Business
‘I need the holy spirit to heal me’ – Nollywood Actress, Princess Chineke talks on bloody bite from colleague, Christabel
Many people still continue to wonder what could have gone into a budding actress named Christabel Goddy to have allegedly bit a senior colleague of hers, Princess Chineke, on the lap, which took off a chunk of flesh.
Some have wondered if Christabel has pointed incisors in her mouth like those of wolfs or vampires.
Last week, Aproko247 looked into the matter and traced the victim to her hospital in Dopemu area of Lagos State, where we spoke with Princess Chineke on the matter.
It was a gory sight when doctors dressed the wound, which is gradually healing.
However, we gathered that the Princess Chineke has since been responsible for her treatment, except for the initial payment made by those in charge of production at Iyana-Ipaja area of the same state, where the unfortunate incident happened.
Princess, who forced a beaming smile on her face, lamented that she never foresaw this happening to her. The actress said the sad incident occurred after she completed 21 days fast at the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry, MFM, where she committed her year before God.
“This is not the 2016 I saw, certainly not a good way to start the year,” a dejected Princess told Aproko247 in a chat with her.
Princess said that she has gone through several pains, fever, trauma, scar, home-bound, loss of jobs, events and activities because of the incident.
According to her, “I have had many unanswered questions roaming through my head, ‘God why, why me, what, why, where did I go wrong? especially after concluding the beginning of the year 21 days fast and prayers from December 31, 2015 and all I get is a bite in less than two weeks after?’
“If I had the slightest inclination this would have happened, maybe I would not have gone for the job.”
She explained that “It took me a while before I agreed to do the job. On my way to the movie location, I had a flat tyre that morning, my car broke down on Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos that day. My friend called my attention to all these signs, but I told her the devil didn’t want me to work.
“Little did I know it would be this. Why didn’t I see this coming? But like my loved ones said, it could have been worse if not for the prayers I had in the beginning of the year. In all, I still thank God.”
Princess pointed out that she is happy Christabel never poured hot water on her because according to her (Princess), they always ask for hot water at the hotel they lodged, where the incident happen, after completing the day’s job.
“What would have become of me if she attacked me on the face?” Princess asked.
When Aproko247 demanded to know if they had any issues before the incident, Princess said that the only thing she remembered was her (Princess) telling her not to make night calls in the room and also to stop putting the phone on speaker during late night calls, which she said Christabel took offence in.
“I reported the first incident to the (movie) Director, Aaron Ugede, but he said he would take care of it,” Princess told Aproko247.
She further said that Christabel once told the Production Manager of the set that “take this tramp (Princess) out of here, she is not meant to be in this project, she is not meant to be in the hotel.”
Princess said, “I got marvelled at such words from a junior colleague, who just relocated from Port Harcourt, Rivers State to Lagos last year, calling me and my family witches.”
Explaining how she was attacked, the victim said, “I was lying sideways playing with my phone when she hit me on the face, her fingers were on my neck and before I could be done with taking off her fingers on me, and sit up, she pounced on my thigh with her teeth, being more of advantage standing up, while I was still lying on the bed.
“I struggled my thigh off, picked off my phone and called our senior colleague, the room got crowded, the Director peeped and left without saying a word.
“She later said ‘Princess, you have been in the industry before me, but you will see how far I will grow more than you, check your leg, that bite is little compared to what I will do for you later.”
Princess further explained that after the incident happened at about midnight, she was first rushed to different hospitals around Iyana-Ipaja, but that she could not be treated until they got to one at Dopemu, near Akowonjo, Egbeda, Lagos.
“After the stitches in the hospital, the Director insisted that I continue with the shoot, which I obliged. When the pictures went viral, she cried to the director, who called us to a meeting and told me to make efforts to remove her pictures from the internet and informed the press that the matter has been resolved.
“I refused to do this, but the Director promised Christabel to get her pictures off the internet.
“My mum got to know about the incident from neighbours and she came the next day to take me out of the set.
“Even when the police was involved in the matter, Christabel showed them her violent side. A backup was called to the DPO because of her display. The owner of the hotel had to order the window to be smashed to fetch her inside the room when he locked herself inside, trying to stop her arrest,” Princess narrated to Aproko247.
“When she was told to apologise to me for the wrongdoing, she bluntly refused. At a point, she even denied biting me, saying her God will judge me for lying against her.
“She even later told the police that her name was not Christabel Goddy, but Amaka Robert.
“When her lawyer came, the police were surprised she was called by her name. Even the lawyers she brought called her Christabel.
“One funny thing happened at the station when she was about to be detained, she pretended to have fainted. The police laughed and reminded her that she was an actress, but the movie director told the police that she was not pretending or acting at that point.
“He ensured that the girl was taken out of the station with the notion that she was being rushed to the hospital for treatment.
“It is just unfortunate that she is rising through this incident, while I am suffering the pains.”
Princess, who started off as a model, said that she is trying to forget about the incident and forge ahead and that she is working hard to come out of it better.
“All I need now is the Holy Spirit to pass through this process, heal me, not just physically or emotionally, but heal me mentally,” Princess enthused.
