It's Difficult To Find A Wife In Lagos--Ace Comedian, Alincology

Source: Joy Akosa/Nigeriafilms.com

Alincology is an on-air personality on rainbow fm, and a comedian, who has been in the industry for quite some time now. In an interview with joy Akosa he tells more about himself and how the industry has been since he came in.

Can we know you?

My name is Ehigie Osarenkhoe, those who love laughing calls me Alincology; actually, am the only understanding comedian in Nigeria
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How long have you been in the industry?

Very long, actually I started comedy officially way back in 2002, from Edo state where I come from, there is this thing we are fond of doing, we call it 'yabing' I found out that when I yab people, my yabing is always entertaining people.

So, how has it been since when you started?

Comic in Lagos actually, I find it difficult for me to break into the comedy market, I need to lose a lot of time, I think have been in Lagos for the past 15years, I took a lot of time, simply because maybe I don't want to clean somebody's shoe, because typically anybody from Edo state we have this pride, that we can do it ourselves.

Are you married or still searching?

At all, because wife material is very difficult to find in Lagos, you can get all the flashy chic's you want, the what sup babes, the happening girls, but wife material is very difficult to find.

What are your do and don'ts?

Am very down to earth, that's why I call myself the only understanding comedian in the federal republic of Nigeria, I like been very human, I love the word humanity, but me particularly I don't like telling lies. My don't, actually life is full of up and down, anyhow I plan it, that's how I will get it.

Are there any competitions?

A lot of them a lot of competitions, but the reason why am not in that clique, I will shock you, I started way back with 'I go die' I believe when I started comedy back then AY should still be in his university days. Basketmouth was schooling in uniben or so, he as a rapper while we were doing comedy, though then I was just doing comedy for the love, and not for the money, so officially when I came to lagos, then those big boys in comedy opened my eyes, was now like guy u can take this comedy as a profession, when I now entered the industry I now found out that even as a comedian u can create an office and even employ people. The competition thing is much now, especially when all this lazy comedians make use of your materials, most of these popular comedians that has come to lime light, these their jokes, most of their materials are coming from me, Gandoki, Ali Baba, that's a challenging part I don't like it.

Any other business, aside from comedy?

Actually, all the entertainment business as a whole, everything I do bothers round entertainment, we run an office where we do production and do entertainment.

With the state of the economy now, will you say there is still space for the upcoming comedians?

There is this problem with the upcoming, like now I run a program on radio, comedy happy hour with d don, in the course of that program there are exceptional days, every Monday is for the upcoming, we used to have them a lot, they will come for auditions, while auditioning them, I find out that they don't have their own materials, like me now, if I have not formed joke on my own at least one thousand, I have been in comedy, at least I have been hearing jokes, you cant come and give me a copied material, I will know and also know the person that owns the joke, or you give me a joke that is similar, but if you come and tell original jokes we will respect you for that. But I think for the upcoming I think twenty percent chance, or except maybe you have influence.

There are lots of young people out there who love comedy, but there are not enough platforms for them to showcase their talent, what do you think is the way forward?

We have lots of platforms, I run like four comedy clubs, stand up Nigeria is another platform to showcase themselves, when you are good, when you are original there are chances for you.

How do you cope with your fans?

Some are very annoying oh, some fans will see you and appreciate you, some will see you and love you, even there was a day, I had a problem with my car, one fan gave me battery, they appreciate you when he knows I needed the battery to leave that place, but some will just disregard or insult you, especially in clubs when you are doing club comedy you lose yourself, not like corporate events where you want to package, club comedy you lose yourself, they say all kind of rubbish, I prefer more of ladies fans than the male fans.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

Depend on the transport sha, I will be seeing myself very big, worldwide.

So you are not going to get married?

Marriage of course, if not this year, next year. Actually I am not putting entertainment and my social life together, one, for entertainers it's very difficult for you to choose, that's one reason most of this celebrities are breaking up this days, because you are famous, and you have money to look good for yourself, then you now take love all around, every girl will want to be with you, and you know girls can pretend a lot, from a very long time of courtship, she will pretend she can't kill a cockroach, immediately you put her in the house, she can use one leg to trap an elephant, and they can pretend They are wifely kind of material person, so lots of homes have gone apart.

What are your biggest dreams so far that actually came true?

To have my product in the market, to be on air every day, I have gone for bigger jobs that if am to put it in a profile I would end up advertising the company, which they didn't pay for that.

What are these products are you talking about?

Laugh and live long is the title of my video CD project, then comedy happy hour is on radio, laugh and live long is also coming on T.V by the special grace of God, next year.

Any challenges so far?

Yes, am having challenges with lazy comedians, who don't want to work, they will wait for you to do your own work then get your materials, on different occasions have heard comedians cracking my own jokes, they didn't hear it from me, probably heard it from another person, it is a big challenge for me, that's why u don't see me anywhere again, because am trying to save my materials for my own events, but it won't make sense if I gather people to come and watch e then at the end, they are hearing what they have heard before, that's one big challenge I have.

The comedy industry with the stage it is right now, how do you see it in the nearest future?

In fact right now, people are making it more of a corporate business, I have a slogan, making you laugh is my calling, to crack joke is not a joke, to make you laugh is not a laughing matter, that's why you see a lot of people making it. Bummi Davies, stand up Nigeria, AY corporate world, its now a company, so right now from five, ten years from now even government will start coming in, because all corporate bodies, multi nationals are now coming in, look at project fame, its more or less a comedy show, if you go to where it is recorded it is more like a comedy show, because am standing outside, other comedians are standing inside, I believe in five to ten years from now, the comedy industry will be a big one.