OGEFASH’S STORY SO FAR
By Oge Nwabueze
@ogefashblog
Wow! Can’t believe Ogefash Blog has come this far; thanks to God first, those following Ogefash blog, those just visiting the blog and to those reading and commenting on our contents. Thanks also to me also for the determination and zeal I put into what I do. For you all, it was worth staying awake most nights when most people were fast asleep to do creative write-ups.
I started out as an aspiring actress in my secondary school days at the International School Lagos, Unilag. But then, when I was in the Senior class, I was doing some few write ups, but they were basically love and sexual poems. So, as I was saying, I pursue this acting o. I was so passionate “or should I say obsessed” about acting. I over pursued acting career that it soon started pursuing me (Away perhaps!). Despite the difficulty in getting a breakthrough in the acting world, I still did not give up. I found a way to contact (That time, I dey quickly get actors’ contacts wella) Nollywood music composer/movie producer-Mr. Mike Nliam who advised that I should first of all get a University degree before pursuing a career in acting; his advice with that of my parents (Mr. and Mrs. Nwabueze) is the reason I am who I am today.
But then, “acting” still dey do me for body and I want people to be viewing me on television, so once in a while I still hustled my way to Surulere where those movie makers and actors stayed with the hope of meeting the right person to feature in his/her movie, but I didn’t (Although, that time, I never chop boldness wey I chop now). I was actually not meeting the right set of people. I remember when my old friend (Beatrice) and I met with a producer @Kengold; all he kept asking from us was “Manya” as in “Beer”. The desire to be a Nollywood actress continued till after my secondary school days. After secondary school, the desire to be a Nollywood star started sliping from my priority list since I was not getting the desired breakthrough. The celebrities “R-I-G” (Can you fix their names?) I even spoke to/met were great snubs, and producers/directors were looking for voluptuous ladies with some kind of features that are not probably in the dictionary to feature in their movies. In those days, getting a role wasn’t about the money “wey you get” but your physique, pretty face, as in perfection; oshisco peperepe, perfection is the disease of the nation, Beyonce has kukuma said in her song “pretty hurts.” Anyway, to feature in Nollywood movies these days, as in to get a role in the movie industry (whether na waka pass or pass waka you see), you must have “money, ego, kudi, owo” in your “apo” as in pocket which different film schools obtain from their students through the ridiculous and exorbitant fee they charge for school. I tried different acting schools then but I couldn’t enter because their fees were high and are still high now.
Since acting was becoming a herculean task to achieve, I decided to focus more on my modeling career. Dis it work? Forwhere; na zero o. I even went to Linda Ikeji’s Modeling agency. Linda used me do shakara ofuma (plenty); I did not even know that she was struggling then too. Omo, for this world, na this our cloth dey cover people o!
Moving on, did I mention to you that I love to make hair? Sorry, I forgot to do that. Well I was also passionate about styling people’s hair; I did not particularly learn hairdressing, just a perfect gift from God to me. I was also making purses; I did a lot of creative works but all these were not giving me fulfillment.
So in the year 2014, I set up a “Free” blog and named it “Ogefash blog” but I did not make use of it. Although, I already knew that the contents to be blogged would be what we presently blog about on the blog; since there was no one doing that in my country and in most part of the world. So why did I not start blogging in year 2014? As at that time, I was looking for quick legit money, not some money that it would take years before you start seeing money from it. So I searched tirelessly for jobs. I got my first job two years after NYSC. It was a media job at Spur magazine owned by Mr.Faleye. Mr. Faleye was a nice boss but a rigid one. He had no idea about managing staff; he felt he had the money to fire and recruit new staff. I just had to leave the place because the manner at which he was sacking people brought fear in me and was affecting my thinking and write-ups. But before leaving Spur magazine, I emptied my account and gave one of my colleagues-Ben money to buy a fairly used laptop for me since I intended to keep on writing even I don’t have an employer. Did Ben buy the laptop? No, he squandered my money. Oneday, I asked Ben for my money and he said we should meet at Computer village where he would pay the laptop seller instead. Ben was just deceiving me; the first tme someone whould ever deceive me. What did he do? He took me round computer village like someone searching for a good laptop for me. It dawned on me that Ben came to Computer village with an empty pocket when I decided to stick with one laptop in order to put an end to the computer hunt. I cried all day. I just had to get Barrister Kemi Akintayo involved to make him cough out the money. Luckily, he got a better job with an oil company and he was able to pay the money. The jackass had no remorse for what he did because he felt he was working in a big place.
