Amina A. Yola is a beautiful lady who hails from Yola, Adamawa State. Amina who is Fulani by tribe got married in Kaduna and had one issue of which her child died later 15-years before she joined Kannywood, her father is based in Kaduna where they now live.
When in Yola she occasionally featured in Television drama and radio programmes, in some radio houses, so one day the team of 2, Effect Empire jointly owned by Sani Danja and Yakubu Muhammad were in Yola to shoot a film, along the line they lacked two female actresses to complete the film, then the issue of Amina Yola came up and they contacted her and featured her in the film.
The role she played impressed them a lot and later they urged her to come over to Kano and fully join Kannywood. She reluctantly agreed, but she later moved to Kano and is now in the industry for 15years even though most of the time she is always travelling buying and selling software in many states in the north.
Amina Yola spoke with Neptune Prime’s correspondent in Kano, Saleh Inuwa on Tuesday in her manager and godfather’s office, Salisu the Chief Executive Officer of A and S Multi-media.
Excerpts of the interview
Neptune Prime: You have been in Kannywood for 15 years, yet you are not a household name why?
Amina:- Honestly, I prefer a low profile lifestyle, I have been here for more than eight years and featured in dozens of successful films but I maintained a trouble-free lifestyle I don’t smoke, drink or take any prohibited items, I don’t fight for roles and neither do I sleep with producers to be given lead roles or big artist fee.
NP: How did you start acting?
Amina:- Well, I joined Kannywood through 2 Effect Empire owned jointly by Yakubu Mohammed and Sani Danja they came to Yola my home state though part of our family lives in Kaduna to shoot a film, along the line they needed some artist to complete their project and my name came up because I was already into a TV drama and other media programmes in Yola, they contacted me and gave me a role later they advised me to come over to Kano and take acting as a fulltime profession which I did and have been here for eight years combining acting with other business to earn a decent living.
NP: The way you dress and conduct your life nobody will say you are an actress an industry or profession synonymous with bad social vices and other corrupt ways of life?
Amina:- Well first I told you I was married before I lived a decent life with my former husband, we had one child, though the child died, secondly I am into business and I do meet serious and decent businessmen and women to transact businesses as such I need to be decent, respectable and clean, there is one of the things the society look at us as cheap or even prostitutes when we settle down, our mother-in-laws or co-mates see us as people who have wasted substantial precious part of their lives and now wants to be housewives. They at times even refer to us as cheap prostitutes and if one is not careful this will lead to one crisis or the other and the marriage will collapse, sometimes too producers are not helping matters they give some roles or asked you to feature in attire that if people see you in them they will not understand that our life in films is different from our real individual life.
NP: Tell us if you are given a role that will portray you as a prostitute or given a role that you will be expected to dress so sexy and expose your body will you do it?
Amina: I will gladly do it and my reason is simple the way the society is they are not about to change the impression they formed about us for ages, if you are not asking me to go completely naked why not, we are interpreting scripts of a producer who invested his hard earn resources in the project to make a profit he is free to produce what the society wants, most obscene films sells more than decent and religious films.
NP: How about the issue of sex for role or money?
Amina: It is true I personally encountered that but I thank the Chief Executive of A and S media Salisu Officer who is my boss here, he always gives me quality advice that helped me to be strong and patient most of those who approached me for sex for the role over time I have observed that instead of them to be progressing in their businesses or their fortune they are decreasing you cannot combine business with pleasure and succeed.
NP: After being in Kannywood for 15 years, you disappeared into thin air our investigation shows that you got married and it did not work out again?
Amina: Paused, well the truth is some people that have the impression that we are cheap if they come to us for sex and discovered we are not what they are hearing they will then use marriage as a cover once they marry us and get what they want they will throw us out that is how far I can tell you but you are free to investigate where I disappeared to why did you not ask since I have a diploma in Mass Communications maybe I have gone to school to further my studies.
NP: Before joining the industry and now that you are here who and who do you admire their roles, acting skills?
Amina:- Well they are many old and new, the likes of Fatima Mohammad, Jamila Nagudu, Late. Aisha Dankano as for men, Ali Nuhu, Sani Danja, Yakubu Mohammed, Mustapha Musty, Salisu Officer and Adam A. Zango, Adam Zango is my role model and I admired and watch his films a lot, and I enjoyed working with him.
NP: How successful are you in Kannywood and life?
Amina: Kannywood has opened my doors of success for me I visited many African Countries and several states in Nigeria to shoot films or do business, people now supply me goods outside the country for me to sell make a profit and payback because they know me and where to get me in case of a problem.
NP: How about marriage you are not getting younger, are you in a relationship?
Amina: In and out of Kannywood right now I don’t have a boyfriend, in fact, I will prefer to marry within Kannywood with a professional colleague that will understand me better, Mansurah Isa Married Sani Danja and they are living peacefully the truth is I am now seriously pursuing money, not marriage. If I settle down and now that things are difficult for men and women and my husband said I should be indoors, you know it will not work, it is now you scratch my back, I scratch yours when you have, you give us when I have I take over I can’t stay in Purdah (kulle) I am into business except if the man is extremely rich.
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