It’s been almost a month since BBAfrica finalist Ofunneka Molokwu lost out on the hundred thousand big-ones to the show’s winner Richard Bezuidenhout. To satisfy our junkified neeeed for goss on what’s been happening since the house doors closed I caught up with Offuneka for us to find out what she’s up to right now - and of course ask her the questions we’ve been dying for answers to. Here’s what she had to say:
*BB cam zooms in on Ofunneka in her house*
Tashi: What’s life been like since the show finished?
Ofunneka: It’s been hectic - I’ve been going for interviews and functions, I’ve had to see the federal government, the State government, I’ve been seeing my fans, I’ve been having parties - it’s been hectic but fund all the same.
Tashi: All this governmental stuff - what do you do?
Ofunneka: I met the Minister of Information and I was made an ambassador of a project they call the Heart Of Africa - it’s a project to portray Nigeria in a good light, who we are, what we do, portraying us in a good light, portraying our leaders in a good light to the whole of Africa and beyond.
Tashi: Wasn’t your mind blown that scumbag Richard won instead of you?
Ofunneka: No not really, I mean it was God’s will. It’s what I keep on saying - I wasn’t meant to win and he was - he won the money and I wish him all the best. There are more opportunities out there for ever wins or doesn’t win so no I didn’t feel bad at all.
Tashi: But did you expect that you were gonna win?
Ofunneka: Obviously I mean was left the second person, it was me and Richard, of course I expected to win - wouldn’t you have expected to win if you were there ‘til the last day? I was competing for the money so of course I thought I was gonna win but he did so it’s a good thing.
Tashi: Were you surprised that he won?
Ofunneka: No I wasn’t surprised - he stood a good chance and like KB said the competition was very close.
Tashi: What’s the latest you’ve heard on him and the Ricky fiasco?
Ofunneka: I haven’t heard much on him I’m sorry, I haven’t.
Tashi: And nothing on him and Tatiana?
Ofunneka: No I’ve been so busy with what I’ve been doing I haven’t. I should be asking you - you’re the reporter you should know more.
Tashi: True but Ricki’s disappeared off the face of the planet - no-one knows what she’s doing - the only rumours we’ve heard were firstly that she’s gonna sue him for half the cash and then that she’s
become his manager.
Ofunneka: It’ll be good if everything is sorted out in terms of Richard and whoever wants to know whatever in their life, I wish them all the best - it was a game, we where in the house and now we’re out so let’s see what we make of the life we have outside.
Tashi: Talk to us about
the controversial Saturday afternoon.
Ofunneka: *laughs*
Tashi: Do you think you were assaulted?
Ofunneka: I don’t know what to say, as it was, I mean I drank, I overdrank and I passed out so I can’t say for sure what happened, I don’t know and that’s the honest truth, I don’t know.
Tashi: How did you feel when you watched the footage?
Ofunneka: The thing about it is that if I was aware of what was happening I would have known what my state of mind was then - I just watched it as a clip so right now I’ve spoken to my family about it and we’re thinking about what to do next - I’m just trying to move on as opposed to looking back. It was a bad experience, it happened and I just want to get it over and done with and move on with my life.
Tashi: What did your family say about it?
Ofunneka: They’re like: “You know what, it was a lapse in your better judgement by over-drinking and you know what, we support you. We just have to sit down and talk about what happened and see what steps we take from there,” so they’re thoroughly behind me - we’re all human beings and we all make mistakes and mine was drinking so oh well.
Tashi: So you still feel that it’s up in the air, that it hasn’t reached a resolution for you?
Ofunneka: Yeah it hasn’t that’s why I’m talking to my family and whatever it is we decide on, I’ll definitely let the press know in due curse.
Tashi: Do you think you lost the million because of it?
Ofunneka: No I don’t think so, whatever was meant to be happened - I don’t think I lost the money because of it - not for one second do I think that.
Tashi: How do you feel about the fact that so many people were outraged about it?
Ofunneka: That’s the thing, I didn’t know what was happening - different people see things in different ways so I don’t know how people are seeing it in the outrage, people might even be blaming me, I don’t know. I’ve just closed myself off to whatevers been said about it. I haven’t read anything up and I don’t want to - I want us to make a judgement without being influenced by anything that’s been said or whatever’s happening in the press.
Tashi: The production person in charge of the afternoon was fired - do you think it was the right move?
Ofunneka: Yes they realized that what happened was a bad thing which is why they’ve fired him.
Tashi: Do you blame the show in any way?
Ofunneka: The first person I would blame is myself for drinking more than we were expected to drink. Everybody else I don’t know because I don’t know what I was thinking when it happened or how it went that far - I’m not going to point fingers - whatever needed to be done has been done in terms of who was on duty and them being fired. I don’t know who to blame or what to say – if we hadn’t been drinking or whatever we wouldn’t have got to the point we got to so I don’t want to point fingers.
Tashi: I imagine you must have been asked about it a
lot.Ofunneka: Yes I have - and now you’re asking me.*laughs*
Tashi: What are your future plans?
Ofunneka: Well right now, apart from the Heart Of Africa project I’m working on I'm putting together an NGO and I want to work in entertainment in terms of stage and presenting shows and I want to do my Masters in Councelling Psychology. I’m hoping I can get something to do with UNICEF or UNESCO, the UN in general, so these are all the things I intend to do but right now I’m just focusing on what I need to do with Heart of Africa ‘cos I need to get something out to them by next week - everything else I’m taking a step at a time.
Tashi: You don’t win any runner-up prize do you?
Ofunneka: No, one winner takes it all. No nothing - although I got a ticket to the 2010 world cup. *laughs*
Tashi: *laughs* Yes - they only gave you one ticket didn’t they?
Ofunneka: Yes *laughs*.
Tashi: What are you supposed to do with that?? Woohoo - don’t break the bank M-Net, hmmmph. What’s your advice to anyone entering the next Big Brother?
Ofunneka: Be yourself, don’t be influenced by people around you because everyone’s there for a reason - to win the money. So just be yourself, be strong, be determined and I don’t know - you probably will win the money.
Tashi: Were you influenced?
Ofunneka: I don’t think so, not at all. I just said: “I’m going into the house as myself,” and that’s what I did.
Tashi: Who do you think you’ll be friends with now that it’s all over?
Ofunneka: I’ll stay in touch with Tatiana definitely, I’ll stay in touch with Bertha hopefully, Maureen, Code definitely, Jeff, Justice - the majority of them because it was really a game so I didn’t see whatever it is that happened there the norm as what would happen in the real world but you never know, you never really know because we’re out here right now so I’m getting to know the housemates outside the house and if the people in the house remain as they were outside, then of course, they’re good friendships.
Tashi: You say Tatiana - so you do have gossip about her?
Ofunneka: I said I
will stay in touch with her - I’ve been so busy I haven’t been able to talk to anyone but I intend to stay in touch with her.
Tashi: Oh Okay. Where are you staying at the moment?
Ofunneka: Right now I’m at home.
Ends