Call her Margaret Thatcher of
Nollywood and you will not be
accused of any wrong. In deed,
in most of the roles she plays in
the movies, she comes across as
a no-nonsense woman. But then,
many wouldn’t believe that she is
direct opposite of the ‘wicked’
character she often potrays on
screen.
A day with Patience Ozokwor at
her residence in Enugu revealed
the actress popularly known as
Mama Gee as a devoted Christian
and dedicated prayer warrior
who would not hurt a fly. The
widow and mother of four
children was a reporter`s delight
as she kept the tape rolling
throughout the exclusive
interview session. She
categorically told The Entertainer
that though men do pester her
for marriage as old as she is, she
has decided not to remarry.
Ozokwor, however, maintained
that if she comes to this world
again, she would choose her
husband by herself. The actress
bared her mind on a wide range
of issues. Here are some of the interviews;At the beginning of your career,
did anybody try to discourage
you?
My senior sister tried to
discourage me, but every
member of the family said ‘forge
ahead’. My husband was actually
sick at that time, and her only
reason was that people would
think that I had abandoned my
husband. But I said that’s how I
get the money to maintain him;
to go to the hospital. The
children had grown when I
entered the industry so they
usually take him to the hospital
when I was on location. I made
out time to be with him in the
hospital too.
Why are you always acting a
wicked mother-in-law?
I only try to expose the ills in the
society through my actions, that
is why I do it to the best of my
knowledge. If you do it flimsly
people will not understand you,
but if you do it deeply people will
really know and those who are
involved know themselves now.
People are changing, some
young girls are even learning to
stay with their mothers-in-law,
they have discovered that their
mothers-in-law don’t like them,
they are discovering what they
do wrong and what their
mothers-in-law do wrong, some
are trying to bring them to
balance. So, that is the essence of
what I do and I will not hesitate
to do it because the message is
passed and people understand it.
If you ask them now they will tell
you ‘she is not like that but she is
only exposing evil and
wickedness in our society’ and I
have to expose wickedness to
the best of my knowledge.
Now that your husband is late
how do you handle sexual
urge?
I don’t even remember sex. I
have the right to remarry but I
don’t want to. So, why think
about it. It is when you set your
mind at it that you begin to
desire it. I have erased it from my
mind. When I see young people
in love calling themselves ‘honey’,
I just ignore it and move on. I
don’t even remember sex
because God has made me to be
very busy. I am attending one
function or the other. Even if I am
in a relationship with a man, the
man won`t feel much of me
because I am very busy. Look at
some young girls who are
married, they don’t give enough
time to their families, how much
less an old woman like me. By
God`s grace I am very busy. You
can’t even bring it, once you
bring it I cut you off.
What about lesbianism, there’s
a rumour sometime ago that
you’re going out with some
girls?
I heard it too but nobody has
ever tried it with me. Nobody has
ever asked me to do it with her,
so I wouldn’t know. Where are
the young girls? Let them
mention their names, who are
they? Did you see any one in my
house? Maybe because they don’t
see me with men they thought I
do women, no. For the fact that I
play roles to expose the evil
doesn’t mean I partake in it. No,
that is just acting. I am a
Christian and I don’t do such
things. I will never ever try it. I
can never do it. If I see
somebody doing it, I will
confront the person, some of
them will tell you that I have
confronted them. I used to tell
them ‘if you are doing it, desist
because it will send you to hell’.
You are a grandma, do men still
toast you?
Yeah! Mmmh yes.
What is your experience like,
how do you handle your male
admirers?
I just tell them we can just be
friends. I don’t drink, I don’t take
alcohol, so we just chat and
that’s all. I know my friends, they
don’t even go into all that. They
are serious-minded. You know
the kind of friends you keep will
make you have the urge to have
sex. When I know I don’t have
the power because of my
religion. I don’t have the power
to sleep with any man. I don’t
even think about it. When people
come up with it, I order them to
stop, I don’t want it. If I tell you
to stop and you didn’t stop. I will
just cut you off. I will not pick
your calls anymore.
Do they go to the extent that
they want to marry you?
When they see that you don’t
want to sleep with them they
would say ‘okay, let me marry
you’. And then I don’t want to
remarry. I have a right to stay o