Why I Prefer Dating White Guys To Nigerian Men –Nollywood Actress

Cynthia Agholor will tell anyone who cares to listen that she has been having a wonderful time in Nollywood even though she started acting as a child many years ago.
What has not been kind to her, as Cynthia is certain to tell you, is the media who have continued to spread negative stories about her.
Beautiful, busty and brainy, Cythia is a simple woman who will rather have a glass of wine instead of going all the way even with the man of her dream, out of wedlock. In this chat with Showtime Celebrity, she opens up on variety of scandals trailing her career and why she prefers dating a white guy to a black man.
Where did you grow up and what was it like growing up?
I grew up here in Lagos at Ebute Metta. Though I can’t speak Yoruba fluently but I understand the language. I didn’t get to mingle freely with Yoruba people because we lived on Herbert Macaulay Road where we don’t have many Yorubas. I attended St. Jude Primary and Secondary Schools, in Ebute Metta. During my Secondary school days, I travelled to Aba to sojourn briefly with my aunty. I sat for my JSCE in Aba before returned to Lagos for my SSCE.
Within this period I have been into acting. Then as a child I was in “Tales By Moonlight”, “Kiddies Vision 101”. I have been doing all these kiddies stuffs with NTA since my Primary School days. The only period I had a break from acting was when I went to Aba to stay with my aunty. I also stopped acting for a while when I got an admission into Federal Polytecnic, Oko, in Anambra State.
When I was in Oko, I did a bit of modelling because modelling was a lot easier than acting. While acting takes you from one place to place, you can do modelling within the area you are based. After my education and the National Youth Service Corps in 2006, I came back to Lagos and since then, I have been doing one job or the other. Now, I am an actress and a producer.
There is a belief that some stars worked their way through; while others either slept their way through or simply got lucky. What worked for you? 
Right now I wouldn’t even call myself anything. Whatever happened to anyone in this life God must have allowed it to happen. I only thank God for taking me where I am today. When I was growing up in the industry I had friends that are now bigger than I am. Someone like Genevieve Nnaji, we all grew up together in the industry and we were like friends, moving around from one place to another, looking for jobs but today she is everywhere in the world. That is how God has decided to bless her. Because I am not like her today doesn’t mean anything to me. To me, the way I am now is the way God wants me to be. Whatever anybody is in the industry; whether you worked your way, slept your way or got lucky it is the destiny God has fashioned for you.
One actress once told me that it is impossible to go through the industry without being sexually harassed. How true is that? 
Yes, it is not exactly untrue but it all depends on how you conduct yourself. s*xual harassment is always there, not only in the movie industry but everywhere. Even though it is always there it is not a must that everyone must experience it. Maybe, she was unlucky to have met those randy producers and directors but there are decent people also.
In your own case, did you ever encounter such ugly incident?
Well, in those days when we were growing up in the industry there is no lady or young girl that would say she didn’t encounter s*xual harassment in one form or another.
Even me, I had my experience but I shrugged it off and made the person understand I didn’t come into the industry for that. When the person wouldn’t budge I left that production for another production where I knew they were decent people. Thank God, I met some decent producers and directors who featured me without harassing me.
As a well-endowed woman, would you say that has helped your career?
(Laughing) I really don’t know but judging from some of the roles I have played it could be as a result of my endowment. Like the recent movie I did the producer actually wanted me to show off my b**bs, he said to really compliment the role of a husband snatcher.
Even the one I’m doing right now in Ibadan I’m playing the role of a seductress. Anyway, most producers have featured me in roles that portrays me as a sexy character. But really I don’t know, maybe if I’m not well-endowed they wouldn’t have been starring me in such roles.
What do you really think enriches one as an actress, beauty and talent?
I will choose talent over beauty or appearance. There’s no way you will look as a human being that you will not have a role to play. Regardless of your looks, if you are very talented they might create a role for you, from there you can be a big star. And I will not call appearance into it now and I will not say beauty because there are many beautiful girls out there who are not talented and they are just there, not making it. And there are some ladies who are disadvantaged by their looks but are making it because of their talents.
Have you ever had a romantic relationship within the industry?
No.
Why?
I just don’t want to.

So, you have never been approached or what?
Of course, I have had several approaches but in the film industry where we are I see everybody as my brother. Maybe, it’s a principle, I just don’t want to date anybody within the industry.
There has been many scandals about you. How have they affected your career? 
At first, when I started reading untrue, scandalous things about me, as a human being I was depressed. I would feel so bad that I would want to know the person who wrote the piece but at a point when I realised it wouldn’t just stop , it just didn’t bother me any more. I am who I am and whoever knows me know who I am. It has not affected my career in any way and I am consoled by the fact that God knows the truth.

