M elvin Oduah is different things to different people. Though he is an actor and a model, he became popular after participating in the 2009 edition of the Gulder Ultimate Search, Mr. Nigeria and Big Brother Africa 8. Unfortunately, he did not win any of these competitions.
In a chat with The Point, he said he felt bad that he did not win any of the three competitions, as everyone wished to be a winner in anything he or she does.
He narrated, “Everyone wishes to win, but it is always good to go into a competition with a mental strength that you either get it or not. I was prepared mentally for whatever that happened, but I felt bad I did not win any of the competitions. I was able to move on because I concluded I was probably not destined to win.”
He insisted that even though GUS had been off for a while, it had not lost its followership.
He added, “I would just say it is temporarily off for now, because of some reasons I cannot disclose to the public. It is not as if it has lost followership or anything.
“Since leaving GUS as the first runner-up, things have been very good for me. I have nobody else to thank but God, because He was the one that gave me the platform. GUS brought me to limelight, basically and made me the entertainer I am today. Of course, it is all about dedication, hard work and being prayerful.”
Oduah, who was recently announced as the host of a new reality programme, African Reality TV Show, stated that he saw it as a way of reviving lost African values and culture.
“Our African culture is not where it is supposed to be, so this reality show is to revive it. We want to use entertainment to reach out to people in Africa and beyond, and let them know what our culture is all about.
“When I was ap- proached, I did my home work well to know what it stands for. Apart from the benefit that comes to me personally, I would also love to be part of it, because I want to be part of reviving our culture,” he insisted.
While ignoning the idea of becoming a musician or comedian, he went on to describe himself as an entertainer, with interest in acting, modelling and hosting events. He explained, “I am an entertainer basically. It is all about knowing your strengths and working on them. For instance, you can never see me singing or doing standup comedy for no reasons, even though they are under entertainment. I am an actor, a model and a host.”
