. What do you do to relax? I watch a lot of movies, I am a movie addict, foreign and Nigerian. I also work out a lot. I have been doing this exercise routine called Taibo, which is a mixture of Taikwando and boxing created by an American and it is really good. Once in a while, I hang out and most times, I am on the Facebook and then the new website I told you about, I blog on it. What special things do you do to take care of your skin to give it that youthful look? I do body treatment so I go to the spa for massages, steams, raps. I don’t joke with that because of how harsh our weather is and the light we shoot with. We shoot under very harsh condition so I don’t joke with taking care of myself by going to the spa to pamper myself. I also drink a lot of water.

Here is the second istallment like I promised -

6. I used to suck my tongue till I was 17 years old ( yeah yeah..I know). My sisters Ngozi and Lulu used to tease me about it so much but it was a hard habit to break. I don't do it anymore and I actually now get irritated with adults who do it. I still can't remember how I stopped but glad I did.

7. Watching movies is my favourite past time. I have seen sooooo many of them in my lifetime. I love horror films and thrillers the most. I just love to turn off the lights and scare myself silly watching movies. Of course, this does not mean I don't enjoy other genres. Right now, I am digging tv series like Lost, 24, Desparate Housewives, Heroes, Smallville, and One Tree Hill.

8. I often get into a mood after shooting a film. I get irritated by things that normally would not irritate me. Didn't understand it earlier in my career but now I have learnt how to deal with it. I guess it is my way of getting out of character. It takes me a a couple of days to get over it depending on how long we shot. It took longer for films like Izu Ojukwu's Distance Between and White Waters, and also for Desperate Bilionaires because I had live maggots crawling all over me in that movie (naaaaasty).

9. My first film was MY GUY though my second one SOUL THAT SINNETH was released before it. I had a starring role in My guy alongside the great comedians Basorge Tariah and Ali Baba. My biggest challenge was keeping a straight face. I kept laughing and the director kept cutting. It was also hard not looking into the camera coming from the world of stage. I will forever be grateful to Basorge for casting me in that film.

10. I left Nollywood for a few years when it didn't seem like anything was working out. While in England, I actually paid to go to some art school. In 2003, I came back to Nigeria for a short holiday, and that was it. My siblings kept calling from England to ask when I was coming back but I was doing one job after the other. One year later, I realized I was never going back to live in England.

Bless
Rita Dominic