I no longer miss Timaya...Plus why I can't marry a poor man –Empress Njamah

Timaya                                                                                                 Empress

Controversial and curvy actress, Empress Njamah in this explosive chat insisted she no longer misses her ex lover, Timaya. She also gave reasons she cannot date or marry a poor man among other germane issues. Enjoy the encounter.


We would like to know what Empress Njamah has been up to lately?

I have been up to a lot of things actually. Currently, I am running House of Emress Beauty Spa and it hasn’t been easy. It has been taking a lot of my time, but of course I did not cheat on my profession. Once in a while, I try to see what I can do for Nollywood, which is what I have been known for.

Have you been in any movie this year?

Of course, I did one last month and I’m supposed to be in another one pretty soon.

How about plans of producing your own movie, do you have that in mind?

I’ve actually done a movie for myself and I’m yet to do more because I’m trying to settle for other better things coming my way. I’m working on something next year but, I hate to let the cat out of the bag until it eventually happens.

Why the choice of a beauty spa?

Well, I’m very adventurous. I’m very crazy as well and I actually do a couple of crazy things. I experiment with them and I try to see how it comes out.  I’m not a vogue person; I’m really not this person who tries to wear what is in vogue and all that. I effortlessly try to put up a statement and people are like “okay Empress, I think you can do this, I think you can do that” and I get so surprised. I am only trying, if I try and it works for me, I let it stay and I try something new.

So, how long have you been running House of Empress?

House of Empress is about four years professionally. Before then, it’s been a bit “cracky”.  Of course, you need to get your clienteles and other stuffs before embarking fully on the project. I’m so happy about House of Empress right now.

You said you’re a crazy person, what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

Someone asked me that question yesterday and for the first time, I couldn’t spontaneously answer.  I don’t think I can put a finger to the craziest thing I’ve ever done. Because I do a lot of crazy things, I’m just crazy. So, I don’t know your own definition of crazy. People could come and say the craziest thing Empress has done is wear blue hair, but that’s not the only thing I have done with my hair. I’ve done grey hair, I’ve done blue hair. I’ve done so many others and of course a lot of people know me with that. It’s crazy to them but it’s not crazy to me, it’s normal to me. So maybe your craziness might be my normal stuff.

So how far can you go with being crazy?

As far as it does not put me in trouble, I can do anything.

But lately you’ve been on peoples’ lips for so many scandalous things even with your nude pictures on net, are these part of your being crazy?

That’s part of the craziness.  The naked picture of me you saw online was just a photoshop and it went viral. But honestly, I bother-less about things like that. Anyone who is learned enough will know that’s a photoshop, that’s like the least thing I should bother about. Computer age and people are just being bored, so they cook something up.

Who is the real Empress Njamah, aside the crazy one people are used to?

A lot of people don’t know I’m a very homely person and I love to cook. That is why it isn’t good to judge a book by its cover; you need to get close to me before you know I’m a homely person. I don’t let this out but I am also a shy person. I hate to drive in Lagos at nights; you guys don’t know that part about me too. I’m based in Abuja and life there is quite different.

Are you romantic?

I am romantically romantic because the way I am talking to you now it is in a very romantic way. But your definition and mine may not be the same. I am a Scorpio maybe that should tell you a lot.

Lots of Nollywood stars are getting endorsements from notable brands, are you not good enough to join the league?

Everybody knows I am a good actress. I am not a square peg in a round hole. I am not everywhere, I don’t know if you understand. I am busy in my closet trying to experiment on one thing or the other that would stand for me.

Actually, lot of brands have talked to me but if it does not go well with my calendar, sorry my dear, I can’t do it.

 There are so many years to come with more opportunities which of course maybe when I’m settled with House of Empress and what I’m doing.

 You know how endorsement works; it virtually takes much of your time and I need to do my thing. I’m not saying if anyone comes I’m not going to accept but it has to tally with my schedule. I travel out of the country every month. In fact, I live in the air, so I don’t want to sign a contract that I will breach.

Sometimes it is not how far but how well and sometimes it could be how far and well. I am just a happy child. I’m just a child who is adventurous and who sees things and takes things the way they are and I hardly complain. Maybe that is what’s been working for me, I hardly complain, I hardly get upset, things don’t usually get to me.

Your family is a huge part of Nollywood; we would like to know more about you people?

Well, we’re not the first, we have the Ejiros, the Amatas and these two families were very good to each other. We’re family friends with them.

