How Poverty Drove Me Into Entertainment - Lord Abman

The story of Odumosu Abiodun Emmanuel popularly known as Lord Abman is the story of a typical Nigerian kid who comes from a very humble background and has to fend for himself right from a tender age but in his own case he turned adversity into advantage; instead of indulging in criminal activities he looked inward and made use of his talents. Though along the line, he impregnated a girl at a young age of 20 years. He is a secondary school certificate holder but today he is not only a proud family man, but he is also the Chief Executive Officer of an Entertainment outfit which is rocking the city of Ibadan right now. According to him, the fear of extending the poverty chain which was evident in his family made him to transmute all his talents, passions and energies into the success he has recorded today. Excerpts:

Can we get to know you?

My name is Odumosu Abiodun Emmanuel, my stage name is Lord Abman. I’m into entertainment and that is what I do for a living. I’m a professional Master of Ceremony (MC), an actor and a businessman. In a nutshell, i am an all round entertainer. And to add to that, i am also a father (laugh).

You said you are an all round entertainer; How did you get into entertainment in the first instance?

My getting into entertainment was more of providence than accident because I was part of the choir group in my father’s church. It was then I discovered that I can dance so when we relocated to our new area at, Podo, here in Ibadan, someone introduced me to a group; the name of the group was 'Seed of David' and it was all about Gospel. So, I had no option than to join the group and it was through the group that I discovered my God-given potentials. I started as a dancer, it was during this period I overcame the crowd and stage freight. In 2007, there was a particular man that promised each member of the group N30,000 including a bus but at the end, the man did not redeem his pledge and that was what made the group to go into extinction. In 2009, I discussed with a friend of mine that we should form another ‘Big Boy group’. Our aim then was to woo ladies, go to clubs and so on. In the process we organized a particular party and the party was so successful that guests really enjoyed themselves and it was in that party that i started as a Master of Ceremony (MC). People were amazed with the way I anchored the programme. It was my performance that as a compere that made me to make up my mind that come what may, I will be a professional M.C in the future.

You said you were acting as a big boy then, how did you meet up with the personality you were trying to project?

Just as i had said earlier our motive was to catch fun. We even attended some parties that we were not invited; what we normally did was to go to the party and exchange phone numbers with the girls present.

It was after I might have familiarised myself with them before narrating to them my condition, those who feel for me did assist me with gifts and money while some dump me without looking back.

I also had one area brother whom i served as an errand boy, he did give me some of his cloths and shoes which I wear to party as if I bought them myself. That was how I was able to meet up and project the big boy personality.

You said you started as an M.C in 2009, how old were you then?

I became a professional MC when i was 18 years but i have started entertainment since age nine because i was born in the early 90s and I have been in the entertainment since when I was around 9 years old. Don’t be surprised because my parents were entertainers; While My mother was a choir mistress till her death, my dad was an actor before he became a full-time Reverend.

What exactly prompted you to form your own organization?

I can say that it was the fear of poverty that led me to take that bold step. Poverty stared me in the face and i knew i had to be strong and bold and did something extra ordinary or else it will be a chain in our family which was what i dreaded. I experienced challenges to the point that it almost took my life. During that period, there was no one to rely on and I didn't have any choice than to take that courageous decision at a very early part of my life; the stage which some of my age mates were still being spoonfed by their parents.

There was a time I shared my plight with an elderly brother in my area. He told me that I should pray to God for a way out of my predicament; I prayed and I went back to him when there seems not to be a positive changes, he told me to pray harder, it was after some times and precisely in 2010 i had a dream in which I was told in the dream that "You are born to rule". When I woke up I discussed it with my pastor who told me that my dream was a good sign that I should name my organization ‘Born to rule’ and that I can only make it in life through entertainment. I told my dad about it and he also supported me financially and with prayers. That was how B2R (Born To Rule) Entertainment started in a shop which was built with scrap woods. I partitioned it into two. There was a game and music section. One of my friends, Bolaji, helped me to get a disk-jockey job at a naming ceremony, the funniest part was that, I never had any experience about it nor any equipment but the passion I had for it made me to accept the offer. So i did a funny thing. I took my dad woody speakers and a dvd player to the party. I also went to the market to buy hip-hop remix cds so as to entertain the invited guests. It was in that party i understand God's awesomeness; He really surprised us, we performed more than the expectation of the people. I told my younger brother after the event that this is a good omen that we can become a professional and successful D.J in the nearest future. Afterwards we continued to work gradually on that, by developing ourselves and contributing money to buy small equipment that we could afford then. Although there are many challenges but today I give glory to God.

You said poverty drove you into entertainment industry. Can you shed more light on this?

