Love or hate her, you cannot put Ego Okoye down. The Nollywood star actress who shot into limelight with credits in Spanner, One Dollar and Sister Mary, is poised give back to the society that she said has shown her love, hate and shot her to fame with a non-governmental organisation that will restore hope in the hopeless.
How well is your career pursuit in Nollywood?
Well, concerning my career, I’m there already, but I also believe I haven`t gotten to the real top that I want to get to. I still want to get there, do some things for the less- privil>eged. My NGO will reach out to the poor. In a couple of month’s time, I will try as much as possible to make it public. Yes, my career has been that fine. I have done a couple of films and to the best of my knowledge I know that I have also touched the lives of a great number of people through my acting and it has been very fulfilling.
Can you shed more light on your project, the NGO?
It`s all for the less- privileged. For now, I’m trying to put things together. It has not gotten a name yet. It`s to help those that can`t walk and are finding it difficult to do the normal things of life.
What is your reason of wanting to float such a project, to helping the less privilege?
It is because you will find out that some of those you see as less privileged find themselves not been able to do some of the things every other person do in their everyday life. That they are shut out of the society should not be so. They have their own lives. They have things in them that they will want to give out also. This is going to be a kind of a home for them. I just want to make a home for them, where there would be people to teach them one skill or the other. I will do it as they do it abroad.
Does this NGO project have anything to do with your upbringing?
No. It has nothing to do with my growing up. My growing up was really a quite one because I am the only child of my parents. It was like a lonely life. But it was a cool one and full of fun, my parents were always there for me. Yet I would not say I was spoilt. I was an independent child. They made me to understand that I can be independent, not relying on anyone, not even on my parents. They told me that I can get all I want by myself. And I believe that when you are independent you can get there, get all you want with the help of God Almighty. I believe you will get there if you know what you want to do.
What have been your challenges in life?
Don`t get mad! I would not say I have much challenges in life. I can`t even remember any.
Has life been that smooth for you?
Yes, except when I lost my father in 2000. That was before I got into the industry. It was very painful.
How has the issues of lesbianism, sexual abuse and stigmatization in the industry, affected your career in Nollywood?
As a matter of fact, concerning sexual harassment, I really don`t know much about it because I was not sexually abused or harassed, so to say. So I really don`t know much about it, but people tell me such things happen in the industry. Concerning lesbianism or gay issues, I don`t know if it is true or false. But anyway, I will call it their life. Everybody has where he or she wants to live or whatever kind of live they want to live. So I really don`t know much about it. Yet, I wish them luck!
What has your career brought you?
It has brought me fame, love and even hate, from different people. And in life if some people don`t hate you, if some people don`t beef you, then you can`t move forward. I am telling you, and then you know you are not important. I am going to keep moving forward, backward never! That is the word.
