The biggest news is on the scandal rocking actress Mercy Johnson’s planned marraige to Prince Odianosen Okojie. The centre of the entire saga, Prince has finally spoken on the issue. He basically said: “I think she [Lovely] is just blackmailing me to separate me and Mercy, but it won’t work because what God has joined together, no man can put asunder”
Read excerpt of interview below:
THERE HAS BEEN A LOT IN THE MEDIA, ABOUT YOUR PERSONALITY, MIND BOGGLING EVIDENCE THAT YOU WERE ONCE MARRIED TO ONE LOVELYN OKOJIE
This is the first time I am coming out to clear air on the on-going issues that are affecting my marriage to Mercy Johnson. A lot of people have said a lot of things about me, these are things I have not said myself, they formed their own opinion but I can tell you that, this is nothing but the truth of the whole saga. It’s really hurting but I have to come to clear the air because of my fiancée Mercy, she means a lot to me and she has gone through a lot since these scandals broke out. I love her so much, that’s the reason I’m taking pain to do this right now. The lady in question, her real name is Adaeze, we met in Italy a long time ago, then I was living in Italy. We had a relationship, no doubt, she got pregnant;. In the course of our affair, she has two kids for me but the truth is we have both moved on with our lives; this truth is known to her. We were never married legally; we only had a traditional marriage. In fact, the traditional marriage was done by my parents, though I was right here in Lagos when the traditional marriage took place but I did not attend. That goes a long way to explain some issues surrounding the whole controversy.
It was my parents that insisted that I had to go ahead with such a plan because I’m from a royal family in Esan. It was to have the full fatherhood responsibility of my kids. This was done so the kids could bear my family name, Okojie. My parents were there to do it on my behalf.
WHAT ABOUT THE PICTURE THAT WAS EVERYWHERE, YOU WERE SIGNING THE CERTIFICATE OF MARRIAGE
What we were signing was the certificate of birth where we had the first baby, I had to go and recognize the baby, it was done at the ‘comune’ (Local Government) in Italy, it s a kind of community welfare package where both parent go and regularize the status of the baby, there was nothing like any legal marriage in Italy, the picture was in a community house, it was pre-arrangement to regularize the status and also for me to have my resident papers which we were already processing and it didn’t come out so because of that I left everything and I relocated to Nigeria in 2007. And this is well known to her.
BUT SHE CLAIMED THAT SHE HAD THE SECOND BABY IN 2008, HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT?
It’s true that she had another baby in 2008. shortly after I left she told me she was pregnant and because we had something together, I could not deny it. Later on, she moved down to Canada, throwing all her Italian papers away to seek asylum in Canada, it was in Canada she had the second baby, I have accepted the baby anyway.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING APART?
We lived together last in 2007, then I came to Nigeria while she moved to Canada.
YOUR FIANCÉ MERCY MUST BE SO TROUBLED AND DISPIRITED, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DATING HER?
I’ve been with Mercy since 2007/2008, Mercy is really hurt right now but we have to be strong and be there for each other.
SINCE THE TIME YOU MET MERCY, DID YOU, ALONG THE LINE, TELL HER YOU ALREADY HAVE A FAMILY SOMEWHERE?
How do you mean family, it was not a family in that sense you are seeing it, it was an affair that we had that produced children and, Mercy knows I have two kids with her, because the first time she stepped into my house she saw the picture of my daughter, and I told her about them.
WHAT DO YOU THINK MIGHT HAVE CAUSE HER (LOVELYN)’S VITUPERATION JUST DAYS TO YOUR WEDDING?
I really don’t know, many people blackmail for different reasons, I think she is just blackmailing me to separate me and Mercy, but it won’t work because what God has joined together, no man can put asunder. Everyday new story breaks, Mercy and I are getting stronger by the day.
HAS LOVELYN ASKED YOU FOR ANYTHING?
I have been giving her money, but I don’t want to go into all that, but I have been giving her a lot of money, I have been to Canada to see them a couple of times to know how they are fairing. Each time I go to Canada for my Oil and Gas business, I go to see them. I can remember a particular occasion that I used Mercy as my screen saver, when my daughter saw it, she asked me: daddy is this your wife,? I said yes, the mother also saw it and she asked if its Mercy Johnson that I want to marry and I said yes and she said Ok.
SO WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING; YOU DID MENTION OIL AND GAS?
Well I like to keep a private life, I’m a businessman, I’m into importation of cars and I do oil and gas business.
LOVELYN’S RECENT ACTIVITIES MUST HAVE REALLY HURT YOU, HOPE YOU WON’T TRANSFER THE HATRED YOU ARE PRESENTLY DEVELOPING FOR HER TO THE CHILDREN?
I’m really bitter right now, she has caused me so much pains, but I will not allow her wicked nature affect my relationship with the children, moreover, Mercy is a loving person and a wonderful person, ‘she wont even mind taking care of the kids if she allows me to take custody of them, Mercy is kind enough to take good care of them.
WHAT ABOUT THE LATEST GIST THAT YOU TWO ARE NOW PLANNING TO WED SECRETLY?
I don’t know where you guys are getting information from, I did all these to clear the air because of Mercy, I’m doing this to protect her and her profession. As you all know, the marriage has been fixed for the 27th of August, and that is a couple of days from today.
WHAT IF SHE GOES TO COURT?
Why would she go to court? Can you ever build something on nothing?
I wonder too what legal action she would be taking against me. My father paid some money on her for the sake of the children the dissolution of that is already in process.
