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By Vivian Onyebukwa
Ehigiamusoe Elizabeth Ngozi, popularly known as Ehiliz, is a gospel minister, TV talk show presenter, and the convener of the ‘Ehiliz Support Initiative’, a non-governmental organisation (NGO).
The initiative is primarily focused on supporting youth, especially the handicapped, orphans, or those that cannot afford house rent or school fees. Recently she was honoured and unveiled by friends for her contribution to society’s development. Her TV programme, Vivid View with Ehiliz, which has existed for 11 years, is a social re-orientation programme aimed at promoting moral, peace, love, patriotism and commitment in Nigerian youths.
What is Ehiliz Support Initiative all about?
All my programmes are actually geared towards the youths. I love youths so much. The initiative is actually to help some of them who are a little bit handicapped. Some of them lost their parents at an early stage. Some of them cannot pay their rents or school fees. I also give some of them jobs in my own company or my husband’s company. This is what I am doing to ensure that the youths are being empowered, because I feel that, like they say, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. If we engage them in meaningful activities, they will think less of robbery, kidnapping, yahoo yahoo and all those ills. So, that has actually been my desire, and I am achieving it gradually.
Tell us more about your TV programme and music
For my TV programme, I also address the youths by talking to their subconscious mind to pursue peace in all ramifications. That’s actually my vision. I’ve been doing that gradually for 11 years quietly with my husband supporting me. I want more people to support me so that we can reach more people. The TV programme is like a classroom, and I would get a guest who would discuss the topic. Then the audience would also ask questions because it is audience-driven.
In my music career, I released my first album in 1994 which is over 30 years now, and I’m still working. My latest single is called “Yakata”.
What genre of music do you play?
I play Christian music. I’m a gospel artist. Some of my songs are reggae, highlife and all that. So I’m not singing a particular music, but they’re all gospel. I can only praise God.
Have you encountered any challenges?
There’s nothing you can do without challenges. Some of the challenges are, sometimes even getting the audience to be present when I’m recording. Another challenge is even sponsorship. I ask my husband very often to help me because I don’t want the programme to be out of hand. One of the challenges I faced was the very first place I paid for two years to build my studio. After two years, the owner of the place, a woman, ejected me for no reason and I had to start all over again. But the good thing is that, by last year, we bought a house and God gave me my own personal studio. That’s where I am now, behind Lagoon Hospital.
Why do you see the need to come out now with all the things that you are doing?
It is because sometimes it looks as if what we are doing is like somebody pouring water on a stone. We are talking about morals, and you see children still behaving anyhow. It looks as if we are not doing enough, but I know that we are. That’s why I just let them come out so that more people can benefit from what I’m doing. There are testimonies of how God changed them through my programmes, and I’m glad to hear that. So I want to come out, as Jesus Christ said we should preach the word. I’m a Christian. I’m preaching the word in different ways I can. I preach the word through my TV show, Vivid View, and through my music.
How impactful has it been so far?
Yes. There’s a young man that wanted to hang himself, and he listened to my music titled, “Come back to Jesus”. One of my solos was, ‘Once a time, I was living in sin. But one day I met my Lord Jesus. And now I have a new life’. So while listening to the music his neighbour decided to change the music to play a different one. But then the boy just went to his neighbour and asked her to continue to play it over and over again. The woman refused saying she had played the music over and over again. The boy asked her to follow him to his house. The woman followed him and discovered that he already hung a rope on a ceiling fan to commit suicide. This is because he attended a university, joined a cult group and his parents were not happy with him. He was actually rusticated from school, so loneliness and depression overwhelmed him.
In the next five to ten years, where do you see this initiative?
It would have blossomed. It will have touched more lives. That’s my plan, desire and my aspiration. Everything I’m doing is to expand it. I know that if by special grace of God, I have more support, I will really touch more lives. It’s not only youths. We would always visit orphanage homes every year, at least to put smiles on the faces of people. Also, let there be peace. That is what I preach.
Is it only in health, education that you talk to the youths, or do you do it in all ramifications?
Yes, in all ramifications. Some people are sick. I pay their bills in the hospitals. I have to even bury a dead father or a dead mother. Yes, I assist as much as I can. Once I’m really convinced that this is true, I give my assistance.
Do you know the number of those that you have assisted so far?
Since I started, I don’t think 3,000 will be enough. Honestly. I have been doing that many times. This year alone, I’ve been able to touch about 100 lives since January to this time.
What’s your advice for the rich who are laid back when it comes to being philanthropic?
I have actually been appealing to their conscience, even through my TV programme, to come out and help. Let them not focus on their children alone, because if they don’t do that, these ones living under the bridge would disturb them. Their numbers are increasing. So I have actually been making that appeal to our big brothers and sisters that have the money to come out and assist the needy instead of using it for things that are not relevant, buying jets running into millions of Naira. Meanwhile they have some people that they can set free from their problems so that we too will be happy. If we allow these boys and girls living under the bridge, some of them will do many things that are not right, and they will overwhelm the good ones.
What do you have to say to the government?
It’s the same thing I always tell them. Government will always take the lead. Let the National Orientation Agency (NOA) do more in their advocacy and advice. I can see now, they are coming up. I must confess that. There were times when NOA was actually dead. So if they continue with that kind of advocacy, advice, calling on people, it would help. I think they are talking about the Nigerian citizen code. If we continue, we will start getting to the ears of our youths and things will start changing.
What are your final words for the youth?
My advice to the youths is to be an agent of change, positively, not negatively. They are being influenced negatively more, but I’m asking them now to think because of their own children. I’m already a senior citizen of Nigeria because I’m above 60 years, but we are leaving the world in their hands. My advice to them is to see what they can do to curb some of these ills and vices around, and do the right thing. Be focused, and then Nigeria will be a better place for everyone to live in.