Finally, I got “me” a laptop and I continued writing short stories non-stop. I even did freelance writing for years for the man who ows “upcoming” magazine. The man did not pay me shishi, I was pitying him thinking he did not have the money not knowing that this man was actually getting a paid advert from “Central bank of Nigeria”; na wa o, na wa for my people.
All this while, I still had the “free Ogefash blog (www.ogefash.wordpress.com)”but I did not use it cause I was still searching for papapa (As in quick) money.
Again, I started searching for jobs, luckily my wonderful aunt- Aunty Gertrude Nwabueze whom I used to make hair for then, had a daughter- late Mrs. Perpetual Olisachukwuma (Terrific one, may your soul keep resting in peace) that was working in a big school- Heritage House. I told her I wanted to teach, but there was no vacancy for that so she did her possible best to give me a job in the school. I worked as an After school supervisor. During my time, I had great kids with great minds. While I was working there, I was also writing a novel titled “Looming danger.” Which I intended to launch before leaving the school. After two years I realized that I wasn’t meant to be in that place coupled with the fact that the Business manager of the school then was frustrating herself not me; I can’t even mention her name self on my page. After the launching of my first novel “Looming danger”, where no one from the school showed up except (Mrs. Ikhianosime and my late cousin- Mrs Perpetual Olisachukwuma and one parent (The Adetimehins) out of the dozens of them that I have), she even had the gut, the nerve to tear my novel in my presence and say to me “That is your parting gift!” I guess that’s her “parting gift” if you know what I mean.
So, early December I dropped my resignation letter at Heritage. So like I said at the launching of the book, the real people I invited did not show up. All the Nwabuezes that I invited even through the family Whatsapp page did not show up, dem kukuma did not even say congratulations or pray for a breakthrough towards my writing career. The only Nwabuezes that showed up were siblings (Azubuilke and Dumebi). Oh, I have another sibling, her name is Augusta, you can call her Meme too. She did not show up, but her husband who doesn’t seem like me at all came around. Yeah, four of my cousins came also @ “Bro Nwanne Nwabueze, Bro Chiwuize Nwabueze, Aunty Perpetual Nwabueze olisachukwuma and Chidinma Ndidi.” Yeah, my mummy’s brother, who is also my uncle- Mr. Afobunor came around, he was even on the high table, but till today, I have not seen the money he pledged towards the book. Infact all the people on the highttable plegdged only with their mouth, but I did not see anything from them. Thanks to the Akinwales who came to the high table surprisingly and donated 10k, thanks also to the unplanned chairman who donated 10k; it is well sha. To be honest, after my book launch, I have learnt never to expect anything from someone. I have learnt never to believe in most people when it comes to money matters. My Delta friend- Ifeoma was even the worst of all. I can’t even believe I called her a friend; her story is for another day.
(Order a copy of Looming danger by Oge Nwbueze via ogefash @gmail.com or call Barrister Ayeni @ 08027154080 or Mr. Raphael Nwabueze @ 08027436998)
Phew! Again, I still dumped the blog looking for jobs but all I saw was rubbish jobs with rubbish employers so I quit them. One day, a big international writing contract for one year came my way; that gave me the opportunity to run a business blog rather than a free blog. I also got a home tutorial job @ the Adetimehins. Through the international writing job, God revealed to me that “writing” was the career he wants me to do. So I paid for “Ogefash Blog’ in 2017 and made it official. So, again, I went to broadcast on pages to family and friends to visit and follow my blog. It was a surprise to people that I could own a blog knowing well that this “Ogefash” never get money. So after announcing my blog, they spied the blog but never followed.
