This is stale news but due to the buzz about Mercy Johnson in recent weeks, I decided to bring back this interview.
Mercy Johnson
Delectable actress Mercy Johnson who recently joined the league of Nollywood stars running NGOs has had her own share of controversy on her trail. In this chat with DUPE AYINLA she speaks about the new man in her life, her pet project, The Mercy Johnson Foundation- a Non-Governmental Organization set up for secondary school leavers who are unable to further their education. Excerpts
Is it safe to say that this new trend of the Nollywood stars giving to charity is a means of competing for fame?No we are not competing for fame or anything else. We are just trying to help. If you don't come out to help, someone else will. If you don't help my foundation, another person will help. What we are after is to make this cause go faster. We don't want anything to make us unique, what we are after is to help those who are in need, knowing well that we can help. So basically we are just being charitable, not fame draggers.
A lot of people have been giving to charity for years without public knowledge. Why are you making yours public after three years?Yes I have been doing it for three years. Some people know about it while some don't. But the reason I am making this public is just for one reason, and that is for the people who have been supportive. I want them to know what we are doing with the money given to us for these children. I just want these people to know that it is not a Mercy Johnson thing. So if you see me driving a posh car, you will be able to say or defend me, knowing that the money sent to us is well used for its purpose. If you give us money for the children and you want us to appreciate you in the open, we will. The official opening is allowing you to keep tab on the foundation, if you send money for 2000 forms, and you find out that it is not so, then you can embarrass the foundation.
So why did you choose to buy JAMB form for students instead of helping the motherless like your other colleague?
We all can not do the same thing. We have to diversify; I mean some are already taking care of that side, so why can't I look at another dimension that can help the society too. And the project, The Mercy Johnson Foundation which will be formally launched in February 2010 was inspired by my background. My jamb form, my sister's and some others were bought by a particular man in our neighborhood. I know what it feels like not to be able to afford N 5,000 to buy jamb form. So I said to myself that in the little way I can, I will assist those who are going through a similar situation to fulfill their dreams of going to the university. We also have other plans which include setting up an office where we can monitor our students, raise money through initiatives, and there will be a one month tutoring for them to prepare them for the exam.
Who are the people involved in this project?Right now we have lecturers, teachers, mostly people in the educational field. But for the launching proper, we will know other people who will be involved too. We hope to have government officials and the education minister, that way we will know what we are doing.
You have been talking about people involved like the teachers and lecturers, how do you intend to pay these people?When we talk about veterans, these are the people mentioned above. They look beyond the money. We talked to them, we had the mind of paying them, but they said to us that they are willing to do the teaching as their own way of showing support. But if we have bonus at the end of the day, they will get something.
Is any of your colleagues involved?
Yes they have been really helpful in one way or the other. Someone like Mike Ezeronye and some others too have been calling to know what is going on.
How much of your money is going into this?It is not about how much of my money going into this. Everything is not about money making; it is about doing things that makes you happy. For me it is just a plus. And like I always say, being a celebrity takes a lot of things. You need to have more in your life, than just being called a celebrity. So what I believe in, is that if you are not something else, you just fade out. It is not about how boxed up Mercy is. It is about having the grace, I mean going out and somebody you don't know from anywhere comes to you and gives you 1 million Naira. And you remove your tithe, and use some for humanity, you still have a lot left to play around with. What I have the world has; it is all about being happy.
How was 2009 for you?I will say it was great, awesome, and beautiful. Though I was not fairly treated by the press, but all the same it was great for me. Despite the fact that I worked for what I stand for, and some stains tried to tarnish that image, I can say that my career was still high then. But I thank God, because He kept me going all those periods.
Yes all through those periods you did put up a brave front, but how was it for you?
Tough! I remembered that a friend of mine sent me a text about one of the stinkers written about me, and I cried. But he called and said to me, Mercy you can cry all you want, complain if you want, but don't forget that some people are out there who are ready to give anything to be you. And even after that, I got to hear a lot of things that I wasn't aware of. I mean things that I didn't do, things that didn't exist, and all things were pinned on me. My dressing was judged, as well as my style, everything about me. But in all it was the point were my family was dragged in, and they started seeing me as a disgrace and disappointment. That was the lowest point for me. I had people around who were encouraging me, and I said to myself, that you can only be an obstruction to yourself. So I decided to find out who I was and tried to rise above whom people want me to be.
