For almost a year, thespian, Halima Abubakar was out of circulation. In this interview, she talks about her health, the mystery surrounding her surgery and what she has been up to of recent.
You were out of circulation for a while, what you have been up to?
I just finished shooting my movie titled Blood Battle. It featured Zack Orji, Babara Soky, Lilian Esoro, Uche Elendu and a host of others. It was directed by Nelson Jumbo from Uche Jumbo’s Studio.
Producing for the cinemas seem the deal for producers now; do you presently have a movie in the cinemas?
Yes, my movie ‘Once Upon A Family’ is in the cinemas. It features me, Mercy Johnson, a lot of Ghanaian actors and it was directed by Pascal Amanfo. I also have a movie called ‘Back Secret’ staring myself, Femi Jacob and several other people.
It won’t be wrong to say that you have done a lot of work in a short?
Yes. I even had to go to Accra for the premiere and eventual cinema release. So we are getting set for the Nigeria premiere and release too. It’s also coming to the cinemas, so people should watch out. There are still going to be more films from my production outfit.
Three movies to you credit in what seems like the snap of a finger, when did you start work on the projects?
That was in November 2017.
How do you explain shooting three movies within such a short while?
Well, I was just away for nine months and in the nine months even while I was in pains, I shot ‘Once Upon A Family’ in Accra.
So you were working while out of circulation that seems impossible?
Yes I was working. I had to work.
Was any of the movies based on a true life story, perhaps the story of why you went out of circulation?
Of course, it can’t be my story; just two out of the movies are mine. The rest are for others and they are not based on my story.
Are your fans going to ever see a movie based on your story?
The story will come out in the future when I am married with kids.
Would the story be of your nine months off the movie radar?
It would be of my life. It is going to encompass a whole lot, things that a lot of people don’t know. Basically, it is going to be of my life.
Your reason for being out of circulation was a fibroid surgery, but there were insinuations of other things, how did you feel?
You know how people are. They like negative news, they encourage it, and they dwell on it. They don’t like happy news, they love negative news. They are born negative, so because of that they can’t change. When they wake up and that is the first thing they want to do because it is in their DNA. So we can’t change that.
Will you tell us what really happened to you?
I was ill. It’s not something out of the world, I was ill that’s it. Whatever they have been circulating, they have been circulating for themselves. It was fibroid, I heard a lot of stories, but I was like its okay. I wish you what you wish me.
Tell us some of the stories you heard, will you?
They were the same stories that you also heard. People just talk and they like cooking up stories for their own entertainment.
There were also stories of a surgery gone bad, was this true?
A surgery can never go bad in my life. Like I said, people just talk and they like to cook up stories for their own entertainment. Hopefully, they were amused because they have been seeing me doing the things that I have been doing and posting. I have been working hard.
Tonto Dikeh was one of the people who really stood by you, what is your relationship like today?
We are sisters. We have been sisters for the past eleven to twelve years.
Who were the other people who stood by you during the challenging times?
Her Excellency the First Lady of Kogi state also stood by me, my colleagues were by me, everybody was by me.
Your industry is not known for supporting its practitioners, but yours was an exception, why is this?
Because I wasn’t asking for donation I guess. That is one of the reasons. I appreciate every attempt, every support, and every love.
So there weren’t any attempt to raise money for you?
No. Not from me. I couldn’t have done that.
Were there rejections during your trying times?
Of course there were rejections. I am very realistic, there are people who like you and there are those who don’t. Those whose ego didn’t allow them to identify; I am not going to blame them because everybody has their own problems, but they can’t tell you I can’t be there for you because I have my own problem.
At a point in time, some not too palatable pictures of you were released by Tonto Dikeh, what happened?
I allowed that pictures to come out. It wasn’t like my friend just posted the picture. I okay it, people rising up to bash her for releasing the picture was just crazy.
Most people find out that they have fibroid while trying to get pregnant, was that your case?
It had been disturbing me and I had to take care of it. I don’t need to go into details. I have already said too much.
How fit are you now, as a fiddle?
Yes.
What has been happening to your foundation?
We are taking some of our events to Kano state because Kano state should have a feel of it too. I do charity in Kogi state, but I want to do personal hygiene for young girls in Kano state, those approaching puberty. I am going to be working with the widows next week because I couldn’t do it on my birthday because I was working. We would see what we can do to help them and that is my contribution to humanity.
How long have you been doing this?
I have been doing it for 13 years. Halima Abubakar Foundation (HAF), has been in existence for the past 13 years.
How do you finance your foundation via donations?
Nobody donates anything to me. When I do a movie, I take a little from the profit and give out. I am a Muslim, it’s just like tithe, but we call it Zakat.
Let’s talk about your style, what inspires it?
I don’t know about fashion. I just wear clothes, if it fits, it fits. I don’t sit down and think about what I am going to wear. If people name me among the stylish people, it is amazing to me because that wasn’t the plan though; the plan is just to look good.
You enjoy the good things of life, how easy do they come?
I run a business where we deal with fashion accessories such as sunglasses; we have had it in Kano state for over eight or nine years. It’s online now so you can have access to it.
How expensive are your brands?
They are not expensive, but I don’t have a twenty or thirty thousand Naira sunglasses.The least is fifty thousand, but the most expensive is what I can’t say. It could be on and on depending on the brand.
Let’s talk about growing up, how was it?
My growing up was a challenging one, but I was the one challenging myself anyway. I was so stubborn, but I thank God I eventually turned out well. I wonder what would have happened if I had taken another road.
You started acting early, tell us about it?
I started acting at an early age; I started acting at the age of 14.
Your age has always been a subject of controversy, how do you feel about it?
I grew up in the public eye and when people are calling out my age and others are saying she is not that age, I just laugh at them because ignorance is a disease. When I started acting at 14, how old will I be now?. I have an elder sister who was born in 1977, I have an elder brother who is late, he was born in 1979 and that is my elder brother and I have another one who is late before me. When people are counting my age and they don’t believe it, I feel okay. Maybe it’s the stress of life’s struggle or the way I carry myself that is making me look more mature. I don’t think that the way you carry yourself as a woman should add to your age. But its okay, they are wishing me well and I am grateful for whatever age they are giving to me. But coming to my page to say something unpalatable is not going to move me or remove one hair from my body or reduce my wig by one inch.
You said you were stubborn, tell us about those days
I used to jump fences when I was in school. I used to climb the fence when the mosquitoes or heat is too much. Sometimes, I wake up and I am feeling like I am seeing something. It is not an exaggeration. I would wake up and say that I saw something and wake the whole Blue House up. I was so popular in Blue House in Kastina then, everybody knew me and they had to change me to Yellow House.
What school was that?
It’s in Mani, Government Girls College in Mani. My dad had to take me to Kogi state. There, I went to Unity Secondary School where I had the same behaviour, so my dad had to bring me to Lagos state. I came to Lagos state briefly, but I couldn’t stay. I had to go to Kano and ended up in Army Day Secondary School where I finished my secondary school. From there, I went to Bayero University, I studied Sociology, by then I was already grown. I had my diploma there. I studied Social Policy and Administration at Bayero University.
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