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Business
A Wake-Up Call to Public Servants: Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s Bold Stand for Nigeria’s Revival
A Wake-Up Call to Public Servants: Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s Bold Stand for Nigeria’s Revival
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
At a time when Nigeria’s public service is plagued by inefficiency, lethargy, and endemic corruption, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has sounded an urgent clarion call to public servants: return to diligence, patriotism, and unwavering commitment to national development. His message, though direct and seemingly simple, strikes at the very heart of Nigeria’s governance crisis and poses a fundamental question to every civil servant: What is your contribution to the rebirth of Nigeria?
Governor Oborevwori’s charge comes at a critical juncture in Nigeria’s history. The nation is on the brink of socio-economic collapse—crippled by mass unemployment, a failing naira, staggering debt levels, and institutional decay. In the face of this reality, Oborevwori’s words serve not just as a political speech, but as a necessary moral awakening. He dares to demand from public servants what Nigeria has lacked for far too long: accountability, productivity, and an ethic of service.
“The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” – Ralph Nader
Public servants, as the machinery of governance, are expected to be the vanguard of national transformation. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, many have become the very clog in the wheel of progress. From the highest federal agencies to the most remote local councils, stories abound of dereliction of duty, inflated contracts, ghost workers, absenteeism, and outright theft of public funds.
Governor Oborevwori rightly emphasized that without a dedicated, ethical, and service-oriented public service, no government policy, no matter how visionary, can yield fruit. Echoing this, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan once noted, “Good governance is perhaps the single most important factor in eradicating poverty and promoting development.” And good governance cannot exist where public servants are more committed to personal enrichment than public service.
The Nigerian civil service, once regarded as one of the most professional in Africa during the post-independence era, has deteriorated to a bastion of inefficiency. A World Bank report in 2023 estimated that Nigeria loses over $18 billion annually to public sector inefficiencies and corruption. These are not just numbers—they represent schools not built, hospitals without medicine, roads abandoned mid-construction, and millions of dreams deferred.
In light of this, Governor Oborevwori’s statement is not a routine call to duty; it is a rallying cry for national redemption. “We must reawaken the consciousness of public servants to understand that they are not just employees, but stewards of national hope,” he stated.
“Public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. It must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation.” – Margaret Chase Smith
Nigeria is in dire need of such dedication. For decades, leadership has been reduced to a feeding trough for the political elite and their cronies in the bureaucracy. Meritocracy has been sacrificed on the altar of nepotism. Promotions are often based not on performance, but on connections and bribes. This cancer has metastasized across all levels of government.
The call for diligence must go beyond rhetoric. There must be a deliberate and structured overhaul of the public service system. Recruitment should be based strictly on competence. Training must be prioritized, and performance should be objectively measured. Those who fail to meet standards should be sanctioned without fear or favour.
President John F. Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” In Nigeria today, too many public servants are still asking what they can steal from their country. This mindset must change, and change fast. Governor Oborevwori’s words should be amplified across all states and ministries.
His administration in Delta State has shown promising signs. The state has recorded improvements in internally generated revenue, infrastructural development, and youth empowerment programs. These successes are not accidental—they are the result of focused leadership and a growing insistence on performance-driven governance.
“A nation is not defined by its borders or the boundaries of its land, but by the collective spirit of its people.” – Barack Obama
Nigeria’s greatness will never come from oil reserves or abundant landmass. It will come from Nigerians who are willing to build rather than loot; to serve rather than exploit; to lead with integrity rather than deceive with slogans. The public service is the engine room of this transformation.
Public servants must also embrace innovation and transparency. In an era of digital governance and open data, Nigeria cannot afford to operate a 21st-century economy with a 19th-century bureaucracy. Oborevwori’s call must be followed by practical measures: e-governance platforms, performance-based incentives, public service audits, and whistleblower protections.
Nations like Rwanda and Singapore rose from instability to prosperity not through divine luck, but through visionary leadership and a professional, efficient civil service. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, aptly observed, “Africa’s story has been written by others; we need to own our problems and solutions and write our own story.” Nigeria must do the same—and it starts with the stewards of the state: public servants.
The Nigerian public deserves better. The citizens have endured years of broken promises, collapsing infrastructure, power outages, and unpaid pensions. They deserve a civil service that works for them—not against them. As citizens struggle with inflation and insecurity, it is unconscionable for government employees to remain indifferent or complicit.
Diligence must be revived as a national virtue. Patriotism must no longer be reserved for Independence Day speeches—it must be lived out daily in government offices, in the accuracy of data entry, the timeliness of memos, the fairness of policy implementation, and the integrity of budget execution.
Governor Oborevwori has lit a torch. It is now the duty of every true Nigerian public servant to carry it forward. Let every government worker ask themselves: If Nigeria’s success depended on my daily performance, what kind of nation would we have?
“The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” – Plato
Let the message ring from Abuja to Asaba, from Kano to Calabar: public service is not a privilege to be abused; it is a sacred trust. Governor Oborevwori has reminded us of that trust. The question now is—will the Nigerian public servant rise to the occasion, or continue to dig the grave of a nation gasping for rebirth?
The world is watching. History is waiting. Nigeria cannot afford another decade of bureaucratic betrayal.
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