Lately, there has been rumour that the Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has turned the Imo State Government House in Owerri, the state capital, into a gay club. Those peddling the news claimed the governor was deep into the act and that’s why he gave those practising the ignoble act protection from the anger of the people of the state.
But in this interview with Osaremen Ehi James of Nigeriafilms.com, sultry movie star, Nkiru Silvanus, a one time SA Lagos Affairs to the Government of Imo state, and later SA on Public Affairs, but now the Director General, Imo Film Academy, spoke on the issue and others about some rumour making the rounds about her. Excerpts:
There have been reports lately about your relationship, but in your usual manner, you've refused to respond, why?
I feel that very soon, the time will be right to respond to it. Also, I don't respond to some of these stories because i don't want to be distracted. I'm just too busy, and giving stuffs like that attention will be like adding extra works to my already filled hands.
So, of course I don't want to be distracted by lies that people spread around. Anybody who is successful will be talked down by people who wish they could be like you but have concluded it will be impossible.
They always feel talking you down will help them feel good, I believe. That's why they try to get at you. Especially in this era that there is the social networks and it's accessible to everybody. But when you are focused and know what you are doing, time will definitely tell. Time heals all wounds, time is powerful like one of my very close friends will say. Time cleans everything away, just be focused and once you know that you are not a person of questionable character, you'll be fine.
So it's all rumours. That's all I'll say about the relationship rumour. It's just like what is happening in Imo state, where you have some people who have not been there in the last six years but are saying all sorts of negative things about the governor, and he has achieved so much. But they'll rather say negative things; things that are not true.
They talk like they live in Imo state. That's life. Social media has made it easy for people to talk about anyone.
Talking about the governor, there is a story making the rounds that governor Okorocha has converted the state house chapel to a gay club, how true is this?
It is highly laughable! Nigerian politicians are so desperate that they will label a house for worshiping the almighty God, a house of gay. Initially, they were peddling rumours that this same church was a mosque and that the governor, demolished it and turned it to a church. That was to incite the Muslims against him. But it didn't work; now they are saying the church is a gay centre. How desperate.
Have you also started reading what some people are saying on social media that governor Okorocha is a Muslim and an Alhaji and that he is paying people N2million each to become a Muslim. How is that even possible?
Someone that you've initially accused of converting a mosque to a church, now you are contradicting yourself that he is an Alhaji. Can you see the stupidity of politicians? It may interest you to know that people who are peddling this kind of news are even the so called educated people and even some men of God in the state, who have pitched their tents with some ruthless and greedy politicians in Imo state.
We are in the end time when people who are supposed to be men of God, setting good examples are being bias because of financial gains. Many people have sold their souls to the devil and have begun to eat from the devils pot of soup.
They are now attacking a man, who could be called a man of God, because everything about Rochas depicts Godliness. Rochas starts his day with God and ends it with God as a Christian. When I met him before he became a governor, he has a Chapel in his house and in his office.
He starts from the Chapel and ends with the chapel. He has a pastor that moves around with him. I'm talking about the Chaplain. Now, his Excellency assumed office in Imo for the very first time and saw that there was no Chapel or any place of worship in the State House so he decided to build one.
Later, he saw the need to develop a more befitting one and that was exactly what he did. Because he is passionate about God, he built a magnificent one, an edifice. And what happened, because of politics, people are now mocking God. Or is that not so?
You look at a house of God and call it a house of gay! Those peddling such rumours will be adequately punished because it's now a fight against God, not man. People like one Bishop in Imo state who has reportedly been promoting the unfounded story against the governor, just because this Bishop is wining and dining with enemies of the Okorocha's administration.
Why should men of God gets themselves dirty because of politics? Anybody who stands against God stands for Satan.
Your fans have not been seeing you on TV like many of your colleagues campaigning for politicians, knowing fully well that you work with the government of Imo state and you could have easily lend your voice more to the campaign of the Governor, why?
