The last time we met Stella Damasus Aboderin was in 2004. She was so sweet and lovable that we asked for a special hug. The product of that meeting-an interview which we later learnt caused some form of disaffection between her and the family of her late husband.

But Stella told SAMUEL OLATUNJI last Thursday at her Lekki residence that all is well between her and her late husband's family. 'I danced with Tunde and Wunmi at Ali Baba's wife birthday' she told us among other things. She opened up like never before and was at home during this two hours marathon chat. It is exclusive!

When I spoke with you all through yesterday you said you were in a bank. It seems you are fast turning into a business woman.
I've always been a business woman. The thing is when I do my business outside of movie industry, I don't shout. Nobody knows what I do. I went to about three banks and the meetings had to do with my proposal for the television programme that I'm working on. I had presentation to make. That was what took up my whole of yesterday (last Wednesday). And I had an interview at Lagos Business School for a programme I want to do.

What are you doing at LAGOS Business School ?
I'm not allowed to tell you until they accept me.

What is your television programme all about?
It is called Stella Damasus' Show. It's going to look like reality TV programme, it's going to center around me and different things that I do. it also has charity side to it. It is going to be about discussion and a very light-hearted one. It is not the normal straight-jacketed talk show. My dream is not just about a television programme, my dream is to own my own TV Station. By the grace of God I want to set up a school as well.

Do you have the skill required to television programme?
As a Theatre Art student, one of the things they taught us was television presentation. We did media presentation at UNILAG. I spent five years there to acquire necessary skills. I've been in front of camera for God knows how long. I feel more comfortable in front of a camera than out of it. You will notice that most of these events that you see celebrities, you don't see me there. It is simply because I'm a very shy person. If I don't have anything outside I don't go.

I learnt you are doing music now. What kind of songs are you working on?
Inspirational songs. I'm not a vulgar person.

So, we won't get to hear about 'Kokolet'.
(Laughter), I don't sell Kokolet. For music should be sound that is pleasant to the ears. It has to beautiful. If you read up on music, you will realise that your music must have rhythm and in the process must make sense. Aside, it has to have a message and your message must cater for a particular audience. I don't let them watch Channel O here except when the children are not at home. I don't want my children to be exposed to all those open bodies at early age. I don't want to be on television and parents would tell their children to go inside. So, my music is universal. It must be able to cater for family because I'm a family oriented person.

How many songs do you have yet?
I've done four and I keep changing them because I'm yet to be satisfied. There is one lovers' rock, country music, rhythm and blues and so on.

Who wrote the songs?
My late husband wrote two of them and the other two were writing by Sammie Okposo and Onome and Stella, based in America.

You are a fashion designer, actress, singer, compere, and now television presenter. What else?
(Laughter), I'm a dancer too.

Why is your hand in every pie?
Everything is together. For you to be able to study Theatre Art and come out in flying colours means you can handle a lot of things. It is all under same umbrella. There are some people that God gives total package.

So, you are God's total package.
God has package me totally.

You stopped your clothing line, Mon Afrik after your husband died. Why?
A lot of things stopped after my husband died. When that happened, I realized that my life changed. I became a single parent all of a sudden. I had to deal with school fees, rent and accommodation. So many things came to me at the same time. It became a matter of priority. I went through lots of emotional and psychological trauma; you don't just plunge into work.

It takes you time to stabilize mentally, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually. It is a lie when someone says after a year or two you should get yourself back. Losing one's husband kills you. If not that I had children I wouldn't have been able to survive that. Everyday I see my children; I tell myself that I don't have an excuse. I must take care of them. You will wake up to realize that you are on your own.

The last time we met in 2004, you told me that anytime you car breaks down you just call your husband. And he gets you home and gets someone to fix it. Whom do you call now?
Myself. Anytime the car breaks down I just find a way to fix it even if the mechanic is cheating me. You become vulnerable, you are not secure. One of the things that marriage does is it provides sense of security and belonging. When there is an absent of that, it becomes a difficult thing to handle.

Why did you take part in the movie, Yankee Girls?
That is another story entirely. The producer came to me after they had finished the movie and said he wanted me to shoot eight scenes for him. He said they needed to add my face to it. I said I don't need to come around because there are stars in the movie already. But he said it is a marketing strategy and that every star her fan base. He said if he puts three of us, the movie would attract huge sales. Those people are very sharp. I didn't meet any of those people on set because they had finished shooting their own part. And the money was not bad. Somebody was offering the same amount you charge for lead role for playing eight scenes. The story was not bad too but sometimes what you read is a bit different from comes out. People end up blaming the actors and I don't know how that is our faults. We cannot know the outcome of a script. We are not stupid to deliberately take a bad script. If you want to criticize an actor, criticize him for his acting ability not for the film because he is not the owner of the film. The review I had was mixed.

Which of your movies do you like the most?
I like Behind Close Doors, Game Women Play, Missing Angels and Bridesmaid, Charles (Novia) does good movies. And Dangerous Twins is a good movie too.

Why are you always portrayed as a lovable person in movies?
Our industry is not one that likes to take risk. When they (producers) see that people like your bad boy role, they don't want to give you the role of a good boy.

What's you view on Emeka Mba marketing strategies?
You cannot run a successful industry without structure. You cannot run a successful business without facts and figures, its not possible. Like he rightly said, if anybody comes to the country today and demands some information about the industry, how do we account for that? I've read the minutes of the meeting Emeka Mba had for the past one year. They invited me for the last one they had in London but I couldn't attend. The Americans wanted to invest about eighty billion because they are literarily shocked at the rate of our growth and development. They were highly shocked at how the world has grabbed Nollywood.  Continued    Source: SAMUEL OLATUNJI