Are you a fan of the CEO of the House of Empress, Empress Njama? Have you been missing the actress? Here is good news for you! Empress is back with a bang as she has been busy on sets lately! In this chat with TONY OGAGA ERHARIEFE, the controversial actress and entrepreneur talks business, charity, her next birthday and her blunt take on women bashers.
Excerpts:
We understand that you will be adding another year soon. How are you celebrating?
My birthday is November 17. I always celebrate it with the less privileged kids. I have been doing it for the past eight years. I run a foundation, House of Empress Foundation and we have like 1, 300 kids and almost 200 women on wheel chairs under our umbrella. What we do is that on my birthday, we bring the kids and the women together from various homes to a particular venue and have pure undiluted fun. We play lots of games and I also have my celebrity friends come in to spend time with the kids. This year we are doing the same thing but a different venue. Artistes from both the Yoruba and English sector of Nollywood, comedians and musiEmpress Foundation and we cians will grace the event. It has been crazy! We have had the likes of Denrele, Fred Amata, Princess, Joy and Chiko Ejiro celebrate with us in the past.
We understand you run a spa and a chain of boutiques in Abuja. Tell us about the business woman in Empress Njama?
The business woman is not far from the charity woman because most of my friends who come to buy things from me end up slashing my prizes (laughter). However, my business is unisex; House of Empress caters to both sexes. I also run a spa and a salon as well. Lagos is too clustered for my business so we moved to Abuja but most of my clients come from Lagos. My business is not too far from my charity self. I tackle my business the way I tackle my charity.
Who are your clients?
I do stuff for everyone both high and low. As long as you have got style and swag; we have something for you. I travel out a lot to stock up my shops and also to work with my manufacturers. For a couple of years I have not travelled for a vacation because each time I try I end up doing business. I guess I am naturally hyperactive so basically it has been work, work and more work.
So what are the challenges you face running House of Empress?
I’d rather I talk about blessings and positive aspects of life. And the reason is that challenges are the things that move you to that place of your dreams. Obstacles are an opportunity for growth and if you haven’t experienced challenges, you haven’t started or gone through life. It is like raw metal going through the fire and coming out as pure gold. I don’t count my challenges; I see them as springboards.
So you are making a lot of money?
I am supposed to make stones. Am I? (Laughter)
Tell us about your ideal man?
I have always craved for a particular physic of the man of my dreams but I ended up dating the reverse (Laughter). While we were growing up, a lot of us had this particular statistic of a person you desire but at the end of the day, it is the opposite you get.
Tell us about your love life?
No comment.
Let us look at your finger nails; they are so hip. What gave you the inspiration for these?
They are not the everyday run-off-the-mill nails you see; it is not the regular thing that people do. People say it’s my logo but it’s not. They are my own creations. You can see the embedded crystal stones. There are just two people who can do my nails in Nigeria. Most times I do them overseas and so far I have carried it well.
Would you describe yourself as stylish?
I don’t think I am stylish in the real sense. Style for me just means being comfortable. I am not a vogue person either. I create my own style myself. I like prints, I like Ankara, I love native and I do lot of stuff with them.
We understand that you were very close to your dad before he passed on. Could you share a few memories with us?
My dad was my friend; he was almost my best friend. He was my adviser and he was my bully; I wouldn’t say he was my confidant. He was like a neighbour and at the same time an inmate with me. I think part of what I am today was due to the upbringing I got from my dad. He was a disciplinarian. If you have a father and you are scared of him, he is not your father. If the mere mention of his name gives you jitters, then that man is not your father! There is no fatherly love there. Loads of my friends did not have the kind relationship I had with my dad and most times, I am excited regaling them with my experience. I don’t think it is right to raise kids to pretend; my dad gave me room to breathe.
Did he ever spank you?
Yes he did. My father never spared the rod to save the child. My dad flogged me till I was an adult. My mum would come and try to save me but he would not budge. My dad never tolerated indecent dressing. There was a day my dad brought down the roof because a skirt I wore had a slit. My father almost killed me. He screamed, ‘go and call your mum’ and when my mum came he said ‘look at what your daughter is wearing.’ He ordered me to my room and I was grounded! However, I am not perfect, I have made one or two mistakes growing up but there was a limit to the things I could do.
What lessons did you learn from him?
There are some lessons you learn from your parents while growing that you don’t get to jut down yet they impact you the most. It all boils down to the fact that he gave me a bag full of advice and it is now left for me to dip my hand into the bag and take the one I need depending on the situation.
For a while you have not been very prominent in Nollywood. Is it House of Empress distracting you?
