•Recounts life during hard times
WINNER of Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) 2021 edition, Hazel Onyeze Onoduenyi, better known as Whitemoney, has been unveiled as GOtv latest brand ambassador
The official announcement and unveiling was made on Monday, November 15 at a press conference held at MultiChoice Victoria Island experience centre.
Speaking at the event, the CEO MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe said the development is a fulfillment of the firm’s commitment following Whitemoney’s win of BBNaija in October 2021
Ugbe said, “GOtv has been around for 10 years and this year is a big landmark for us; we are excited to have Whitemoney on this landmark. We are also happy to continue to grow the Nigerian entertainment scene.
“A lot of people loved Whitemoney on Big Brother and we are happy that Africa Magic is bringing him back to the screens, Whitemoney is the first GOtv ambassador with his own show.”
On the signing, Whitemoney, who clarified that his last name is Onoduenyi, and not Onou said, “I’m so excited that me a street boy is here today and people are aligning with the Whitemoney brand. It is a big bragging rights for my fans.
“This is my first big signing aside from other endorsements. I am proud to be part of the family. Anywhere I mess up please call me to order because I am part of something big now. Mazi in the house was broke, but the Whitemoney today is a millionaire,” he added
Also speaking at the ceremony, MultiChoice Head of Content, West Africa, Busola Tejumola said the new reality TV show will focus on all aspects of Whitemoney and will premiere in the first quarter of 2022. She confirmed that the show will be available on all DStv, GOtv, and Showmax platforms.
Meanwhile, in another development, the coiner of the slang ‘Who Dey Breathe’ has recounted his early struggles of life. In an interview with BBC Igbo, the multi-talented entertainer said, “I auditioned for billboards and I got tired. I tried to get into BBNaija from the time of Efe until I finally got in. Someone tried to make me smuggle drugs; I wooed ladies and they rejected me for being poor. I worked as a driver, sold shoes.”
“I was born with a silver spoon but that was taken from me at a tender age, leaving my brother and I on the streets to hustle. My brother wouldn’t allow me to do the hard jobs. He did bricklaying in Benin and we were paid with bread. What we were practically doing was begging. My father left us; we went to Kaduna and my brother found his calling on the computer. I had a thing for singing.
“Years later, we found our dad and lived with him for a few months. We left to live with our mom and started cooking. My brother went to computer school. In SS3, I had no money to pay for my O’ Level exams; my uncle helped. Thereafter, my life changed. We entered the streets fully.
“While my mom cooked, I learned. We were serving double portions to attract customers. That was our only income source. When she was sick, our cooking paid her medical bills,” he added.
The ‘White Lion’ head honcho, also talked about how he monetised his songwriting, relocated to Lagos where he lived under a bridge.
“A friend of mine came to serve in that village, I told her I could barb hair and that I also write songs. I wrote a full album and she took it to Lagos. She was to shoot a video for one of the songs and had me come to Lagos.
“I decided to stay back in Lagos. I sought work in a barbing saloon but got none. I was under pressure to move out from where I was squatting. My shop in Kaduna got burned so there was nothing to go back to,” Whitemoney stated
He continued “I started living under the bridge. We would defecate and dispose of it in cellophane (Nylon) bags. We bathed in the public. But I didn’t lose focus. I met a lot of people, including those who did things to me. I went through a lot.
“In 2015, someone helped me with money and a vehicle but that was short-lived. I started from scratch, struggling. I sold jewelry, hawked fries on the streets, sold cream, and barbed hair. I got rejected everywhere I sought work.”