Are you really ready to give up your career for a man?Well, you get to a stage, where you have to make some decisions. That is the stage I am now. If I have to give up acting for my marriage, I will. I have paid my dues. This is Africa, where some things have to be done. And in this industry you have to leave the crown for others to wear too. So if you let go of love, because you want to wear the crown, what if you don't get it anymore? It is not as if I have made up my mind sorely, but if that is what I have to do, I will.
But how prepared are you?
I won't lie to you, it is scary. And if I think about the final bow, I mean having to share your decision-making and doing things together, I will ask him to let us shift the wedding to 2012. Let me give you an example. I was meant to go for an event in my usual dress, and I was made to change the dress, meaning you are no longer on your own. It is a tough decision, and I think that is why I am still having cold feet. I feel that we are married already. I wonder, why all the white wedding and other stuff. But it is a must do. We will just see how 2012 goes; it is for me to stabilize my feet more for other things to come alive.
How did you meet him?We met at a salon. He had been watching me for like three months before he talked to me. It was just a romantic meeting. I went to make my hair that particular day, he waited for me to finish and that was the beginning of what we have now.
What did he say that attracted him to you?Well he said curiosity. He said it is amazing how one person can have 100 bad attributes, yes you can lie, but you can't lie, kill, rape, steal, you just can't see that in just one person. He wanted to be sure if I had all those things. We all have bad sides, but we must definitely have a good side too. And the good part of the whole thing was that when we started dating, most times when I am said to be somewhere outside the country, I will be with him. So he got to understand that, those are things that go with being famous. He took it as a challenge.
Why him, having had many suitors come up to you to ask for the same thing?
The fact that he is a man, and that he knows what he wants. He doesn't see me as Mercy Johnson, but as a woman he loves. So those things made me accept him. I can't bend him, because I am Mercy Johnson. He listens when I talk, he can make you go out of your way and still make you see that what you have done was right. And the fact that he is a Christian too.
Is it safe to say that this new trend of the Nollywood stars giving to charity is a means of competing for fame?No we are not competing for fame or anything else. We are just trying to help. If you don't come out to help, someone else will. If you don't help my foundation, another person will help. What we are after is to make this cause go faster. We don't want anything to make us unique, what we are after is to help those who are in need, knowing well that we can help. So basically we are just being charitable, not fame draggers.
A lot of people have been giving to charity for years without public knowledge. Why are you making yours public after three years?Yes I have been doing it for three years. Some people know about it while some don't. But the reason I am making this public is just for one reason, and that is for the people who have been supportive. I want them to know what we are doing with the money given to us for these children. I just want these people to know that it is not a Mercy Johnson thing. So if you see me driving a posh car, you will be able to say or defend me, knowing that the money sent to us is well used for its purpose. If you give us money for the children and you want us to appreciate you in the open, we will. The official opening is allowing you to keep tab on the foundation, if you send money for 2000 forms, and you find out that it is not so, then you can embarrass the foundation.
So why did you choose to buy JAMB form for students instead of helping the motherless like your other colleague?
We all can not do the same thing. We have to diversify; I mean some are already taking care of that side, so why can't I look at another dimension that can help the society too. And the project, The Mercy Johnson Foundation which will be formally launched in February 2010 was inspired by my background. My jamb form, my sister's and some others were bought by a particular man in our neighborhood. I know what it feels like not to be able to afford N 5,000 to buy jamb form. So I said to myself that in the little way I can, I will assist those who are going through a similar situation to fulfill their dreams of going to the university. We also have other plans which include setting up an office where we can monitor our students, raise money through initiatives, and there will be a one month tutoring for them to prepare them for the exam.
Who are the people involved in this project?Right now we have lecturers, teachers, mostly people in the educational field. But for the launching proper, we will know other people who will be involved too. We hope to have government officials and the education minister, that way we will know what we are doing.