The truth is that a good product markets itself. Governor Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha has been able to surprise the people of Imo state with his landslide achievements never before seen by the people of Imo state. We are not making noise because the achievement of the governor is glaring.
The evidence is everywhere. The governor has done so much that little or nothing is being campaigned about because like I said the evidence is everywhere. In fact, you begin to wonder what you want to start coming out to talk about when the people already know; they can see the awesome performance of the governor and they have chosen their paths.
But it is being speculated on social media that the governor has virtually done nothing?
One of the problems is that governor Okorocha has done too much that most people have even forgotten how things used to be before he got into office. This is a man that has jaw-dropping transformation to the state in over 1000 different ways in just three years.
Governor Rochas executed over 1000 great projects in Imo state in just three years and he is not even stopping. This man is highly loved by both young and old for making them happy again. Talk about human resources, job creation, agriculture, infrastructure, education just name it, the governor is a messiah.
Many people are also saying that not everyone is benefiting from the much talked-about free education by the governor. Some are even saying that there is nothing like free education in Imo. What do you have to say to this?
No Imo state indigene who is speaking genuinely will ever say that. Anybody can come to Imo state and confirm for themselves. Well, of course, enemies of progress and opposition will not dare say anything good about a person.
There are people who are angry with the governor because he has been able to wipe off corruption from the state and blocked ways people have been pilfering the people's money in the past. In Imo state, students will fight you if you come here and say there is no free education.
Here, you are also being given free lockers, sandals, uniforms, books and even pays stipends for going to school. So, what else can you ask for from a man who loves education and human development with a passion.
What's your opinion about celebrities joining politics, people are saying most of them join because they want to make more money?
Well, I can't actually say why each person joins politics because it's an individual decision. You take a decision for yourself for a particular reason and you pursue your dream and your vision. For me, if anybody is going into politics because you feel that it's a place to cut your own piece of 'national cake', then that's a wrong reason.
That's why we are still insisting that Nigeria needs able men like Rochas Okorocha at the Federal level of government so as to make politics less lucrative like he has done in Imo state so that hungry individual who want to go into politics to dig into the pocket of the masses can be put off.
The bottom line is that politics must be made less lucrative so that people with ulterior motives can find something useful to do with their lives. In Imo state for instance, if you are coming to work with his Excellency then you are coming to serve because governor Okorocha doesn't joke with his people.
That's why some people who came into this administration because they want to come and steal money couldn't cope and when they dropped out, they started peddling all manner of lies about this administration all because they've been prevented from stealing the money meant for the development of the land and people of Imo.
You know, if a thief is being prevented from having access to what he had been stealing easily, he'll start to rebel against the person preventing him, that's exactly what's happening in the case of the current Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha.
Okorocha has locked up access to thieves in the state and they are angry with him because he's been using the money to better the lives of the people Imo state and because Okorocha has also invariably exposed their incompetence and put them to shame.
You used to run a programme on AIT where you chronicle happenings in the state, what happened to the programme?
What happened was that we've had a lot of projects under construction in Imo state and we wanted to finish them so that we can show the people the other side of the works.
Most of the projects have now been completed but because of the election activities everywhere in the country at the moment, we decided to wait till after the election so we can start acquainting the people with all this information.
Judging from the way you presented the programme, most people have asked if you had a background in broadcasting, or if you studied Mass Communication?
The driving force was mainly because of my love for entertainment and most importantly how impressed I've been with the performance of the man Rochas Okorocha. I'm very passionate about him and his work.
When you have a hands-on experience of an incident, you will be able to tell it better with a huge passion to others. So, I was passionate and filled with joy to pass these messages to the public that these are what my boss has been able to do in less than three years.
Many people have an image of you being this shy girl, how true is that?
Well, I could be very shy sometimes but I quickly get out of it and swing into action especially when I stay in an environment for a few minutes; I quickly acclimatise myself to an environment. When it comes to doing my job, there is nothing like shyness though, because I have a job to deliver. I'm delivery-minded! I don't joke with my job.
