ENITAN’S TRUE NUDE STORY

                                               

This morning, I got a mail from Enitan Adeshola Okesanya, the 300-level student of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, NIJ, Ogba, whose story of her willingness to pose nude to break into Nollywood filled various online news media.

As I read her mail, I felt sorry for her and I begin to wonder what Journalism is turning into in our country.

Read her full story below:

My name is Enitan Adesola Okesanya, I am a year three student of Nigerian Institute of Journalism. I live like normal people do, I wake up, pray, eat and carry out my daily activities, which would be to attend lectures but everything changed one certain morning, on the first week of April 2012.

THIS IS HOW THE NUDE, BIG BANG STORY CAME ABOUT

I was approached in school by a former school mate who now works with PM News, he said he wanted to do a story on me since I had done some TV works, he said he wanted an interview which I granted.

 In the interview he asked me questions like why I wanted to act and what is my drive, to which I said acting is my passion, he asked me if making money was one of the reasons and I honestly told him that I wanted to be rich (who doesn’t want to be rich). I trusted this certain person, I mean he never did anything to warrant otherwise, so why won’t I give an interview to help his career (since I thought that was what I was doing). Boy was I wrong.

When I read the interview, I realized I was a pun in his scheme, a plaything to both him and his Editor or whoever put the title and let the story run. There were many miss-quotes for example, I never said “I hate poverty”, I said “I want to be rich”. They say I have gone nude to break into Nollywood, but they are yet to show me the nude pictures they have of me. Mind you, I did give them pictures to run with the supposed story, but they did not use any, guess it would have deeply flawed their writing.

Addressing the issue of somebody else uplifting my name with the story and putting naked pictures alongside it, that is an entire thing all together. This other issue does not affect only me but affect my entire family. I am the first child in a family of six, and I lost my father in 2010. Those of you that are first daughters or first sons know the continuous mounting pressure to be an example to your younger siblings. My father is DEAD and I miss him so much, all I have of him is his name, so you see, this thing tarnishes the name my father has worked hard to maintain (why would I want to tarnish my late father’s name?). I do not know the real story of the nude pictures and I do not care, I just want this sordid affair straightened out and it not be the cause of my mom’s heart attack. One death in the family is enough.

When this story first blew, I called the person who interviewed me and asked him why he said I had nude pictures and twisted my words to make me sound like a bimbo, he told me he wanted to cause a controversy. Can you imagine? A controversy at the expense of my late father’s name, at the expense of shaming my mother.

You can check out my picture on facebook and twitter(my name is my ID) to compare with the nude pictures, see for yourself the REAL TRUTH.

Anyway, the good I decide to take from this is that now I know how horrible people can be to climb the success ladder. So I decided to write this to let all of you hear me out, not only that but to share this with millions of young girls like me who are possible victims of this kind of scam, so that they can learn from what has been done to me IN THE NAME OF JOURNALISM.

I have be in productions like Heavens Gate, were I played a secretary, a niece in Dormitory 8, a maiden in the new movie I’ll take my Chances. It is left for you to decide if I would have gotten the jobs from these respectable directors on the projects if I had done what is said of me. My verdict is in your hands.

But remember, before you continue to judge and throw stones at me, put yourself in my shoes. This could have happened to YOU, YOU or even YOU, yes, any of YOU.

I Don't Think Linda Ikeji Is A Role Model-Toke Makinwa

Ghen ghen, fight between Linda Ikeji and Toke Makinwa. Lol. Unfortunately I don't really know who she is...never met her...only seen her Flytime interviews. I hear she's also a radio presenter...and apparently she said on radio recently that I am not a role model...

Here's how Thenetng is reporting it

Popular radio and TV presenter Toke Makinwa has aired her thoughts about popular blogger and former model Linda Ikeji stating she ‘doesn’t think Linda Ikeji is a role model’.

Little known Makinwa who works as a radio presenter on popular urban radio station Rhythm 93.7 dropped her comments on air while she was co-anchoring ‘The Morning Drive’ recently.

I don’t think Linda Ikeji is a role model. She’s a gossiper, She sells gossip’, Makinwa said on the show and even appealed to her listeners not to take the likes of popular US blogger Perez Hilton and Miss Ikeji seriously.

Well, she's entitled to her opinion. I have nothing against that statement...I understand where she's coming from. Some of the posts hurt people, some help people. It's the media, it's the job I chose. Like every other job, it has its advantages and disadvantages. You win some, you lose some. I get it. I accept it.

