Her dress sense at the just concluded Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) was outstanding and impeccable.
Actress Ojoma Sule became popular after starring in Real Housewives of Abuja (RHOAbuja), a TV reality show.
In this interview, more about this vivacious beauty also known as “Minister of Happiness” by her fans was revealed.
Could you tell us more about yourself?
My name is Ojoma Sule, but I’m popularly known as OJ Posharella, the Minister of Happiness, Real Housewives of Abuja. I grew up in Kaduna State. I am from Kogi and Benue states. My dad is from Kogi and my mum is from Benue. I grew up in Kaduna. I travelled abroad. My dad has a house in England.
Since you have a lovely voice, have you ever thought of broadcasting or singing as a career?
I have thought of it. These are the many things I should have done or I should do, or I can still do. But now, I do music as well and I have my singles. I started music a long time ago, almost 15 years ago. I did songs with Dagrin. Dr Prat was my producer. I had to give up music because I had to go and start a business so that I could stand taller as a woman. Music was my passion, but it kept eating me up. When the Real Housewives of Abuja platform came up, obviously it’s not scripted, I decided to go back to my passion because I felt I had secured myself enough.
Then I went back to music. I released my first single on all platforms, including Apple Music, on March 8, which was Women’s Day. I did a women’s anthem called “Power Woman.” It’s telling women that they don’t need any validation. It’s about celebrating women, telling them they are beautiful just the way they are.
Tell us about the movies you have done?
I’m a reality TV star, Real Housewives of Abuja, and I have done a movie called “Farm Boy” as well as “The Lot,” which is a political drama. It’s coming out soon. We have just done the cover shoot. It’s coming out on Netflix.
Who talked you into acting in the Real Housewives of Abuja?
I relocated to Dubai, but I was an Abuja person and was referred to as the Minister of Happiness. I’m recognized by everyone in Abuja and I guess they just checked my profile and they decided to beg me to just come on the show. I got persuaded by the producer of the show and I came back to Nigeria.
Tell us more about your role in Farm Boy?
The Farm Boy is an export movie, which speaks about our agricultural system in Nigeria. It’s a long story about a young guy whose father died suddenly and had a huge farmland. He was a modern-day guy who was not interested in going back to inherit a farm. What could he do? And he had me as his fiancee, and there’s this other lady, Zara, who was coming between us because she was going to buy off the land from my fiance. The Lot is a political drama and I was Mabel, a huge politician’s wife and stepmother to his son. I had to navigate the dynamics of palace politics and diplomacy.
Which was your first movie?
Farm Boy. The producer/director was Desmond Elliot and the executive producer was Monalisa Chinda. The second was The Lot. The third one is not yet out. Real Housewives of Abuja is a reality TV show. We have finished Season 1 of Real Housewives of Abuja.
What about your fans’ perception of you after the reality TV show?
People like me a lot. When my introduction came out, people really were there for me and my ratings were very high, highest on the Real Housewives of Abuja setting codes. People said I was stress-free, trouble-free, but for me, it’s reality TV, it should showcase your real nature.
So, I was kind. I didn’t speak ill of anyone in my diary sessions, but that didn’t stop them from coming after me because they felt people liked me too much and it couldn’t be real that a person can’t get angry or be negative. I’m a positive person in real life. I have really branded myself as the Minister of Happiness. For me, it’s positivity all the way. They couldn’t believe it; that’s how I realised the world is really toxic. Anything that I do, they make me feel I’m too good to be true. Anything I did, they said it was a lie. When they came into my house, they saw my house was nice, to the glory of God, but they said it was a lie, it was not my house. I don’t just understand, people shock me, but it’s okay. The thing is that everyone just saw that I was so kind, but the side of me people don’t know is that I’m really strong, nothing anybody can say gets to me because I have already moulded my mind. My mindset is positive, you cannot really bring me down.
Do you still live in Dubai or are you shuttling to Nigeria and back?
I shuttle. But now, I haven’t been going because, when I travel, I travel for very long. I’m not a two weeks or one month traveller. I’m an eight weeks traveller. After the Real Housewives of Abuja, my family was saying I should just stay and connect with the people here. I will travel soon, but come back because I won’t be away for very long again.
What’s your advice for ladies who want to succeed in entertainment and entrepreneurship?
For me, I stand in another light. I don’t identify as a baddy. So, I want to be a role model. I came to this world to be people’s role model because I want people to emulate good character. So, for the younger ladies, I want them to understand that all these flash and glam would go. I want them to live good and upright lives. Not all that glitters is gold. You need to identify who you are; stop copying and pasting people’s lives. People do that these days, whereas you don’t know what they do to generate what they have. The perception is, this is the person we need. For me, young ladies should look inward; whatever you do, set your goals, be God-fearing and work hard. Hard work really pays. The good part is, in this generation, if you can actually work smart, you don’t need to work as hard as I have worked. I am 41 years old and I know how I started. If they can apply smartness to their work, they can become who they want to be. For me, they should stay focused, stay original, change the narrative, be kind to everyone, and hope they will all have a wonderful life.
How has fame affected your lifestyle?
It doesn’t really affect me because there’s something about me, I guess. In 2004, I contested for Miss Nigeria. I was a runner-up and I was already known because Daily Times had blown us all over. Besides that, I had always wanted to be in my shell and do me, but the thing is, all my life, I have been treated as a celebrity, even when I travelled out. Sometimes, I even ask people, do they mistake me for someone else? Everyone thinks I am already famous. I am always treated like that. Whether I’m on TV or not, when I go to the market and other public places, a lot of people rush to see me, saying one kind thing about me or the other, you are very beautiful, etc. I don’t think that has changed at all. I hear Posharella, Real Housewives, that happens all the time.
But nothing really has changed. It’s the same thing.
Aside from entertainment, what else do you do?
Besides acting, I am the CEO of Posharella Group of Companies. I have some companies I call Posharella Designs, where I design my own handbags and clothes. I have Posharella Gems, where I deal in all kinds of jewellery, gold, diamond, silver and precious stones, and I have Posharella Beauty, my skin care company, which is my longest, for 11 to 17 years. I was one of Nigeria’s longest-running entrepreneurs into skin care in Abuja. We were just two or three when we started.