There was a rumour some time ago that you fought with Cossy Orjiakor in public and got yourselves stri*ped? 
That was a very big lie but then what do I do. I heard it but had to overlook it because that was a very big lie. Even at the end of the day, the person that wrote the story came to apologise to me. The journalist said she just wanted to make noise. For me, it’s a bygone, I wouldn’t do that with anyone let alone Cossy. Cossy is my friend. I never had a fight with even my enemy.
The report was trying to paint a picture that you and Cossy were in competition with each other over whose b**bs are bigger and finer… 
(laughing): I never knew that. I think I am hearing that for the first time. Cossy is my friend. We never quarrelled even during the time we lived together. At a time, she was staying with me and later moved into her own house. When some people see two people being friends they just imagine things and write stuffs about them. Me and Cossy are still friends till date.
Can you marry a married man like some of your colleagues in the industry are doing? 
Oh, what a question! I wouldn’t marry a married man because the man is married. I can only marry such a man if he is divorced. If the man is divorced he is no longer married, then I can marry him with or without children. There is nothing wrong in a man having children. If the person is nice and we are compatible, why not? I don’t mind
So, what will attract you to a man?
First, the man has to be very humble, God-fearing and truthful. I don’t see why two people in a relationship should lie to each other. I like people to always tell me the truth regardless of the situation. I think that is the major thing that attracts me to a man. I like surprises. Instead of telling me things to elevate yourself let me find out and be surprised. I love men who are humble.
What do you first consider before picking up a role?
The story. I love good story-lines. If the story is not so good I can call the producer and make suggestions because I am a writer too. If the person doesn’t want to take corrections I could drop the script. I really love doing something very interesting. It is not all about money all the time, sometimes, it is just about giving people something to remember you by.
What’s your idea of s*x generally. How often should it be done?
I think s*x is good when someone is married. You know, you do it without fear of committing a sin or committing adultery. s*x is something every couple , married couple, should do, probably, everyday, I don’t know, probably every time they are moved to do it.
s*x has the real pleasure when you are doing it without any form of fear. I’m not saying unmarried people should not engage in s*x because there is nothing I will say that will make them stop but somebody like me, every time I do it I always feel bad that I’m sinning against God. Even before s*x I feel frigid because there is always that looming fear that I’m not doing what is right. That is for me, I don’t know about any other person. If I’m married to the man then I will feel very free and enjoy it very well.
You and Elvis Lamptey, a Ghanaian producer, you are reportedly dating, what went wrong, they said you dumped him for another lover? 
Yeah, I have never reacted to that story! Who will believe me if I say I don’t know anybody called ‘Elvis Lamptey’. I don’t know how they came up with that, maybe because I went to Ghana to shoot a couple of films. Please, I don’t know anyone by that name. The only Elvis I know is Elvis Chuks, a Nigerian director and actor. He has been my friend for years and there has never been any romantic involvement between us.
When I read the story online, I was shocked. The only Elvis I know I haven’t seen for a long time. Even at that, I don’t feature in his film because we don’t even get to see each other. The last time, I saw him was at an event and he was like “Cynthia, where have you been all these years?”. That day he introduced me to the girl he wanted to marry.
The report said you dumped the Elvis Lamptey for one Udofia Ugoo, who is a US based entertainment promoter… 
(Cuts in): honestly, that is another big lie. I don’t know anybody by that name too. What is bad about the whole thing is that I am in a big relationship and if the man doesn’t know me very well, he might be thinking I am doing something else somewhere. It is not fair. It is very wrong for people to just concoct things that never happened and slam it online to tarnish your image and disturb your life. The only Udofia I know is Cornel, the publicist. I have never known any other person by that name.
You once dated a White guy and there was an interview where you said you regretted dating a White guy… 
(Cuts in) that was years ago. Did I ever say I regretted dating the guy? That was a long time ago and now that I am more mature I will say White guys are better. For one, they wouldn’t break your heart unnecessarily. If you want me to compare I will say White guys are better lovers because of their truthfulness.
What if we look at the difference between the two in bed. Which would you say is better?
(Laughing) oh, what a question! Well, it depends on how you go about it. A man is a man. I am not saying that Black men are not blessed naturally more than the whites. They seem to be more endowed but then it still depends on how you go about it. You can get whatever you want from the white man depending on how you go about it.
So, what are you working on now?
I am still working on a soap opera that will be finished soon. Five episodes have already been shot. Season one is already out, we are working on season two and three and we are planning to release them together. We are also planning another movie that will be screened in cinemas. I have a partner I am working with. Those are the ones I am doing on my own. I am also working with other producers on variety of jobs.

