By Chinelo Obogo
For Mursty Adinoyi, producer of HitList ‘N’ Cruzin, an entertainment programme on AIT, before Nigeria could perfectly and accurately tell her stories, terrestrial television must be strong and viable.
In this interview, Adinoyi, who won four awards within a month, said that the multiple honours are the fruits of the hard work of what he started 15 years ago.
How has HitList ‘N’ Cruzin been able to survive this long?
I was working with Africa Independent Television (AIT) when we had a meeting with Aunty Tosin Dokpesi, wife of the late founder, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi. At the meeting, she said that if we could come up with good marketable programmes, her husband was ready to give us airtime. So,
I came up with a cooking programme. But after a while, I thought that the best was not just to have a programme on TV, but also to be able to market it.
That meeting gave me the inspiration to come up with ideas. I later asked for transfer to Lagos hoping that I was coming to start another programme, HitList ‘N’ Cruzin on my own. I give God the glory that we started it. Television Continental (TVC) happened to be the first TV station that gave us airtime, before we began to expand to other stations, and 15 years on, we are still with TVC.
When you have a good dream, it’s important to have the right associates. A tree cannot make a forest, my wife whom I often refer to as an angel, gave 100% in all for me. Mr Adeola Amusat and Mr Yinka Adebayo embraced this idea of celebrating Nigerians the way we do on HitList ‘N’ Cruzin and ensured that marketing was fine.
What’s your view on the level that Nigeria’s entertainment industry is today?
I give kudos to terrestrial TV, to entertainment programmes that promote musicals. Let’s not forget that it all started from AIT. High Chief Dokpesi provided the airtime, both on Ray Power and AIT for local content and several entertainment programmes. Many independent productions emerged and gave rise to new generation of musicians that began to strive. That initial investment is the result we are seeing today. I am happy because this is the best everybody prays for. When it comes to entertainment in Africa, we are number one and it can only get better.
How were you able to win many awards within a short period?
We got four awards within a month and the glory belongs to God. Don’t forget, we have had 15 years of consistency and dedication. I guess it’s time for us to say, ‘yes, people are happy with what we are doing’, and what we need to do is to keep getting better.
What’s your advice for young entertainers?
Nigeria’s future is in their hands. They must have the fear of God, work on their character because life has many opportunities for them and it is their character that will sustain such opportunities.
Be good. Do unto others what you want them to do unto you. Respect your elders, work hard and be sincere in your business dealings. Be positive about Nigeria, it will get better. Open your mind for opportunities and when they come, take it and then don’t let pride take you down. Be humble at all times and believe in positive things.
Take negativity out of your life and be as good as you can. The future is in your hands. Africa needs you; Nigeria needs you. So, focus on good things. Pray like you are not working and work like you are not praying. That’s what I feel every youth should have in mind.
nd more so when the General Secretary told them that I have since submitted documents that I was not going to re-contest.
The reason for this is that my personal business is growing and I need time to pay more attention to it. But when I found out that members were almost fighting each other to make me re-contest, I decided to put my personal business aside, believing that the interest of PMAN is greater than my personal interest.”
The Sun had observed how Pretty Okafor was practically dragged into the hall by some teary-eyed state chapters chairmen who refused to sit down until he announced his decision to re-contest.
Speaking on why members of the association wanted him back as president, Okafor stated: “There was no contest in the real sense of it as my return was more of an adoption than an election. I think the reason they decided to bring me back as PMAN president was because of my achievements over the years. They were all surprised that nothing like this has ever happened in PMAN. For PMAN to have a solid structure, radio station and other businesses like hotels was a big surprise to them. So, it was hard for them to let me go.”
Other elected members of the PMAN National Executive Committee were Sunny Neji (1st Vice President), Zaaki Azzay (2nd Vice President), Baba J.F.O (Treasurer), Michael ‘Ruggedman’ Stevens (Chairman, Media Committee/Ex officio), Boniface Itodo aka Aitabonny (General Secretary), and Fada Bem Paul aka Bempee (Assistant General Secretary).
Just before the conference, foremost female drummer, Aralola Sherifat Olamuyiwa popularly known as Ara, was appointed as the Governor of Lagos State chapter of PMAN.
While presenting Ara with the certificate of appointment, Okafor said her choice to lead the Lagos State chapter of PMAN was informed by her work ethic and appeal to the cross-generational demography of artistes.
In her remarks, Ara said her focus would be to make the state become more vibrant, while creating awareness on the significance of PMAN to the Gen Z generation and every other artiste yet to join the association.