 I am not in the industry because of my brothers, I went there because I got the talent and I’m doing what I know how to do. So I think the togetherness, the peace and love in the family has been able to make us grow. I can’t do anything without seeking their opinion and advice because they’ve been there before me. So they need to advise me, if it’s worth doing or not. I want to give all the thanks to God. It has been togetherness and it’s been loads of co-operation. We obviously can’t stand differently. We are always together at events. There are lots of people who have families but they’re scattered, I have a family and we’re together. It is just so awesome.

Are you in a relationship right now?

Am I in a relationship? We all are in one relationship or the other, but the best relationship I have is my relationship with God, that’s more important.

I’m talking about the normal opposite sex relationship

So my relationship with God is not normal?

Who’s the guy in your life?

Can I say something to you? You’re a lady, I need you to write this please, when you talk about relationships, I think they’re irrelevant but the most important thing is if you come and say this is what I want to be, this is who I want to marry, this is who I want to be with and at the end of the day it doesn’t work out. Then what happens next.  People get in and out of relationships and people celebrate what might not be worth celebrating, but the most important thing is when it stands and that is it, do not count relationships as anything because it’s actually a learning process of which you might get hurt in the process but life goes on.

What is your position in the family?

Thanks for letting them know I’m the last born. I am the last child in a family of seven children.

What won’t you be caught wearing?

I won’t be caught wearing what I’m not comfortable with. Let me tell you why I’m a realist, I do not answer questions the way you want me to.  I want to answer questions factually because fashion comes and goes. I might probably tell you that I will not be comfortable wearing this and then next time you see me wearing it, it then means I’m going against my words. Fashion is broad, so I cannot be caught wearing what I’m not comfortable in. As a celebrity, as an actress, you need to make a statement. I don’t want to take my words back. I will not be caught wearing what I’m not comfortable in. Simple!

What’s that one thing you regret doing?

We all regret a lot of things we probably must have done growing up and then some things that we can’t change. I can’t remember anything. I always tell people, learn from your mistakes, and never regret anything, because it’s just a learning process without that you probably would not have known that this is not going to be good for me or I shouldn’t have done this thing. I think it’s all a learning process so I don’t regret anything in life.

What is your most embarrassing moment as an actress with so much controversy?

Before you got into acting business, they must have told you that this is what it entails and this is what you’re going to face. My father told me a lot about the industry and told me things that I might encounter and I asked if I can handle it, I said yes. So, you see, it is not new to me.

Anything I would say I regret has probably taught me lessons. It’s just that we take life too seriously, that’s why we age fast.  When you want to age gracefully throw away a lot of things, remove a lot of things from your shoulders, that’s the truth. You will look better and younger.

As an actress, if your partner hits you, what will you do?

I wouldn’t know until then, that’s the truth because the partner is not here and then I do not know. I cannot tell you what I will do to him when he does that.

What’s your dream man like?

Let me tell you something about life, I will not come here today and tell you I want a God-fearing man, he must be tall, he must be this, he must be that. I have once said something about what I want in a man, and then the person I fell in love with was the exact opposite. You cannot dictate feelings, you cannot dictate emotions, that’s why there’s something called love at first sight, you cannot tell. I’m not going to clone a man that I want.  There is this thing called chemistry, once you see it, you know it. I won’t come here and tell you that he must be tall and he must have six packs, I’m not crazy about that, so basically what I want in a man are what I’ll probably see at that point and what’ll attract me at that point.

So you are saying you can settle for any man whether rich or poor.

I’m not going to tell you what I want. But you get into an expensive shop to pick up something, because you can afford it, you see something you can afford then you buy it but if you cannot afford it, take a walk.  The goods are for someone that can afford it, that’s the best I can tell you. I will not settle for less my sister and that’s the truth. People come and tell you all sort of lies and want to praise themselves and say “I can marry a poor man” the poor man nor know wetin him see, abeg! I dey tell una say I am a real person, we all have been through tough times, we all have paid our dues one way or the other. So no poor man must get close to me. Those who know the worth, pay the dues.

You talk like you’ve experienced a lot of heartbreaks

 I’m just a real person, it has nothing to do with what one has experienced it’s more about the reality of life.  There are levels and grades in life and everybody knows where he or she belongs.

What do you miss most about Timaya?

That’s a no-go question to answer. I don’t know why you want to take back the hands of the clock to five years ago.  Do you still remember things that happened five years ago? Well, let me ask my brother (John Njamah) to help me with the answers because I actually don’t know what to say.

But if you insist, Empress has missed nothing, absolutely nothing about Timaya.
By RITA OKOYE and KATE USUANI