It's times like this I almost forget who I am...but then I remember where I'm coming from and I smile. Let me tell you guys a story. Please continue...
It was early 2000, I was 19 years old, in my second year at the University of Lagos. I'd been a model for about a year and a half then. Modeling back then didn't pay a lot. Sometimes you eat, sometimes you can't find food. Sometimes you had money, sometimes you will have to beg for it. I'm not from a rich home. I started struggling since I was 17 to support my family. So I kinda hard a tough life growing up but I kept working, doing all sorts of modeling jobs, ushering, fashion shows, and at one point I sold beer at a hotel. I'd leave lectures, go to a hotel and sell beer from 1pm till 10pm. I did this for a few months. It wasn't easy but I had to survive. One of the things I said to myself back then was, the day I sell my body to a man for money, may God strike me dead. I was determined to make it on my own, never let any man take my dignity. In those days, most young girls had an aristo...I was never one of those girls. I would rather starve or beg for food than give my body to a man for money.

So back to my story. It was early 2000, I hadn't done any modeling jobs in a bit. I didn't have any money in school, hadn't eaten a proper meal in days, there was no money at home...my sister called and asked if I could send money home...didn't have any. I wondered what to do...then I thought of this aristo who had been chasing me for months now...old man...married...rich...in his fifties. I said to myself, why don't you call him and beg him for money. Tell a lie, say you need it to go to the hospital 'cos you're sick or something that desperate. Which was what I did. What he said to me was 'you know I like you. I don't know why you're behaving like a child. You need someone to take care of you blah blah blah'. Eventually he said I should meet him at a hotel. I will never forget that hotel...Ambassadors hotel in Ikoyi. I was apprehensive about going but I was desperate...I said to myself what's the worse that can happen? It's not like he will rape you and there was no way in hell I would sleep with him, so I figured even if he didn't give me the money I asked for, at least he would give me money for transport fare to go back home...that transport fare was what I was looking forward to honestly. I didn't have a dime on me, in fact I borrowed small money from a friend to go to the hotel.
So when I got there, he bought me hotel food (my first real meal in days...:-)) and after I was done eating, he made his move. I shoved him off. He kept trying and I kept pushing him away and after a while he got angry and said something like, why did you come here then? Are you a child? He was angry that I made him pay for a hotel room, spent money on food etc and not give him what he wanted. So he got up to leave...and I told him I didn't have any money to go back to school. If looks could kill, I would have died in that moment he turned to look at me. He left the hotel room, and I followed him. I kept begging and trying to explain to him that I didn't have transport to go back, he didn't say a word to me as he entered his vehicle and drove off.
I stood in front of the hotel wondering how I was going to get back to school. All I had on me was N15. N15 wasn't going to take me from Ikoyi to Akoka. In my plans, I never imagined that I wasn't going to at least get a few thousands from him. I'd seen this guy before...he was a friend's boss. He owned a media business back then and every time I went to see this friend, this man would call me into his office...tell me how pretty I am, how much he likes me and how well he can take care of me. And he always gave me 5k whenever I was ready to leave his office. But this time I was the one who called him...so he must have figured I was ready to give in. We both misunderstood each other, I guess...:-)

Anyway, after standing in front of the hotel for a few minutes, I went back in and saw a young man at the front desk. I explained my situation to him...he was kind enough to give me N100 and that was the money that took me half way home. By the time I got to Yaba, I'd run out of cash, so I trekked from Yaba bus stop to UNILAG Akoka. I remember saying to myself while I was trekking with tears in my eyes, that one day I'm going to make something of myself...every money I make in this world would be my own hard earned money...I don't care how bad it gets, no man is ever going to take away my self respect...that's all I have!
And that's the way I lived. Determined to make it in life. On my own terms. As my own woman. I kept struggling and struggling until God finally blessed me. Now I have more money than I even know what to do with it. I make millions of naira from what I love doing...blogging. The best part of all this is that I would blog for free. Now I don't chase money anymore...it chases me. It's not even just about the money, it's the great friends I've met via this blog, the wonderful people I interact with here, the freebies I get. How much of a big deal I am to some people. How some people see me in person and scream with excitement and want to take photos with me. Sometimes I pinch myself...I almost can't believe this is my life.

Once in a while I think of that 19 year old girl who trekked for miles to school because she would not sell her body and I say to her, we made it, Linda, we made it!