By Olaitan Ganiu
Ex-Nigerian Idol finalist, Jemiriye, has advised the finalists in this year’s competition to spend their prize wisely.
Francis and Kingdom will battle for the crown of the Nigerian Idol season 6, this Sunday. The winner will go home with N50m worth of prizes and a recording contract.
In an interview with The Nation, Jemiriye, who recently released a song titled ‘Eko’ to celebrate Lagos, urged the top 2 finalists to be frugal in spending.
“If you win, don’t let it get to your head because you can just spend your money in one year and you are done and nobody will talk to you no more,” she said.
Continuing, the Nigerian American-based songstress said, “If you lose, don’t see yourself as a loser, that you made it into the house, you are already a winner. There can only be one winner out of all those beautiful talents so just enjoy your life and stay true to yourself.”
“Don’t go the extra mile by borrowing money to canvas for votes. Some people owe so much that after the show they were calling, please don’t break a bank trying to impress people – make sure your talent speaks for you.
“I went on with flyers to converse for votes, I didn’t go out of my way to borrow money but I know people borrow money and I felt bad for them because their mum confessed the money from the cooperative.”
Lending her voice to Seyi Shay’s critics, Jemiriye says the ‘Murda’ singer is acting according to the script.
“As much as it is a competition, people should not forget that it is a TV show so it has to be as entertaining as possible. Maybe, the script says Seyi Shey should act like Lady Gaga, so she might just be doing her job.
“On the other side, It might have a lasting impression on the contestant because whatever you say to them they can take it through their life journey and it can make or mar them with your word. Even if I’m doing my job I still don’t want people to feel like they are nobody because my word carries a lot of weight and for the fact that I’m established and say to you ‘you can never be anything’.
“It depends on how you take it, I can take it to market and become greater and come back to tell you ‘ I told you I am going to make it’ or ‘I can just go cry’. So, my advice for the contestant, don’t take any of those things to your head, just make sure you stay focused on the game.
“The judges are human beings like you and trust me, some of you are better than them but the virtue of what they did in their life is what makes them sit right there so you just work on yourself too and do not rely on someone’s word and think it is the end of your life. It is just an entertainment show where they are allowed to say all that.”
Nigerian Idol: You can go broke with N50m within a year, says Jemiriye
