Yoruba movie star, Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, tells Ademola Olonilua about his marriage:
It is a popular belief that you are a womaniser because women flock around you..
I am not a womaniser, I just believe that people surround me because of the love God has for me. It also depends on how you present yourself to people. I believe in self control because if you have s*x with every woman that comes your way, then your life is in danger. If I indulge in such acts, I will not look as radiant as I am at my age. Most likely I might have contracted various diseases. If I were a womaniser, I would have thought I contracted a sexually transmitted disease during the time I was critically ill.
How did you meet your first wife?
We were in the same theatre group and I admired her a lot. I saw her and I was interested in her. I told her that I would like to marry her and she agreed. I later married another wife but I believe everything in life has to do with destiny. I vowed that I would not have a second wife because I never fancied polygamy but it happened and I believe it was for a reason. It is God’s doing.
When you told her you wanted to marry another wife, how did she react to the news?
She felt bad and I begged her. May God give us a good wife; if I had money I could have bought a hummer jeep to beg my wife but I am not that rich. I made her understand how it happened and that regardless, it would not change anything between us. I begged her to please accept it as our destiny and I appreciate her for her understanding.
But some women will either pack out of the house or make it unbearable for the man. Did such a thing happen to you?
Not at all, she did not do any of that. I asked my younger brother and two of my sisters to help me beg her. When they begged her, she said she believed that it is destiny.
What is the atmosphere in your house?
One thing I like about my first wife is that she encourages me to help people, especially my family members. She always makes sure I satisfy them if they need my help. When my mother was alive, she took good care of her. God is the only one that can forgive us our sins and I pray that he forgives me. I also pray my wife forgives me.
When you fell very ill, it was rumoured that you peddled cocaine and it got burst in your belly
I do not even know what cocaine looks like. Of course, I heard the rumour but an official of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency once told me that no one survives it when cocaine bursts in the belly. It is normal for people to peddle rumours against a popular person. Some people are image makers while others are image breakers. While I was ill, a journalist very close to me published that I had AIDS. When I became healthy, he began to dodge me. When we eventually met, I told everyone present to thank him for me because without his write-up, even though it was false, no one would have known that I was very ill and I could have died.
When you were very sick, did it ever occur to you that you might die?
Of course, it was only natural for one to have such thoughts at that period. I began to have the feeling that I might lose my life after I had sought for help at several places but found none. I spent a lot of money while taking care of myself.
What lessons did you learn from your illness?
I learnt that it is not everybody that truly likes you. We have a lot of entertainers in Lagos but only a handful cared enough to check on me when I was ill.
How were you able to regain your stature because you looked very frail when you were ill?
That is the work of God because I did not use any drug to regain my stature. I had chronic ulcer so I had to be eating well; the only thing I could not do was exercise. I am getting over it because ulcer can only be managed and not totally cured.
Did you have ulcer because you hardly ate?
Ulcer is not only about eating well, there was too much acid in my body. I don’t go to parties, neither do I drink alcohol. The day it began, I was fasting. I was at home for seven months without taking anything except pap. I thank God the worst is over.
