Lately, popular actress, Liz Anjorin has been in the news over her fight with fellow actress, Toyin Abraham. For days, both had engaged each other over their irreconcilable differences. Not only did Liz take Toyin On, Toyin’s supporters also took Liz to the cleaners calling her all sorts of unprintable names.
Not too long ago, City People Publisher SEYE KEHINDE visited Liz Anjorin at her Ikota Shopping Complex shop during which she spoke about why she is fond of taking on anybody who speaks ill of her or tries to denigrate her name. It was a long interview with the tough no nonsense babe called Liz Anjorin.
Many people see you as controversial. Why do you like controversy?
No. I don’t like controversy. I stay on my own lane. I don’t condemn people, but I don’t like people saying what they don’t know about me. I don’t take nonsense from people. I work hard for my money. I went through a lot in life to succeed. I can decide not to work, but I have decided to work to show other ladies that you can work hard and make it.
I have decided to work. All I need from you is to show me love and say something good about me, because I love people and I say good things about people. I always give back to the society. Atimes when I make N50,000 gain, I give N25,000 back to the society because I like to see others grow. When I grow up I like to hear people telling me how I have helped others. Whenever I have money I help people. Check my page, I have been helping people. I have been preaching love so why are you giving me hate in return? What have I done? If you think I am doing something wrong leave me alone. Don’t come to my page. It’s me. I have a grown up girl. So, I have to live a good life.
I don’t want to spoil my good name for my daughter. If I had not gotten any child, I might not know the gravity of people coming to my page and saying thrash or calling me names. I have a grown up child now and I made sure she is not on social media. She is living her life devoid of social media.
Look at our women. The ones that are married are becoming single everyday. The ones that are single are not having husband. Why? Because of the hatred we show to ourselves. And the most annoying part of it is men abusing women, men being petty. If you want goodness in your life you should appreciate people that are working.
Let’s talk about what you sell here. What are the things that your potential customers can find here?
Of course, a lot of wears that you can never find anywhere. Nice jewellery, wristwatches. I have lovely scarves you can never find anywhere.
How come they can’t find it anywhere?
Because I source for them all over the world. It is not easy to go to Italy and buy materials and take it to Jeddah to go and sew it and bring it back to Nigeria to embellish it. Now you see what I am saying. People don’t know what you go through to put things together. It’s sad, very sad. But it happens to people who are doing well. They can say anything about you. Its not good to run ourselves down.
What is happening to your movie career?
It’s going on fine. I produce my own movies. I do my own production. Since 3 years ago, I decided to be doing my own production because I can’t deceive myself. I can’t leave my home for days and weeks and I won’t make good money.
How do I want to survive? That is why I face business to support my career. This is not the only thing I do. I do interior decor. I do furniture. I sell cars. I supply diesel and I make my cut and I can feed myself and my workers. I usually pick some girls on the streets. I don’t know their fathers and mothers. They stay with me and I try to give them life.
Are you working on a new movie project?
Yes, I am working on another production.
How many movies have you done now?
It’s been many. The last one is Owo Nairabet.
How do you relate with most of your colleagues?
Most of them don’t seem to like you. They said you don’t reach out to them…
That is not true. Go on Youtube and see. We are very close. We chat. We gist. Go on Youtube. That you decide not to go to peoples houses does not mean you don’t like them. That is where gossip starts. I wasn’t brought up that way. I go to their events. I spend money.
When you look back at your life and what you have been able to achieve how does it make you feel?
Great. I am grateful to almighty Allah. And that is why I find it very exciting to tell people my past. I don’t shy away from my past. I tell people my past to motivate people and to praise almighty Allah for God himself to be happy. So far, so good.
I have gone through a lot. You remember a few years ago when the issue of a car happened, a car of N950,000, I just laughed because see the big cars I now drive. Some people wanted to rubbish me with it, but see what has now happened. In the Quoran, there are 3 things God said we should guide and protect. They are our Name, Property & Family. It has not been easy. I do things that men are supposed to be doing, as per work. Even some men will run away.
Let’s talk about your mum, you always talk about your mum…Why?
Because she told me a lot about life when I was young. And I keep remembering things she said I should do and things I should not do. When things happen to me, I immediately remember what she used to tell me about people. All her talks, advice have helped me. When I was young, I thought she was very harsh.
I used to wonder what kind of mother is this. I was her only child. Not knowing she was trying to build me up. I used to wonder, how can you have an only child and be treating her like this? She was trying to build me to be a strong woman. I remember her everyday. That is why I don’t mind hawking in foreign land because I want to bring things down here. I coped because my mum had prepared me for challenges. Kids of nowadays don’t carry load on their head. When I walk abroad to go shopping, I walk so much that atimes the wristband on my hand will tell me my stature is too light for my walk. My mother had inculcated that in me when I was young.
You have this annual event you do. It is always successful and grand, how did you achieve that?