You have been talking about people involved like the teachers and lecturers, how do you intend to pay these people?When we talk about veterans, these are the people mentioned above. They look beyond the money. We talked to them, we had the mind of paying them, but they said to us that they are willing to do the teaching as their own way of showing support. But if we have bonus at the end of the day, they will get something.
Is any of your colleagues involved?
Yes they have been really helpful in one way or the other. Someone like Mike Ezeronye and some others too have been calling to know what is going on.
How much of your money is going into this?It is not about how much of my money going into this. Everything is not about money making; it is about doing things that makes you happy. For me it is just a plus. And like I always say, being a celebrity takes a lot of things. You need to have more in your life, than just being called a celebrity. So what I believe in, is that if you are not something else, you just fade out. It is not about how boxed up Mercy is. It is about having the grace, I mean going out and somebody you don't know from anywhere comes to you and gives you 1 million Naira. And you remove your tithe, and use some for humanity, you still have a lot left to play around with. What I have the world has; it is all about being happy.
How was 2009 for you?I will say it was great, awesome, and beautiful. Though I was not fairly treated by the press, but all the same it was great for me. Despite the fact that I worked for what I stand for, and some stains tried to tarnish that image, I can say that my career was still high then. But I thank God, because He kept me going all those periods.
Yes all through those periods you did put up a brave front, but how was it for you?
Tough! I remembered that a friend of mine sent me a text about one of the stinkers written about me, and I cried. But he called and said to me, Mercy you can cry all you want, complain if you want, but don't forget that some people are out there who are ready to give anything to be you. And even after that, I got to hear a lot of things that I wasn't aware of. I mean things that I didn't do, things that didn't exist, and all things were pinned on me. My dressing was judged, as well as my style, everything about me. But in all it was the point were my family was dragged in, and they started seeing me as a disgrace and disappointment. That was the lowest point for me. I had people around who were encouraging me, and I said to myself, that you can only be an obstruction to yourself. So I decided to find out who I was and tried to rise above whom people want me to be.
Are you really ready to give up your career for a man?Well, you get to a stage, where you have to make some decisions. That is the stage I am now. If I have to give up acting for my marriage, I will. I have paid my dues. This is Africa, where some things have to be done. And in this industry you have to leave the crown for others to wear too. So if you let go of love, because you want to wear the crown, what if you don't get it anymore? It is not as if I have made up my mind sorely, but if that is what I have to do, I will.
But how prepared are you?
I won't lie to you, it is scary. And if I think about the final bow, I mean having to share your decision-making and doing things together, I will ask him to let us shift the wedding to 2012. Let me give you an example. I was meant to go for an event in my usual dress, and I was made to change the dress, meaning you are no longer on your own. It is a tough decision, and I think that is why I am still having cold feet. I feel that we are married already. I wonder, why all the white wedding and other stuff. But it is a must do. We will just see how 2012 goes; it is for me to stabilize my feet more for other things to come alive.
How did you meet him?We met at a salon. He had been watching me for like three months before he talked to me. It was just a romantic meeting. I went to make my hair that particular day, he waited for me to finish and that was the beginning of what we have now.
What did he say that attracted him to you?Well he said curiosity. He said it is amazing how one person can have 100 bad attributes, yes you can lie, but you can't lie, kill, rape, steal, you just can't see that in just one person. He wanted to be sure if I had all those things. We all have bad sides, but we must definitely have a good side too. And the good part of the whole thing was that when we started dating, most times when I am said to be somewhere outside the country, I will be with him. So he got to understand that, those are things that go with being famous. He took it as a challenge.
Why him, having had many suitors come up to you to ask for the same thing?
The fact that he is a man, and that he knows what he wants. He doesn't see me as Mercy Johnson, but as a woman he loves. So those things made me accept him. I can't bend him, because I am Mercy Johnson. He listens when I talk, he can make you go out of your way and still make you see that what you have done was right. And the fact that he is a Christian too.
Is he someone we know?
No! He is a prince and very soon, I will be Mrs. Okojie.
No comments:
Post a Comment