She started working during her school days, at age 17, despite coming from a wealthy home. Daughter of multi-billionaire business man, Olorogun Micheal Ibru. Elvina, is undoubtedly a lady who has got all it takes for a celibate to rethink but unfortunately, the amiable light skinned lady is not disposed to idea of going into the institution called, marriage. In this interview with ORUKPE NELSON, the on-air-personality, OAP, who is an interviewer’s delight bore her mind why she’s not interested in marriage, she spoke extensively about her career as a radio presenter, talked about her child, aspiration, and why she prefer to date younger men. Excerpts…

You were recently at UNILAG, can you tell us more about the award?

Okay. It’s from the faculty of Arts and Humanity, UNILAG. They gave me an award, according to them, in recognition of my contribution towards progress of youths and the Arts. That is what the award is all about.

Can you tell us in one word what your contribution has been to the Arts?

(Laughs) To be honest, I don’t know how to blow my own horns, so to speak. In a nutshell I just believe in the youths and when you have the opportunity to help a young person that is trying to grow and you see potentials in that person, which I think every young person has… you learn to lend a helping hand. That’s how I live my daily life. If I can help, I help. If I can’t, I can’t. If I think what they are putting forward is a good idea I would say this is not a good idea but why don’t you try A, B, C, D.

You have been on radio for a while now. How long have you been there and what is it like?

It’s just one year. I love it and I look forward to going to work everyday. Generally, the profession I am in, entertainment, is something I love and I think to be able to do it well, you really need to love it because it’s not an easy sector, even though the people outside think you just have fun everyday. It’s actually an easy sector to be, especially for women but I love it. And starting work at classic F.M just adds another nut to my belt, so to speak. And I have been getting surprises. I was surprised the other day, about a week ago, I received a letter from Exquisite Magazine; they nominated me for outstanding female OAP of the year, so it was a shock because I never imagine that after just one year I would be getting noticed at all. Although, I’m very happy and even if I don’t eventually win… it’s an honour being nominated.

I understand you have a background in broadcasting but while did you choose Classic F.M?

Classic FM… The decision was conceived by me. (Laughs) before I started at Classic FM, I had a little bit of radio experience but not in this form. I worked with BBC in England but it was a different style of work, it was not being a radio presenter. It was more like radio actor. We had a script, it was a show for children, and everything was scripted for us. I would go in with another fellow and we do a little act together. We were teaching children instruments and listening to music from all over the world. So, it was a different kind of experience but I enjoyed it. Now the M.D of Megalectrics; Megaletrics owns Classic FM, Beat FM and Niger FM. He has been telling me for years; “Elvina, come and do radio” and for some reason I had thought I would not be able to do it, I had seen OAP in action, and it’s not easy. I’m very afraid of the modern technology, anything that is more than texting and receiving text on a phone is problem for me. I had been a friend to Olisa, Dare, when he used to be OAP, quite a number of them are my friends so, when I go visiting, I see what they do and it looked so difficult. So, when he kept on telling me, come and do this thing, I know you would be able to do it, I was reluctant. One day I went to see him because he’s an old friend of mine. I had gone to see him for a different reason, I was doing a project and I wanted to partner with Classic FM. While I was there, he was like I don catch you today. He called someone from production department to go and put down my voice so they could listen to it. They took me upstairs, they asked me to say a few things and after everything when I was back down stairs, he said Elvina, this voice is a radio voice. Come and work for Classic FM. I asked him if he felt I was good enough, then he said, I would ask head of programs to listen to you, take you through a few things and if you go through the proper interviews and they feel it’s your world, go for it. And I went through series of interviews, they wrote a letter, saying we like you to come and work for us and I trained for about three weeks or so, and officially I started 1^st of August 2013.

So far, which aspects do you consider challenging?

Are there really any challenges? There are no challenges. The only thing that might have been a challenge is the idea of working for someone because I have owned my business for many years, I’m used to being the big boss, (mild laughter) you know, madam at the top, so to speak. So the only thing that might have been a challenge is the idea that I have to answer to this boss, I have to take permission to do this but honestly, coming from a background of humility, it’s not been a problem. I walked in there knowing fully well that I was going to have Ogas and I was prepared to work with them as an employee. And everybody is very nice, anyway. We all get on very well. There are no challenges. The only thing was at the beginning, training. Like I said, the machine, I never thought I would be able to operate it, you have to be on the internet, and you have to answer phone calls. It’s a multi-tasking but after a while it just become like a second nature. You learn what to say and what not to say, so, to me there are no challenges. The working hours for me are fine, I work from 9 to 12 midnight, I still have time during the day for my other businesses, you can see now, I’m talking to you. So for me, there are no challenges joor, it’s a nice thing to be able to do… (Laughs).

So did you impose the working arrangement and the time?