Nollywood is part of what has made me what I am today. Nollywood will always be there but acting is something you can step aside from if you want to take a break. I have a lot to do with business and I needed to focus on a lot of stuff. I wanted the business to grow to a particular stage where I could relax. It took me like three years to get this far. I have come to a stage where I can relax a little once in a while, I did some jobs and most of the movies are coming out now. The truth is that it has not been easy running House of Empress and the foundation. The truth is that being on all the posters does not make you an actor. The truth is that you could do one or two films a year and trust me; you could still touch lives with your acting. The truth is that the industry is clustered with people that are not supposed to be there and it is not a good thing and I feel very bad about it. The truth is that this is an insult to real artistes; acting is serious business.
Tell us about the first time you fell in love?
I really can’t remember because at that age, a lot of people mistook infatuation for love. I think love is an endless description of so many things we cannot put together. What I must have felt at that time was not love but something else. Love is doing something for someone that can never repay you. Most people just want to date because they are lonely and not because they really love someone. Some people want to date because their peers are dating.
You have this wild look. How come you don’t have tattoos?
Lots of people can swear that I have tattoos on my body because I was known for colourful hair and nails so lots of people thought I had tattoos as well; I can’t give myself the mark of The Beast.
Are you saying tattoos are the mark of the Beast?
I don’t want to say what a lot of people will misconstrue but I don’t have to draw anything on my body to prove a point; for me, tattoos are a no no.
You’ve been a victim of abuse…
That’s something I don’t want to talk about.
What advice do you have for girls going through abusive relationships?
If you don’t use your up but your down, you will probably die before your time. Let me tell you the truth, if a man hits you once he will hit you again! There is nothing like ‘let me manage him because I love him; I will be with him till he changes.’ It is only a weak man that hits a woman. There are men who can’t handle stuff and so they vent it on the woman.
Are you talking from experience?
Once a man hits you, he will hit you again.
Are you planning to do your experience into a movie anytime soon?
There are better stories that would entertain as well as educate more than my story. Mine is just one in a million, it happens every day. That I am in the limelight does not make my story any special.
But he dedicated a song to you?
Well, doing a song for me at that point still has nothing to do with a lot of things that happened later. I think there are better ways of showing appreciation.
You look so strong on the outside, do you ever cry?
Yes I do.
Could you share an experience with us?
That was when they had this bogus pornographic picture online and said it was me. I felt the way any normal person should feel. I was angry and frustrated so I ran away! We all have our own way of tacking challenges and trust me, I have mine. I just wanted to be alone for sometime so I used the opportunity to take a break. I can’t forget what Mercy Johnson did that day. She was part of the people who encouraged me to carry on with my life. She called me and said ‘sister, life continues.’
Excerpts:
We understand that you will be adding another year soon. How are you celebrating?
My birthday is November 17. I always celebrate it with the less privileged kids. I have been doing it for the past eight years. I run a foundation, House of Empress Foundation and we have like 1, 300 kids and almost 200 women on wheel chairs under our umbrella. What we do is that on my birthday, we bring the kids and the women together from various homes to a particular venue and have pure undiluted fun. We play lots of games and I also have my celebrity friends come in to spend time with the kids. This year we are doing the same thing but a different venue. Artistes from both the Yoruba and English sector of Nollywood, comedians and musiEmpress Foundation and we cians will grace the event. It has been crazy! We have had the likes of Denrele, Fred Amata, Princess, Joy and Chiko Ejiro celebrate with us in the past.
We understand you run a spa and a chain of boutiques in Abuja. Tell us about the business woman in Empress Njama?
The business woman is not far from the charity woman because most of my friends who come to buy things from me end up slashing my prizes (laughter). However, my business is unisex; House of Empress caters to both sexes. I also run a spa and a salon as well. Lagos is too clustered for my business so we moved to Abuja but most of my clients come from Lagos. My business is not too far from my charity self. I tackle my business the way I tackle my charity.
Who are your clients?
I do stuff for everyone both high and low. As long as you have got style and swag; we have something for you. I travel out a lot to stock up my shops and also to work with my manufacturers. For a couple of years I have not travelled for a vacation because each time I try I end up doing business. I guess I am naturally hyperactive so basically it has been work, work and more work.
So what are the challenges you face running House of Empress?
I’d rather I talk about blessings and positive aspects of life. And the reason is that challenges are the things that move you to that place of your dreams. Obstacles are an opportunity for growth and if you haven’t experienced challenges, you haven’t started or gone through life. It is like raw metal going through the fire and coming out as pure gold. I don’t count my challenges; I see them as springboards.
So you are making a lot of money?
I am supposed to make stones. Am I? (Laughter)
Tell us about your ideal man?
I have always craved for a particular physic of the man of my dreams but I ended up dating the reverse (Laughter). While we were growing up, a lot of us had this particular statistic of a person you desire but at the end of the day, it is the opposite you get.
Tell us about your love life?
