30th December, 2011
 The winner of MTN sponsored music competition, Project Fame, Monica Ogah, speaks about her exploits in the competition and future plans
How do you feel emerging the winner of the Project Fame Season 4?
I feel great, I still can’t believe it. May be when I see the car and the money. I feel honoured and I am happy.
What happened after you were announced as the winner?
I felt I was not on stage, I went blank because I couldn’t believe it. I was in another world.
As a millionaire how do you feel?
Right now, I don’t know how it feels to be a millionaire because I’ve not gotten the feel of the money.
When you came into the house did you have the feeling that a lady will emerge winner?
I think I did because we had more ladies in the house and I think after four weeks, the ladies made more impact than the guys and about three guys had gone and I think they were like seven ladies were there. So, I had that feeling that a lady will win.
Were you very popular?
I didn’t know really because anytime we went out, we had people hailing us but no one hailed me personally. So I said to myself that I’m on my own here but I didn’t know I had so much impact on people until this happened.
Did you really feel at home during the competition?
Well, I felt at that time that they were just being there as the audience. They were just there for everybody. At a point I felt at home but at the beginning of the competition I wasn’t feeling at home at all because I felt I came from Benue State, nobody knew me. I looked at the audience and I couldn’t even picture any person I knew. So I didn’t really feel at home. But mid way into the competition I began to enjoy it because they knew this person had something to offer.
Were you good all through?
No, I was not good all through and the truth is, I told myself that I had not done well in the competition. I didn’t sing in the competition even till now. I just felt that God was just there for me. There were times I thought I was going on probation but I didn’t go and I’m like ‘God it’s you’ but the normal me, I knew I could do better than what I did on Project Fame stage because I was scared all through.
What really motivated you to want to sing more?
God, secondly when I saw my fellow contestants do their thing, singing their songs, it really triggered me to want to do more. I’m promising Project Fame that I will do better than what I did on their stage and it’s not as if I didn’t really sing, I sang but I think I can do better. So, motivations actually came from my fellow contestants and God and from the fact that it was a competition.
Were you scared of the first runners-up?
I was not scared of the first runners-up. I wasn’t actually scared of anybody. He was actually very popular but I was not scared of anything that came my way. I believe in myself, I believe in what I carry inside of me and I believe whatever I venture into comes out well.
When the results were being announced, what was on your mind?
I was calm. I prayed before I came. I said: ‘God if you don’t want me to win this competition, give me first runners-up’. So when they were calling first runners-up, I said that was my position; why were they giving my position to someone else. But I resigned myself to fate that whatever happens, I thank God for coming this far.
Who were you attracted to in the house?
Well I can’t really name anybody because I was everywhere. I talked to everybody.
Was there any romance in the house?
Nothing like that happened.
What about others?
For me I did not notice such thing I just mind my business.
How soon are we expecting something from you?
I’m not going to tell you a date but I just want to say expect something big from me. I want to take you by surprise.
What was your growing up like?
I grew up singing, my mum is a choir director. I grew up singing in a church I grew up in music, it actually runs in my family. So, I can’t really say when. I started singing when I was a kid.
Tell us your educational background?
I was in school of nursing before the competition. I am in the first year so I had to forfeit it to be here.
So what’s next?
School, research on music, rehearsals and music all through.
Can you describe yourself?
I am always myself wherever I go, I don’t pretend. Take me for who I am.
–Abimbola Obatayo