At Monalisa Chinda’s birthday party…

Indeed, it is the season of celebrity-birthday. Nigeria’s ‘Monalisa of Troy,’ I mean, Monalisa Chinda of Nollywood clocked the adult age recently. As it is often said by Elders that at the age of 40, the celebrant is already an achiever and truly wise, Monalisa’s birthday was an exclusive party of Nollywood big boys and girls.

Here is the roll call: Nigeria’s ageless Queen of the Screen, Liz Benson (currently an Evangelist married to a pastor) and her contemporary, Joke Silva, President of Actors’ Guild of Nigeria, Ibinabo Fiberesima, her predecessor, Segun Arinze, Mr and Mrs Patrick Ireti Doyle, Charles Okafor, ace comedians, Ay and Julius Agwu, Uti Nwachukwu of Tinsel fame, Basorge Tariah, Rukky Sanda, frontline movie director, Zik Zulu Okafor and others. For a truth, Monalisa Chinda has paid her dues in the industry. While a student at the famous Crab Theatre, University of Port Harcourt in the late 1990s, Monalisa was the star to behold; she starred as the ‘Pregnant Virgin’ in an emerging Nigerian movie industry. What else can we add to the ‘Happy Birthday’ song but the nostalgic Crab Theatre signature tune, Ochanja Alolomilo Owe, Pempe Perere Upete, Upee!