When I was asked to start, Queen Hadiva had left. Queen Hadiva was the one who used to do the mellow magic slot, when she left, she’s still at Classic but she works only on Sunday. They were looking for OAP to fill in that space and when they told me about it, I loved it because I love the hours. I thought of the time… I can still be running my production office, I can still be doing my acting, writing, I still have the whole day to do whatever else I want to do, so that is how it happened.

Every worker looks forward to the pay day. Do you do the same?

Of course! Who does not? Of course, I do. I don’t just work because I like to work; I work to make a living.

So what goals have you set for yourself as an OAP at this point?

One must always strive to get better. Like I said, I have only been there one year, I have only been an OAP for just one year, so I listen to other OAPs that I think are brilliant and I strive to always be a better OAP. Its so funny everything I have done, people have always pushed me into it. Maybe I don’t believe in myself as much as people believe in me. My sisters have been disturbing me for years that I should start a talk show and I believe that being an OAP is giving me a lot of practice in the way of speaking, communicating with wide audience. So, I’m now seriously putting together a talk show. I can’t say much about it yet because it’s not something I have confirmed but I do have a good idea for a talk show that will be very different and very interesting.

Are there OAP you admire?

Of course. Ehm… I love Afrologic, I love Olisa, I like my boss, Chuko, the person that trained me. Of course, I learn from him. There are a lot of things… subconsciously I do that he does. I love Bukky and Shawz. It’s just like I’m just talking about people in my group, sister stations but seriously, those are the people I really admire and look up to. I love Osam and OTB on Niger FM. Those guys are crazy; they make me laugh a lot. I like OJB as well, from Wazobia. Of course, there are lots of OAP that I admire. Oh I love I.K, wild child. I.K is very good too.

I have listen to you on radio and the fact is that you know your onions. Monitoring you, I also discover so much how people are following you. In your own view what do you think is responsible for this large number of fans in a short space of time? Don’t you think it’s because some people want to listen to you as an Ibru?

(Emotionally laden voice) I think maybe because I am open. I’m not a person that thinks too high of myself. (Back to normal mood) I’m not someone that hides; I’m not hidy-hidy. On my birthday I said asked me any question, I meant it and I answered. I try not to do anything that I would be ashamed of or would have reason to be ashamed of in the future and I feel I’m a friendly person… I don’t look down on people. I think people feel that about me. And again, this name, this Ibru name a lot of people think I have gotten to certain places not based on my talent but by the fact that I am an Ibru. Trust me, it’s not that easy. Every time somebody said something to me like you just did that you enjoy my show, it really does mean a lot to me because it makes me feel like; Elvina, there is something about you that is worth paying attention to, so everyone is entitled to their opinions. You know my slogan is, average girl next door, and I really do look at myself like that because average girl next door has friends, she gist, she’s a nice neighbour, so that is how I look at myself.

So, what do you think is your selling point?

I think it’s the same answer. The openness, I’m not a…oh I cannot talk like that; I’m too good for that. You know I like to break down a lot. I dey burst enter my pidgin sometimes. I’m true to whom I am, where I am from. I no dey try to do like Obodo Oyinbo person, I be Urhobo girl, I’m proud to be a Nigerian. So, maybe those things subconsciously come out and it might be why people want to listen to me, I don’t know. (Laughs)

As a single mother, how do you cope with working in the day and night and taking care of your home?

(Cuts-in) heyyy…. My Elisha, my Oga at the top. (Laughs) Number one, Elisha is a very understanding guy. Let’s put it that way first. He understands what mummy does and understands mummy has to go out and work. I don’t spend as much time with him as I should but I do make sure that Saturdays and Sundays are his time, particularly Sundays. Sometimes on Saturdays I might have events and so on, if it’s something that is okay for children I would have him with me as much as possible during the weekends. During the week, I have an office in Apapa, most times I go to the office in the morning, when he comes home from school, I try to spend time with him, it could be an hour, then I head to the restaurant and I go to Classic FM. But Elisha understands and we are very close. We talk about everything, even though, he’s only six, he acts like an old man. I think he’s a re-incarnation of my dad, even though my dad is still alive. He’s an old soul. I think he’s cool; he assures me he’s cool. Another thing that helps is that he has many mummies. You know my brothers and sisters live in the same yard, like a mini estate, so he has plenty mummies, my two sisters and wives of my brothers, he’s surrounded by love. He gets enough love. When I’m not there another person is there.

Don’t you think the fact that you guys don’t live with his dad will have an effect?