The beginning was not easy at first, getting traffic and followers on the blog. Realizng the importance of followers on a blog, I went all out to different streets daily and beseeched hundreds of people to follow Ogefash blog with my blog domain and details on a small card. And most gave me the assurance that they would follow my blog. So, I always went back home smiling with the hope of seeing about half of the people follow Ogefash Blog; readers, I only returned to see zero followers.
Again, I told my various families, I felt since I had thousands of them, I would also have thousands of followers. I beseeched all of them to follow several times but none of them followed me, and none is still following”Ogefash” blog as I pen down this “Ogefash’s story”, but the good thing about immediate family is that they would always have your back. So my siblings @Mr. Raphael Nwabueze @Mrs. Meme Nwabueze Adeleye @Mrs. Dumebi Ayeni followed my blog.
Moving on, I felt it was normal for my in-laws to follow me but they did not. “Mo fi ara so, mo fi oju,” so I used all methods to make them follow, until my first in-law- @ Mr. Adeleye had reluctantly followed me only to unfollow me almost immediately, I guess he thinks I wont find out.
I moved to the church and told them to follow, but they did not. I told friends to follow, no follows from them. I told my former colleagues at Spur Magazine to follow my blog, but they didn’t, instead one of them was trying to find out how she would own a blog like mine; you better wake up!
I had practically opened my blog to a friend of mine that I call Mr. Seun Okalawon and he said “Okay, this is your blog? Don’t worry now, I will follow it when I get home” Should I say he is yet to get home, cause as I pen down my “Ogefash’s story so far”, he is yet to follow. When I remind him, he would laugh and say the same thing “Don’t worry, I would follow.”
At that point, I knew I was the only one that could push “me.” I became a promoter and started promoting my blog all through various means. So I went to Unilag, walked round the school and shared a card with my blog name, told people about the blog and pleaded with them to follow. I am sure I met with hundreds of people and told them to follow my blog. Guess how many that followed? Zero.
But then, I was not deterred. I already made a decision to become a full time blogger and kept on writing, even though most people had written me off. In their voice “Let me see how she would survive” They said how can she say she wants to be a full time blogger, some said “Is it only this writing you want to be doing.” Many mocked me at my back but I kept on pushing…
But then, I knew I wanted to write for the world to see. I wanted to share my ideas with people, I wanted to do detailed writing in an interesting way, I wanted to be of help to those that were looking for information on music, movies, adverts and more. I decided to be the first from my country doing detailed synopsis and review of movies both foreign and local, I decided to be the first in the world doing a total breakdown of songs explaining each line, verse, chorus, pre chorus, bridge, the first in the world to write all that is entailed in an advert; I bless God for his wisdom
So, when these things were happening, I decided not to focus on the followers, but to channel my energy into doing lots of unique reviews. So, I kept on writing even though the daily traffic was morsel. I am not where I want to be yet, but I can tell you I am not where I was 2 years ago.
Gradually, Ogefash blog grew and it is still growing. We have lots of followers via mail and WordPress
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You made this possible, yes, thanks to God, to you and me again. Ogefash blog contents have been viewed in over 200 countries. Mostly viewed in US, next to South Africa and thirdly Nigeria. US traffic is like times five of South Africa and Nigeria. From about 376 views in 2017 to over 200,000 views now. You all did it! I am international now!
Still stay with us in the few month left to end 2019. We love U#Always
“Ding dong! Must be the whip that I ordered” Who did I order the whip for? Bitches! Awon (those) bitches fe ki (want me) Ogefash hibernate, but I am actually getting hotter. So who are the bitches? The unfriendly friends that are not following my blog but are always monitoring my traffic every now and then. Bitches are also the people that don’t want my progress and the progress of Ogefash Blog. You know what? I have got gist for you, Ogefash will hit a million in few days’ time, get ready to choke bitch! Bitches be pressed! Just like the Cardi B said in her song “Press!”.
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You are a star in the making! I know you would get there soon; don’t just give up!