No comment.
Let us look at your finger nails; they are so hip. What gave you the inspiration for these?
They are not the everyday run-off-the-mill nails you see; it is not the regular thing that people do. People say it’s my logo but it’s not. They are my own creations. You can see the embedded crystal stones. There are just two people who can do my nails in Nigeria. Most times I do them overseas and so far I have carried it well.
Would you describe yourself as stylish?
I don’t think I am stylish in the real sense. Style for me just means being comfortable. I am not a vogue person either. I create my own style myself. I like prints, I like Ankara, I love native and I do lot of stuff with them.
We understand that you were very close to your dad before he passed on. Could you share a few memories with us?
My dad was my friend; he was almost my best friend. He was my adviser and he was my bully; I wouldn’t say he was my confidant. He was like a neighbour and at the same time an inmate with me. I think part of what I am today was due to the upbringing I got from my dad. He was a disciplinarian. If you have a father and you are scared of him, he is not your father. If the mere mention of his name gives you jitters, then that man is not your father! There is no fatherly love there. Loads of my friends did not have the kind relationship I had with my dad and most times, I am excited regaling them with my experience. I don’t think it is right to raise kids to pretend; my dad gave me room to breathe.
Did he ever spank you?
Yes he did. My father never spared the rod to save the child. My dad flogged me till I was an adult. My mum would come and try to save me but he would not budge. My dad never tolerated indecent dressing. There was a day my dad brought down the roof because a skirt I wore had a slit. My father almost killed me. He screamed, ‘go and call your mum’ and when my mum came he said ‘look at what your daughter is wearing.’ He ordered me to my room and I was grounded! However, I am not perfect, I have made one or two mistakes growing up but there was a limit to the things I could do.
What lessons did you learn from him?
There are some lessons you learn from your parents while growing that you don’t get to jut down yet they impact you the most. It all boils down to the fact that he gave me a bag full of advice and it is now left for me to dip my hand into the bag and take the one I need depending on the situation.
For a while you have not been very prominent in Nollywood. Is it House of Empress distracting you?
Nollywood is part of what has made me what I am today. Nollywood will always be there but acting is something you can step aside from if you want to take a break. I have a lot to do with business and I needed to focus on a lot of stuff. I wanted the business to grow to a particular stage where I could relax. It took me like three years to get this far. I have come to a stage where I can relax a little once in a while, I did some jobs and most of the movies are coming out now. The truth is that it has not been easy running House of Empress and the foundation. The truth is that being on all the posters does not make you an actor. The truth is that you could do one or two films a year and trust me; you could still touch lives with your acting. The truth is that the industry is clustered with people that are not supposed to be there and it is not a good thing and I feel very bad about it. The truth is that this is an insult to real artistes; acting is serious business.
Tell us about the first time you fell in love?
I really can’t remember because at that age, a lot of people mistook infatuation for love. I think love is an endless description of so many things we cannot put together. What I must have felt at that time was not love but something else. Love is doing something for someone that can never repay you. Most people just want to date because they are lonely and not because they really love someone. Some people want to date because their peers are dating.
You have this wild look. How come you don’t have tattoos?
Lots of people can swear that I have tattoos on my body because I was known for colourful hair and nails so lots of people thought I had tattoos as well; I can’t give myself the mark of The Beast.
Are you saying tattoos are the mark of the Beast?
I don’t want to say what a lot of people will misconstrue but I don’t have to draw anything on my body to prove a point; for me, tattoos are a no no.
You’ve been a victim of abuse…
That’s something I don’t want to talk about.
What advice do you have for girls going through abusive relationships?
If you don’t use your up but your down, you will probably die before your time. Let me tell you the truth, if a man hits you once he will hit you again! There is nothing like ‘let me manage him because I love him; I will be with him till he changes.’ It is only a weak man that hits a woman. There are men who can’t handle stuff and so they vent it on the woman.
Are you talking from experience?
Once a man hits you, he will hit you again.
Are you planning to do your experience into a movie anytime soon?
There are better stories that would entertain as well as educate more than my story. Mine is just one in a million, it happens every day. That I am in the limelight does not make my story any special.
But he dedicated a song to you?
Well, doing a song for me at that point still has nothing to do with a lot of things that happened later. I think there are better ways of showing appreciation.
You look so strong on the outside, do you ever cry?
Yes I do.
Could you share an experience with us?
That was when they had this bogus pornographic picture online and said it was me. I felt the way any normal person should feel. I was angry and frustrated so I ran away! We all have our own way of tacking challenges and trust me, I have mine. I just wanted to be alone for sometime so I used the opportunity to take a break. I can’t forget what Mercy Johnson did that day. She was part of the people who encouraged me to carry on with my life. She called me and said ‘sister, life continues.’
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