No! His dad and I are best of friends. His dad lives in Port-Harcourt. He tries to come here as much as possible if not Elisha goes to him. And fortunately, his dad got married in December to a very wonderful girl. She’s a fantastic person and Elisha loves her. We get along very well. Sometimes, when we sit like a family, people get confused because they wonder how I can be so close to my ex and his wife. I think life is too short to concern yourself with worthless things. If I quarrel with my ex and his wife, who suffers? It’s my son. I’m just happy about the kind of wife God has given him because my mind is at rest. And from the way we were raised in my house we are not allowed to say half brother or sister but for the purpose of this interview, I have half brothers and sisters but there is no difference.

But did you not get married to Elisha’s father?

I have never wanted to get married.

Why?

I no know o! Maybe if I dey America dem for don carry me go therapist. I really don’t know. May be it has to do with my polygamous background. I don’t know. Maybe it has to do with other marriages that I see, because, I have a few female friends and when you go to lunch with them, they don’t have good things to say about their husbands. If all women are complaining about their husbands, what is the point? To be honest, I don’t think marriage is a fair institution in this country. I really don’t know and I feel until we put aside the double standards, I’m not in the mood. I love Elisha’s father so much but as much as he asked me, I never got interested.

There’s a coincidence here. Your elder sister has a child just like you and she’s not married too. Why?

I think you would be in better position to ask her why she’s not married. She’s not me and I’m not her. I believe if she meets the Mr. right, she will get married but if I meet Mr. right, I don’t want to get married. I have never wanted to get married and now I don’t. Maybe in ten years, one thing fit enter my head, oh girl, time don reach to marry, to have a companion o…. but honestly, I have never been for marriage. Please do not misquote me. I’m not saying the young girls out there shouldn’t get married because I know I’m a role model of sort, before young girls will start to say because Elvina say she no marry, me too… no be so o. I’m not saying marriage is not a good thing. If it’s for you, please go ahead but it’s not for me, at least not now. It’s a personal thing.

So, how do you cope without a companion?

I have a companion but it’s just that there is no certificate.

Could that companion of yours be a married person?

Lailai! I beg o. I take God beg you o. He’s very single.

Could it then be that you like going out with younger people like some are saying?

Is anything wrong with going out with younger people? You see what I mean by double standard in this country? If its sixty years old man that is getting married to a thirty year old, nobody has any issues with it. Oh congratulations… they will even be praising him, oh boy, you are bad guy. But when a sixty year old woman comes out tomorrow that she wants to marry a thirty year old guy, then you hear people go like, hey, Jezebel. We need to stop this nonsense in this country. Once two people are matured and they are consenting, as far as I’m concerned there is nothing wrong with them having a relationship. And besides, you asked if my guy was married and I said no. Most men in my age group are married so, is it better that I should go and meet somebody else’s husband or I should go out with a young guy? I remember a lady asked that question, she was trying to be funny. She said all these young men and bla bla bla, and I said you can give me your husband’s number and I start with him. She did not find it funny; I did not find it funny either. She was pock-nosing in business that was not hers. In Nigeria, I think we need to start living and let people live. Let us focus on things that are important. We should be thinking about why old men are marrying nine, ten year old and giving them belle and VVF, instead of thinking about two consenting homosexuals. I’m very open about these views. We need to talk about this and not whether Elvina Ibru is following men that are younger or not. As far as I’m concern, it’s nobody’s business. So far, I’m not following somebody else’s husband. Young girls following people’s husband up and down is nothing but who Elvina is following. We should get serious.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being an Ibru?

Advantages… Well, education, very good. You get the best. Coming from a privileged background, we were never spoilt but we had things to push us forward in life at our disposal. Disadvantages… I know this might sound strange but it’s the fact. People don’t take us seriously. You asked me earlier on whether I look forward to pay day. Why won’t I look forward to pay day? Because I’m an Ibru? Ultimately, my father doesn’t come and drop one Ghana must go of money at my door step every Wednesday or every Sunday for that matter. I have been working since I was seventeen years old. I started working at seventeen when I was in school. My mother died when I was seventeen and I come from polygamous home. Put two plus two together. And my mum was the first wife. They say when cat is away rat comes out to play. So, we have always been hard working, we have always worked for our money. The disadvantage is that you want to do a project and you walk up to corporate organization for sponsorship and you hear, Elvina, do you want to make fun of us? Honestly, it’s a disadvantage.

Are there things you would want to change about you?

Honestly, I want this big Ikebe to go and belle. (General laughter) I would love to be darker. I love dark skin. If one would be allowed to be superfluous now, I have always wanted to be very petite. And character wise, seriously now I have a terrible temper which I did not grow up with. I really want to calm it down. Although, everything is over as soon as I let out my mind.

How were you able to loose your plus size to this figure?

I’m not at my goal yet, so when I get there I will tell you. I still want to loose a few more KG. I don’t want to be skinny because I would be looking sick. I used to weigh 210 but I weigh 105 so I have a little more to go. I will be very happy if I can get to one hundred or ninety-eight.