In this interview with NAOMI CHIMA, famous actor and musician Charles Okocha, also known as Amoshine, talks about his life beyond fame, his journey as a single father, and how he managed to survive the obstacles he faced in pursuit of his dreams.
In 2015, I got hit by a stray bullet and went for surgery in London also in 2019. Recently, I had an accident, how would you describe your experience of surviving all these catastrophic incidents?
The first thing I would like to say is thank God. I give glory to God in everything. I thank him for everything. All this shows that God loves me. If he didn’t, I don’t think I would live today. With all that has happened, some people will not survive it. So God loves me. I have always been exposed to difficult things, even before shooting I had an accident as well. Therefore, it just shows how much God loves me.
How did the accident happen? We saw the pictures you posted, how did you get out of that car?
I actually went to FESTAC because I stayed on the island. We were leaving around 12 am to 12 midnight when my friend asked me to join him in his car and I obliged. So, he was driving my car and my chauffeur was driving behind us, while another friend of mine was with his Mercedes-Benz, he just came over from Austria.
My boyfriend started speeding and I was telling him to slow down, but it was like I hadn’t just started driving. And before we knew what was happening the other car just tried to pass in front of us and because we were going so fast the brakes were hard to control and It failed at that point and the next thing the car got stuck and hit the curbs. If it weren’t for those barricades, we might be inside the river by now.
What lessons have you learned since surviving the accident?
I have learned a lot. It was a lesson for me because I really was driving my car. If I had been in my car, the accident could have been avoided. If I knew, I would just sit in the car. But since he is my friend, he asked me to get into my car and I agreed. You know, you’re not supposed to please people. I had to listen to my instincts. Even if other people made the mistake of trying to overtake us, we wouldn’t have had an accident if my friend hadn’t been speeding, which is why they say speeding kills us. So I learned to listen to my intuition. If I do that, it won’t happen because neither the driver nor the guard will speed me up and they will listen to me when I tell them to slow down.
What thoughts went through your mind as you were being rescued from the crash site?
My wonderful children, people who I care about. Imagine how you would feel if you were not in this world, and how you would feel. This shows how much we should pay attention to our lives. We also need to pay more attention to our movements.
Why not marry any mother with two children?
I have two wonderful children. boys and girls. Right now, I’m focused on taking care of my beautiful children, and that’s enough. They are my children and they motivate me.
What is life like for single parents? Why are you still alone?
In fact, I have never been married in my life and I am a happy person. You and I know what’s been going on lately. We see couples who have been married for many years getting divorced.
When people you think of as role models get divorced and you see them, do you wonder what happened? These are people you admired and now they’re divorced. So how do you want this marriage to start?
Are you planning to get married this year?
Some people say that I will never get married. No! Please don’t misquote me. I will definitely get married. My children are now grown, so I need a partner who can take care of me and my children’s needs. I’m married, but I just pass the time.
