As Nollywood turns 20, the Chairman AMP Plateau State Chapter, Adetokunbo Azubuike talks about her n

As Nollywood turns 20, the Chairman Association of Movie Producers Plateau State Chapter, Adetokunbo Azubuike talks about her new movie, power play in AMP and more, enjoy.

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Adeyinka Adetokunbo Azubuike

What is Nollywood at 20 all about?

Nollywood at 20 is a way of celebrating those that have contributed immensely into movie industry and entertainment as a whole. It is not easy to bring people together as one body. So for Nollywood to have been together for twenty years, it deserves celebration and honour.

What role are you playing?

I am the chairman association of movie producer plateau state chapter and plateau state is under Northern region headed by comrade Abute he is the Northern coordinator and during our last meeting 7th of September which was held at Makurdi, Benue State I was nominated as the PRO protocol for the Nollywood at 20, that’s my role. The activities for Nollywood at 20 are in top gear, we will join our colleagues in Lagos to exhibit what we have in the Northern region.

What is happening in the Plateau State Chapter is it active?

What is happening on the plateau is part of growing up, we are learning. Apart from the AGN (Actors Guild of Nigeria) which has been on the plateau for some years, association of movie producers I will say Is just coming up now even if there was any before, it was not as active as it is now, because I came on board February 23rd this year 2013 and since I came up a lot of things have happened but in a place that a woman is been chosen to lead quite a number of men, you know it is not easy. Africans generally don’t appreciate women coming up to lead them , it’s just now we are trying to adjust to that so what is happening is one of those things that one should expect as a leader.

What is your plan for this association?

My plan for association of movie producer on the Plateau is to make it relevant, make it an association that people will wish to join and give it a new look, build an AMP where producers can put heads together and do something better as a family. And give the upcoming producers encouragement.

And how have you been received ever since you became the chairman?

(Laughs)Let me be sincere with you, it has not been easy, automatically anywhere you are and you don’t have people to antagonize you, pack your things and leave, that means you are not making impact. Some will want you some wouldn’t, It has been like that. If God chose you as a head, there is nobody that can bring you down. I will say it is God that placed me there and the same God has been there for me to sustain me.

But do you have any plan to unite everybody in the association?

Yeah, the only way to unite them is when they see that we are doing something different from what they were used to, something positive, when our achievements speak volume, people will come and join, nobody celebrates failure we all celebrate success, so when they see AMP succeeding on the plateau with all the plans and all the things we have on ground, they will come and join us.

What is Dark Rose project all about?

Dark Rose is a script I started writing over nine years ago, it’s a story of my life, my upbringing how I started, I became a business woman at the age of three years when I started selling fire wood, if my senior sister and I didn’t sell firewood we would not eat. It is a touching story. It is a story on child abuse. A story to encourage parents, there is nothing like unity in a home. My growing up wasn’t easy, I just want to encourage mothers to be more tolerant when it comes to the issue of marriage so that is what Dark Rose is all about. So when it comes out and parents watch, especially mothers they will have a rethink.

When are we expecting to see Dark Rose on our screen?

We have just finished the script conference. It is coming up both in Yoruba version (Ododo Dudu) and English version (Dark Rose). I started the story from Osun state down to Ghana and Badagry, those are the places we are going to use so that we can get the true picture of what really happened. I don’t want to tell the story on the peripheral I want the in-depth, I have to go back to Osun State, my home town, the compound where I grew, so we are going to use the same compound. This is my first big movie and by the special grace of God I pray it will cut across and send the message out the way I want it.

What is your take on Senator Yerima’s child bride preference?

Marriage is not for boys and girls, marriage is for men, so when you carry a girl of 13 years or 14years and you put her under your roof as a wife, when that child begins to grow up, the psychological torture of watching her mates who still run errands... you know going to the market and fetching water for their parents... it’s a shameful thing for a senator to make such pronouncement. I don’t think any right thinking mother would give out her daughter at that age to a man that is nearing his grave.

Is there any actress or actor in Nollywood that you admire?

I admire the likes of Stephanie Okoreke, Omotola Ekehinde , Zack Orji, Alex Osifo, aunty Joke Silver and daddy Olu Jacob, quite a number of them and Amaechi Muonagor is my uncle, I still look up to him as a mentor.

What is your philosophy in life, your motto?

Do your best and leave the rest and no one will give you the chance to get to the top so you just have to fight your way to the top don’t stay at the bottom.