Supreme Court Affirms Death Sentence Of Wife Killer Cop

The death sentence passed on Usman Maigari, a former policeman, for killing his wife, Sa’adatu was on Friday upheld by the Supreme Court.
In her judgement, Justice Mary Peter-Odili held that the appellant’s appeal lacked merit.
“In conclusion, therefore, I have to state that this appeal lacks merit and I dismiss it. I affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeal which affirmed the decision, conviction and sentence of the appellant for culpable homicide punishable by death.
“I order that the sentence as passed by the trial High Court be carried out,” she said.
The appeal emanated from the Court of Appeal, Sokoto Judicial Division, after the appellant was arraigned before the Sokoto State High Court on a one count charge of culpable homicide and punishable with death, according to section 221(a) of the Penal Code.
On Feb 22, 2006, leave was granted to the respondent to amend the charge.
The appellant pleaded not guilty to the charge but the respondent called seven witnesses and tendered numerous exhibits to prove the case.

However, the appellant testified in his own defence and did not call any other witness.
The trial judge, Abbas, convicted the appellant and sentenced him to death by hanging, a sentence he was not satisfied with, making him approach the Court of Appeal which upheld the conviction and sentence.
The appellant kept his hope alive; he appealed the decision of the appellate court to the Supreme Court on May 13, 2010.
Maigari had approached the court to determine whether the Court of Appeal was right in holding that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He further prayed the apex court to determine whether the Court of Appeal had not considered his submissions before affirming his conviction.
The appellant committed the offence on Jan. 11, 1999, at his house in Yabo, Yabo Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Maigari had strangulated his wife to death for ritual and later conveyed her corpse and dumped it in a culvert near Janzomo Village along Kanjiji-Shagari road, in Sokoto state.

How This Beautiful Yoruba Actress Begged For Food On The Streets Of London

Nigerian-born radio presenter at Sky UK and Ireland, Abike Ade, in this interview, speaks on issues relating to her acting career, broadcasting, her late husband and other personal issues that many don't know.

Although her situation is better now, below is what she told Punch about her sad past:

How has it been working as a broadcaster in the United Kingdom?
It’s been very very challenging.

How challenging? What kind of stress you go through?
The challenges vary. It starts from building one’s image, keeping it up and getting better and better on a daily basis.

So, have you been able to build your image to a level you are satisfied with?
The stress starts from meeting up with the required standard from fans, individuals and at the same time keeping with my duties as a mother. I continue to work on my image as one is never satisfied. I strive to continue climbing until I reach my best. My best is yet to come.

How did you come up with the idea of presenting a Yoruba programme in London? How has the acceptance level been?Good question. I started with acting. In 1998, I lost my husband to armed robbers in Nigeria. Just a month before the death of my husband, a young talented Nigerian, Ayo Coker, approached me to work with his newly established radio station. The radio station was named ‘N’Power Radio. I never thought that I could present anything but Mr. Coker encouraged me by saying that he saw me in some movies and he thought I could present on radio. I embraced the opportunity and that was how I ventured into radio broadcasting.

How was your first day on the job?
I was then the first female to present a Yoruba programme cum adverts on radio before others joined. My first day was quite daunting and let me say ‘scary;’ but with the support of Mr. Coker, it went well. However, let me say that I voiced jingles most of the time then. The Nigerian community, mostly Yorubas, embraced the idea of presenting in Yoruba language. It was a sort of relief in terms of being able to express their concerns in their mother tongue and having someone listen to their needs out there.

Tell us more about the death of your husband.
Well, my husband was the CEO of Layon Printing Press in Kaduna. He won contracts to print execrcise books in almost all the states in Nigeria during the regime of Babangida. He was said to have been assassinated by armed robbers on his way from Kaduna to Lagos in October 1998. His name is Mr. Adeyemi Asha-Layon; he was from Igosun in Offa, Kwara State.