It is humility and good attitude. You see, things they don’t appreciate in my industry are the things that are working for me outside the industry. That is why if people say that I am pompous they should check themselves. People saying so, who are they? What have they achieved in life? Me that they tag as pompus, I am succeeding.
It means I have good attitude. It means my humility works for me and same goes for my good heart. My customers are my family. I take them as my family members. I check on them. We talk. Look at Baba. Alaafin of Oyo. I respect him. I call Baba regularly.
I called him to thank him. I remain loyal to him. I don’t jump from one camp to camp. If I take you to be as my friend, you are my friend for life. I am loyal to my friends. And I will always be there for you. I won’t talk ill of you. I will never say bad things about you. If I choose you to be my friend, you are my friend for life.
Do you think Liz Anjorin has been misunderstood by society?
No. Not by society. It is a normal thing. Some people will just decide to beef you. As a successful young woman some people won’t like you. You can’t be doing well and you expect everybody to like you.
They want to be like you. If they can’t, they will want to pull you down. And for the older ones they have children too who they want to be successful like you. You can’t exist and not have enemies who will envy you and pray to be successful like you.
And when they can’t they will want to pull you down. My mum used to say that when people are before you and God is with you, then just keep up being good, just keep being good. Insha Allah you will overcome everybody. The society loves me.
Who are the people buying my attires? It is the society who are the ones patronising me? who are the people standing for me? The society. If you watch very well, at all my events, you will see society people there. They always stand by me. They love me. Everybody loves me. Everybody loves Liz Anjorin. These people who say they don’t love me when they see me, they still collect money from me. So, I am loved.
This morning, on your page, you were very angry when someone made a funny remark about you. How do you react to such comment?
Like the one on my page this morning. They never tagged me when this Baba was having his birthday. You don’t tag customers to come and patronise me.
When I was doing my mother’s burial, premiere, turbaning, you never tagged anybody to assist me or to attend my event, so why would you tag me to come and be doing this or that with my money? I made my money, I should be able to determine why, how and where I want to spend my money. You don’t have to force me. Why are you tagging me? You should work and make your own money too.
You have the strength to tag me, but you don’t have the strength to tell Saidi Balogun last time, don’t cross path with this girl (Liz) you played major role in her movie. And this girl adopted you, when others abandoned you. I was the one that stood by him. None of you called him. All of you now was at his party. So you are tagging me to come and be paying you money.
Why did you and Saidi Balogun pick the same day to have your events?
The reason is best known to everybody. Do you know why I am happy? Because God was at work that day? If this thing didn’t happen I won’t know my worth before God. When I was travelling, 2 to 3 days to my travel, someone was having an event, a very close family, I could not attend I am supposed to be the MC. I said ok call so, so, so person.
They said no, no, no someone who does not talk to you. I said No. Because we don’t talk does not mean that if I see where he is going to make money I should not suggest his name. No, that is evil. You don’t block your enemies way. I will never divert your help.
I am not God. I don’t want to sin against God. I never believed that all of them, the old and the young, could open their eyes, and allow him do what he did. They all knew I was there for him. They all knew I was the only one using him.
By the way, let me quickly tell you this. Lizzy Anjorin is the only producer that features all our Babas in the industry in her movies, especially the abandoned stars. I go to them.
They all call me. Go and watch all my movies you will see them? How come they didn’t praise me for that. How many people tagged me to praise me? And I pay them well if I meet all of them at an event I greet them with utmost respect. I do the little I can do for them. How many people tagged me and prayed for me? I do a lot of things to help others and I think that is why God keeps blessing me.
Let them take care of their side and leave me with my God. These people are always interested in the negatives. They won’t congratulate you on your birthday. How many celebrate you when you are doing birthdays? But if you are sick they will be ready to raise money for the sick. They are good at doing burials.
On my birthday it was outsiders. They came here. I was shocked when I saw the crowd because I don’t celebrate birthdays. I have never celebrated my birthday before. I don’t like doing birthdays. That is me. I don’t like it. I don’t celebrate birthdays. I don’t know what happened.
It has been like that right from when I was a baby. My mum used to wonder. She used to say I don’t know what happened to you. It was outsiders who came here to celebrate me. I got gifts from outsiders, people I don’t know. Definitely things that I do to people, they give me back in return.
All I am saying is we should learn how to love. We should love ourselves in the movie industry. For example list all the Producers and point to one of them that has featured me in their movies. My message to my colleagues is learn how to love.
They could not see the potentials. None of the producers feature me in their movies, none of them patronise me. None of them bring customers to me. They were going to Abuja to collect money, none of them carried me along. None of them gave Aisha Buhari my name. They gave them APC money, PDP money none of them called me. And I am doing my own hustling jejenjeje. You can only reap where you sow.
How can anybody come to my page and be abusing me? And people will now say don’t talk. If I don’t talk how will they know my side. Social media is meant for everybody to talk. Talk, say your mind. Don’t be depressed.
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