Hmmm. Yoruba proverb says Iran meta kin tosi(three generations in a particular family shouldn't be poverty stricken). My father doesn’t have car up till today, even my grandfather who happens to be a Chief in Ijebu is not a financially buoyant person. So, one day, in my private moment, I thought of how to break the poverty chain in my family. To make the matter worse, I also lost my mother in 2001 at a very tender age, so this made the condition in my family to be worse because relatively my mother had a fairly paid job. I prayed a lot to overcome these challenges and I heard different prophesies from different men of God that I can only make it in life through entertainment, that was how I work towards my dream and I thank God for opening ways for me in my chosen career.

As your company grown to the level that you wanted it to be?

My aim is to to take entertainment industry to the next level and use my entertainment company ti conquer the world. So as it is now, I haven’t even conquered Ibadan city yet, talkless of Oyo state or Nigeria. Although, we have representatives in United States of America, United Kingdom, South Africa and other countries but to me, I have just achieved 1 percent of what I wanted to achieve in life. My plans now is to have branches outside Nigeria.

Which entertainment celebrity have you performed with that you have never thought you could meet in the next five or six years?

I have organized a show which featured virtually alk top artistes here in Ibadan. I have performed with the likes of Fabulous Pizzy, Portal, Kenzo, Seun Natural, Jalapa, Tuwyze, Tripple A, Kola Bata and others. The person that I never thought I could work with many years to this time is the CEO of Top One Garden, Mr. Ojedayo popularly know as Alase and I give thanks to God that today that I organise event for him which he deeply appreciates. I also have cordial relationship with Hon. Abass Alesinloye, the former caretaker chairman, Oluyole Local Government and many top socialites.

Can you tell us about your embarrassing moment?

My brother, there are many embarrassing moments ooo. There was one that occurred during my hustling days, I would write letters to different organizations and at the end, they will turn down our proposal and some times when we perform at an event and we beg people for money, they will tell us that if we know that our job is not profitable, we better look for another one; but today, our story has changed for good.

You became a father at a tender age, can you tell us how it happened?

(laugh) I didn't really plan to become a father at that early age which I did, but to be frank, fatherhood makes me move closer to God. I was a womanizer before but when it got to a stage I went to my pastor that I want to know my future wife. I submitted a list of about 30 names of my girlfriends then but surprisingly he said my wife was not among them. He even described my God-given wife to me.

How did you now meet your wife?

She happened to be out of my preference then because she is the type that doesn't wear make up nor fix hair attachment then. I just saw a raw beautiful girl one evening while strolling in my street and she was busy helping out her mum in their shop. I went there buy few things just to get close to her and after few weeks we started dating. Along the line she was pregnant. I was scared because I had nothing so I had to run to Lagos. Her parents threatened my dad that they will arrest me if I didn't show up. Eventually the case was resolved which made me to return to the area and we started from where we left off. I couldn't possibly abandon her because I happened to be her first and only man since. Initially my dad was so baffled about the incidence but I pleaded with him and he forgave me. I tried to build a room at my dad’s compound so that we can have our own privacy because I, my dad and my younger brother were living inside one room apartment but with the help of some people I built a room and after the birth of my son things have started changing for good gradually.

Did you go back to your pastor for confirmation whether she is your future wife he prophesied?

(Laugh) Yes I did and he confirmed to me that she is my God-given wife. Sometimes when we quarrel and I felt like asking her to go to her parents house, but immediately I remember what my pastor told me I will quickly caution myself. She has since grown to be a dutiful woman and I never regret marrying her because since she stepped into my house my life has witnessed a dramatic improvement.

So do you still womanise?

Not at all..I am now a dad and a husband. I want my son to be responsible and the best possible way is to show him. What is paramount in my mind now is my family and business, thus, I have since stopped mingle with boys, I now mingle with men because I need to learn as much as I can. I now mentor people; people who are working with and under me..

What advice do you have for boys who are currently passing through what you had once experienced?

I will tell them to be focused and be prayerful because without God's favour we can not achieve anything on our own. I am a spiritual person and I have pastors that I consult. I also want to tell them to look inward because everyone has one talent or the other God has deposited in him or her. They don't need to go into crime before they can have their breakthroughs in life. I had never done anything bad even when things were terribly horrible for me and my family. In order to eat then, I had attempted to work in a factory and a block making workshop but due to my physical make up I just knew that I was not cut out for strenuous work even before people I was working with told me to look for a non physical jobs. But because I believe in God and I knew that He created me for a purpose I prayed to Him and He showed me that entertainment is my line.

In addition they need to know that having talent is not the end in it self; they need to work hard to develop it to the point where it will be acceptable to the people and they need to be innovative and creative to edge out their competitors.

By Hazeez Ayansola and Abiodun Adeniyi