Fifteen years down the line, how have you been coping without him? Do the children talk about him?
Certainly, I miss him so much. With God all things are possible. I’m coping well enough. Of course, his children miss him so much and we cannot but talk about him. Even though he is deceased but he remains my world, my role model, a friend and a father and we will continue to miss him.

What exactly do you miss most about him?
His bluntness, honest, love and care for humanity

So why do you believe it was an assasination and not just a random armed robbery incident?
He was singled out from all the people in the car and nothing was taken from him.

So, he was not travelling in his private car?
Ade never used to travel alone. There are employees and friends with him. It’s been a while now but the vacum left behind, no one can fill.

So, how do you feel?
Awful, angry, annoyed, disappointed in our system.

For how long were you married?
We were married for nine years.

Why did you relocate to London? You started acting in 1998 and by now you would have been a big shot on the Nigerian movie scene.I did not relocate to London initially. My husband sent me here to study. Mind you, I was working with the then Nigerian Airways before my husband asked me to travel out to further my education in order to benefit his business. Yes I would have been a big shot in Nigeria by now but let me remind you that I was not into full acting while in Nigeria. I only did some acting while I was in school. I only started to act in movies in London and stage shows before I ventured into home video acting in 1995. I did not return back to Nigeria due to the fact that first, I lost my husband. He was my backbone. Second, I have nothing to come home to even though I have family members back home. I decided to stay here in Britain and start a new life.

Tell us the actors and actresses you featured with in Nollywood films.
I have been acting while I was in secondary school back in Nigeria. When I came to UK, I joined a group of stage actors. I featured in my first home movie in 1995, alongside Laja Adedoyin and Lanre Adegun. It was titled, ‘Abomination’. I played a lead role called Alero.

Of course, I played a romantic role, kissing and making love. Listen, it’s just a movie, so don’t attach too much importance to it.

My second movie was ‘Otito’, which featured Jide Kosoko and Baba Suwe. There was another video I acted in with Racheal Oniga and Pasuma. It was titled ‘Ileri Ayo’. I also featured in ‘Faithful Lover’ with Ramsey Noah and Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde.

Nobody ever asked me for sex before giving me a role because I’m never vulnerable. I’m not desperate to feature in movies, so there is no issue on that at all.

Why do you have a tatoo on your breast?
There is nothing wrong with having a tattoo on your body. It’s all about choice. Second, my own tattoo has something to do with my daughter and it’s personal. Therefore, I’m not talking about it and I have no regret having a tatoo on any part of my body. If you need to know, I do have more than one and it’s my choice, I love it.

Do you intend to remarry soon?

See What Mercy Johnson Said To Other Stars

Nollywood actress and mother of  one Mercy Johnson has challenged her fellow Nollywood actors and actresses to live beyond the glits and glamour.

The actress revealed this in an interview with a leading media outfit when she visited the Boys Correctional Centre, Oregun Lagos.

The Science of Intuition: An Eye-Opening Guide to Your Sixth Sense

Illustration: Brian Cronin

Some people think of intuition as a mystical power. Skeptics write it off as a matter of lucky guesswork. But scientists who study the phenomenon say it's a very real ability that can be identified in lab experiments and visualized on brain scans. Read on for gripping findings about your gut feelings, plus surprising ways to tune in to your body's signals and tap the inner powers of your mind.

Your Body

Research shows that our instincts often hit us first on a visceral level, telling us what we need to know well before our consciousness catches up. Here's what happens when your intuition gets physical.

Stress SOS

It's easy to tell something's afoot when your heart is pounding, you're drenched in sweat, and your stomach is tying itself in knots. But even if the shift in your pulse or perspiration is subtler, your intuition may still be trying to deliver a message.

Last year Barnaby Dunn, PhD, a scientist at the Medical Research Council in the UK, conducted a study in which he measured how accurately subjects could count their heartbeats during timed intervals. Then he asked them to play a game, turning over cards from four different decks and winning or losing money based on the cards they drew. What they didn't know was that the decks were rigged: Two had more high-value cards, and two were stacked with losers. As the subjects played, a sensor recorded changes in their heartbeats. After just a few rounds, the monitor showed a dip in players' heart rates whenever they went near certain decks. The body, not the mind, became aware of the difference in the decks first—and Dunn found that some individuals who'd been better able to measure their own heart rates performed better in the game overall.

Scientists at the University of Iowa had performed a similar study earlier, measuring the perspiration on people's palms. What they found: Players started generating stress responses to the bad decks—i.e., sweatier palms—within ten cards. Yet they didn't start suspecting that the decks were rigged until they'd turned over about 50 cards, and not until 80 cards were they able to fully explain how the decks were stacked. Their clammy hands were signaling suspicion long before their conscious minds made the connection.

