I FORGET SEX FOR MONEY-----RONKE OJO ( OSHODI OKE )

Ronke Ojo, whom everybody calls Oshodi Oke due to her natural frontal endowment, is quite heavy. She is big in every ramification; her grace and carriage are unequally. If you want to be witty, naughty, smart or intelligent, Ronke is equal to the task and she is a damn good actress. The star actress, who has spent about 11 years in the industry, spoke with SAMUEL OLATUNJI on the industry and what she does when she feels like getting down to do what adults do behind closed doors.

You just came back from the US. What were you up to there?
We went there for so many things. We went there for awards, stage production, concerts and so on and so forth.

Who took you there?
Alpha and Omega production took us there.

What did you miss down here?
You know I went to work there, so I would say I only miss my colleagues and family members.

It's been a while that you produced a movie. When should we look forward to a new production from you?
I'll start a new production in few weeks time. The title is Ede (language). It is a movie that teaches a lot of things. I am more or less a teacher as an actress. I want people to watch my film and learn from it. I don't just tell stories; I want to make impact on peoples' lives.

About three years ago, you told me you would soon go back to school. How far with that dream?
You know things are easier said than done. When you are making money, it is not always easy to go back to school. But I know the value of education and nobody is too old to go to school. I know I'll still go back to school soon. I know that you are limited to some extent if you are not educated. I'll still go back to school.

What will you study?
I'll study Mass Communication.

So you are envying me.
Of course I envy you my brother.

Are you really making money in the industry?
Well, what we are doing is a one-man job and as one-man job you don't expect much. But I would say I thank God.

How man copies does a movie need to sell before one could call it successful?
In Yoruba speaking state we are more than 40 millionpeople, so I would expect to sell about 700,000 thousand copies.

But what is the reality now?
My brother, it is not encouraging at all. It is just that you are happy when you do what you love doing. That is the reason some of us are still here. But with the way the industry is, it is not really encouraging. But what do you expect me to do now?

Does a good movie sell up to 150,000 copies?
No, it doesn't sell that much.

What is wrong?
Piracy is number one reason; number two is that, we produce too many movies. Prince Jide Kosoko is trying to regulate things and I pray God helps him.

You participated in an English movie, 'Lagos Girl' some years ago. Did you get higher pay compared to the Yoruba movies you do?
No. You see, when you are not in the industry, you don't really know what is going on. All these I got so and so millions are falsehood, although, there are certain people that get that much. But it is very few percentage of the industry. The only edge the English movie sector has over the Yoruba is the language. You know English is a universal language. And as far as I am concerned, Yoruba movie sector is the only sector doing the real Nigerian movie.

Why didn't you go further on making more English movies?
You see, I'm a Yoruba woman. If God had wanted me to speak English, he would have created me an English lady. But I'm trying to come up with a movie that has a mixture of English and Yoruba language.
Ok. I've noticed that almost everybody is going about with tattoos. Why haven't I seen one on you?

Perhaps you are hiding it somewhere I can't see?
You see, once I'm okay with what I m doing, there wont be any reason for me to hide it from anybody. I don't have anything against people with tattoo, but I don't really like it.

Don't you want to belong to the group of happening babes?
Excuse me, I'm just myself. I'm a natural person; I just want to be me, not anybody else.

You are getting bigger by the day. What's going on?
(Laughter) Leave it like that, my husband likes it that way. It is evidence of good living and lack of exercise.
When are you going to start exercising?
You know, exercise is very good but it is not easy. But I'll start soon.

Are you not becoming too hand-full for your man?
My fiancé usually says the bigger the better.

Is that why you are not usually ashamed of your natural endowment?
You know what? We should appreciate who we are, no matter what. If you don't appreciate yourself, nobody will. God made me the way I am and I like every bit of it. I cannot create anything, so who am I to ask God why He made me like this? I like everything in me like that, I don't have big backside and I like it like that too.

When are you getting married?
God knows. Let's leave that to God.

Don't you wish to have been married sometimes?
Every woman would like to be married, but I know God has whatever I want in stock for me and he'll give it to me at the right time. I'm not worried about that.

So you are not desperate?
I am not desperate about marriage. I am not desperate about anything. The only thing I might be desperate about is my daughter and God has given her to me.

The last time we met, you spoke glowingly about your man, the father of your daughter. But I was shocked to hear you guys are no longer together. What happened?
Jesus said, you will see me sometimes and sometimes you will not. Life itself is ups and downs. Life is also a risk; I never said we are not on talking terms. He is the father of my child, and he'll always be. What I said is, if you are not married you are simply not married. I don't deceive myself. I am not married and I am not searching.

Who is the man?
When the time comes you will know.

What is the assurance that this one is different?
All men are the same; there is only little difference. But when you see your man you will know.

Didn't you see something in the other one as well?
Of course I did.

So what went wrong?
I don't know.

Are sure the fault is not from you, I learnt you carried your job into the affair?
You see, I am a career woman, my job is my job. If you want to make me happy, you have to love my job. If you love me, you will allow me to do what makes me happy.

What made it difficult for me to get you at your place?
I am still there. It is just that I just came back from the US and I want to catch some rest and be with my friends.

Or you wanted to be with your man?
Whichever way you want to put it.

What happened between you and Olasco Films?
Olatunji Hakeem Balogun will always be my guiding angel. He picked me up from nowhere and he made me somebody with God though. So, we can never fight for any reason. But there is this Yoruba proverb that says we can not all be together forever. I'll never forget my source.

But I heard you guys went apart because of Funke Akindele?
No, Funke is my colleague and she is my very good sister. She will never be a stumbling block to me ditto for her. We never had any argument over Olasco; she is not dating him. We only worked for him.

I'm sure you dated him for a while.
No, I never dated him.

Put one finger in the air and look at me in the face to say you never dated him.
Look, I'm putting 10 fingers in the air; I never dated him (laughter).

What do you look for in a man?
I am an Orobo (fat person) so I always look for Lepa (slim person).

That means I'll be good for you then.
(More laughter) Let me see you first.

You are single, what do you do when you need a man on a cold lonely night?
You know it is not easy to cheat nature, but when I am making money I don't look for any other thing.

So, you forget sex when you are making money?
It is not as if I forget it totally because we are all human. But when I'm making money, I forget it for a while.

Whom do you go to when you are ready for it?
I go to my guy, or do you want me to come to you?
I wouldn't mind.
(general laughter)