Olayiwola Matthew
Veteran Nollywood actress, Rose Odika, has revealed how she faced stiff opposition from her father when she initially wanted to study theater arts.
The former Governor of the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN) told The Nation that she was only able to go into acting after her father’s death.
The movie star revealed that her dad had insisted she study linguistics instead of theatre arts.
She recalled, “My father wanted me to be a linguist or study German, I went briefly to the University of Ibadan to study Theatre Arts but my father denied me. He said, ‘no, you won’t be an actor – those lazy people who usually drop out of school. Go and study linguistics’.”
Odika added that she struggled with meeting university admission requirements despite repeated efforts.
“I wrote JAMB three times but didn’t meet the cut-off mark. Somehow, I got admitted into Ivan Ikoku College of Education to read Health Education.
“Unfortunately, I lost my dad the year I changed from the University of Ibadan to Ivan Ikoku. So I was the one that saw myself through school with the help of one Honourable Linda Chuba and some aunties,” she explained.
Looking back, Odika admitted she would have made different choices if she had known what was ahead.
“If I had known that I’d lose my father, I would have stayed put in UI, but I went to Ivan Ikoku College of Education just to please my dad,” she said.