Tune In: You may be able to better follow your heart (and your sweat glands) by practicing meditation. A 2005 study found that in meditators, brain regions associated with sensitivity to the body's signals and sensory processing had more gray matter. The greater the meditation experience, the more developed the brain regions.

Double Vision

Human eyesight might seem straightforward: The eye receives images, the brain processes them. But we actually have two vision tracks—one conscious, the other intuitive—and as a result, the eye sees far more than we generally realize. For instance, in a phenomenon known as blindsight, people who have gone blind because of brain damage can still navigate an obstacle course or identify emotion on a person's face, even though they can't consciously see it. Their intuitive vision track is receiving visual stimuli, even though their conscious vision track isn't; they know what's around them—they just don't know how they know.

Blindsight patients are an extreme example, but they illustrate a phenomenon everyone experiences: We absorb and retain visual information that doesn't penetrate our conscious mind. Joy Hirsch, PhD, director of the fMRI Research Center at Columbia University Medical Center, has shown that our brains react with anxiety to images of faces expressing fear—even when such images are flashed so quickly we have no idea we've seen them. "The amygdala, which plays an important role in emotional processing, activates in response to these pictures even when they're displayed for only 33 milliseconds—too fast to register in our conscious awareness," says Hirsch. This reaction stems from our earliest origins: When our ancestors confronted strangers, those who quickly discerned the newcomers' feelings and motives were more likely to survive.

Tune In: "We all process things that we're not consciously aware of—it's a feeling of knowing that uses an older brain structure," says neuroscientist Beatrice de Gelder, PhD, who researches blindsight. But because we're so dependent on our sense of sight, she says, we're not used to trusting our intuitive vision track. "If you find yourself in a situation that's making you feel nervous, you may have spotted a reason for concern without even knowing it," says Hirsch. "Pay attention to the sensation."

3 Ways to Keep Computer Screens from Ruining Your Eyes

Use the 20-20-20 Rule
We blink up to two-thirds less often per minute when looking at a screen, which can dry out our eyes, causing irritation. To help maintain a healthy level of moisture and reduce eyestrain, get in the habit of looking at something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds every 20 minutes.
--Mark Rosenfield, PhD, professor of clinical education at the State University of New York College of Optometry

Find Your Type Times New Roman may be your default font, but onscreen its curvy design with tiny tails on the ends of letters, called serifs, may slow word recognition and force you to stare harder and longer, contributing to eye fatigue. Fonts like Arial and Verdana, which have more space between letters, can make words appear crisper and easier to read from farther away, taxing your vision less.

--James Sheedy, PhD, director of the Vision Performance Institute at Pacific University College of Optometry Clean Your Screen Anytime we view an image up close, our eyes have to cross inward to bring it into focus. When screens are covered with fingerprint smudges, dust, and dirt, focusing becomes even more difficult and, over time, can strain eyes and lead to chronic headaches. Wipe your most-used screens daily with a microfiber cloth to get rid of grime.

--Peter Shaw-McMinn, assistant professor of clinical studies at the Southern California College of Optometry

PHOTOS: Ruggedman Attacks Ini Edo

Popular rapper, Ruggedman, who shot into the limelight by taking a swipe at Eedris Abdukareem, Maintain and others has again lambasted some of his colleagues who have kept quiet over their alleged false donations to the 'Save OJB Jezreel' campaign.

There have been reports and counter-reports that some celebs have made donations towards raising the needed N16million for the treatment of the music producer, which the organising committee in charge of the campaign has debunked.

There were reports that Ini Edo paid the sum of N2million, D'Banj (N7million), 2Face (N1.5million), Olamide (N1million) and Ice Prince (N500,000), which the committee claimed are not true.


Last weekend, it was also rumoured that due to the false reports about these donations, the Lagos State government reportedly withdrew its support towards the cause.

Worried by this development and the inability of the managers of these celebs involved in this matter coming out to clear the air on the issue, Ruggedman has vented his anger and has termed the above celebs as "liars".

"Mr celebrity, if u r mentioned as donating money to #saveojbjezreel n its false u r as bad as d liars if u dnt come out n clear it. Miss celebrity,if u r mentioned as donating money to #saveojbjezreel n its false u r as bad as d liars if u dnt come out n clear it." The rapper posted online.