A few days ago, I was at the local wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport with Fred Amata, waiting to board our flight to Abuja for the Abuja International Film Festival, when we saw a prominent actress in the 'Things Remembered' lounge at the MMA 2, placing an order for food as we had just done. She greeted Fred warmly as I took my food tray to my table. 'Ah Charles,' Fred called out to me, a bit surprised, 'See ( mentioned her name) for here.' He in turn pointed me out to the actress who looked away, scowling. I grinned at Fred and continued with my meal while Fred sat with her for a few minutes before our flight was called for boarding.
Later in the plane, Fred asked me why I ignored the actress. 'First, I think she is mad at me over an article I wrote about her and some actors in Nollywood five years ago in which I did a critique of their acting prowess. That story caused a stir then in the industry and the actors called me all sort of names for analysing their acting prowess, as it were' I replied.
' Yes, though I didn't read that article, I tried to make her see what you are doing for the industry in your acknowledged standing as an unbiased critic' Fred said. ' I told her that she should consider it a great honour to have you pick up your pen to even write about her art. I told her that if she was not important enough to be criticised, you would not have done that and that you don't do critiques to bring anyone down as far as I know but you do it to point out areas you feel could be improved on. And that it is nothing personal where you are concerned.'
'And what was her reaction to that?' I asked Fred.'
She was quite cool but she said what pained her most is that you are a colleague in the same industry and you should at least not write on anybody at all in the industry. I told her that it is a wrong notion for her to think that way. If only she knows the real Charles Novia, she won't be holding grudges like these against you. But Charles, I am a bit worried for you. You mean say some people for industry nor dey talk to you at all because of wetin you don write about them before?'
I smiled at Fred and sighed. ' Do I look like it bothers me? I don't write destructive criticism but I try to be very constructive and objective. Perhaps a little subjectism comes in, now and then but one cannot always rule that out. As long as it is not gossip but factual analysis of a trending topic or just a critique of events and situations, then I am in a comfort zone'
Fred replied, ' Charles, this industry of ours need to have more enlightened and educated people. People go just dey 'bad belle' you for nothing and most of the time, they don't even read what you write. Where are the intellectuals among Nollywood practitioners? We need to be more vocal and critique ourselves more. You are doing something very commendable and thankless, my brother. It's just the people beefing you I am a bit worried about'
Well, Fred is my friend and brother and I took his concerns to heart. However, I must make a few things clear to many people who read my posts.I know a lot of bloggers and journalists all over the world read my facebook posts and from there quote me. I don't mind. As long as my words are correctly reproduced and not mis-represented, it is all well and good. All should know that I did not just start these critiques recently. I have always been like this. Since I was a kid. My close friends and family members will attest to this. Someone who knew me from my University days wrote that 'Charles is painfully honest'. THISDAY Newspapers in celebrating my fortieth birthday a couple of years back used a curious but nice headline to describe the full page interview on me; ' TRUTHFUL Charles Novia turns 40'. Many people have called me blunt, fearless and sometimes crazy but none would deny that I comment from a standpoint of facts and fearless objectivity. It is not an act. It is who I am. The person I have evolved into but whom I have always been.
I have my own faults o. Chai! You guys don't wanna know. I am as human as every other person and I have my foibles and finnicks but the moral coda on which I stand helps to overshadow such. But I am also aware that I am not a perfect being. No one is. I am work in progress. When that work will end, I don't know but I will keep on working.
Most of my close friends say I am very stubborn. When I take a stand, it is difficult to get me to sway. That is because I live by my convictions. Once my inner spirit tells me that I am right, I take that stand. And I rarely go wrong when I follow that inner conviction. That is what comes out as my being stubborn.But I am also very humane. I am as vulnerable sometimes as I am hard. I enjoy the concept of sacrifice. I can give anything for anybody as long as it is for a good cause. I love to help people when I can. I sometimes even borrow to help people if I don't have.I also love to help new talents a lot. I do not know why I do that. But I do. My wife says all the time that she and my daughter, Nosa, always pray for me every moment they can. 'You have a heart of gold'. I judge myself first, before I judge others. And I use the word 'judge' positively, not in the Biblical context. I am not in anyway on a one-man crusade in the society I find myself. I am just being me. That me is more amplified by social media. And that me will not waver. That I am sure of.
When my commentaries and critiques first started on social media blogs, I would read most of the 'anonymous' comments after my articles. At first, they were very vitriolic and hateful towards me. I was being called all sorts of names. I was amused by such then . Gradually, those same commentators have been won over. Now, I see many writing that 'this man always speaks the truth though you don't have to agree with him'. I did not need to change who I am to win over such people. I just remained who I am.I am going on a larger platform in a few weeks. My own daily online site will take off soon. And I won't change anything you all know here on that. It would be much more witty and swashbuckling and entertaining too. A whole new experience for the world to see. I may seem like a paradox to many people. But let me be very candid. I can safely say it took me to achieve a huge pedigree before these critiques came home to roost. And so, when most commentators abuse me and stuff like that, they know too that they cannot ignore that pedigree. It is like asking a bird if it can fly. I am not blind too to the fact that I may not be well loved among my colleagues in the entertainment sector. But if I was looking for their affection, I would have joined politics where psychophancy holds sway.
But I never carry a grudge. Never. Once I say something out, it is out of my system and I move on. The ones who beef me over what I say about them are the ones who have problems. While my conscience is clear and without malice, they are eaten up by the grudge demon. And that is because of the society we find ourselves.Now, many would ask why I did not go up to the actress at the airport and greet her 'to show maturity' as even Fred suggested. ' I be her mate? Na me go come go greet am like say I dey beg am or like say I wan be her friend? If e nor wan greet, na her wahala be dat. But if she greet me, trust me, I go answer warmly'And that is me. I nor send.
Meanwhile, for those wondering who the actress is, it is not any of the ones who delved into music within their career trajection so please, gossip bloggers don't twist my words or speculate. I chose to protect her privacy because I respect her right to her privacy despite her misgivings over me. Yes, I respect relative success even though I feel that artistic success must be critiqued endlessly to make the person better in their chosen fields. I just wrote this lengthy piece to open up my mind a bit. Make una nor vex.Recently, a friend of mine who owns three major television stations saw me and shook my hands warmly. 'I read all your write-ups' he said. 'You dey craze. But I admire your craze. You speak for the industry. You say the things many of us in the industry know but are either afraid or timid to say out. You are ahead of your time'.
I had just told this same guy to his face a few months back that he and the stations he owned were spewing shit on the airwaves and he was pissed. But he was enlightened and mature enough to see that my I was being honest without fear or favour. For others who don't see it that way, we will keep avoiding ourselves in public places if that's how they want it. I would rather it happens more in airport lounges. Because even inside the plane, my head is never up in the clouds.
