Fati Ladan, a former Kannywood star, tells ALIYU ASKIRA in this interview why her marriage to Yerima Shettima has been a huge success.
It is generally believed that Kannywood actresses jump in and out of marriage; why is yours successful?
It’s patience; I mean when I married my husband my intention was to stay put no matter the challenges. This is because both of us love each other passionately such that I decided to build a bridge between me and home breakers. It is only when you see me that you will gossip about me and my marriage. If I am not in school or doing one business or the other I am always at home taking care of my husband even though he too is always very busy.
When your marriage had been about eight years and you had not still had a child for your husband, were you under pressure from his parents?
Before my daughter Aisha Humaira which I had through Caesarian Section at the Air Force Base Hospital, Kaduna, we had a baby boy who died at birth. My husband’s parents are quite an understanding duo and they believe that God’s time is the best. In fact, I was actually worried, but my husband always advised me to take it easy and today we are blessed with a bouncing baby girl.
You are hardly seen at events organised by your former colleagues in Kannywood. Why is this so?
It is true, but I am glad that when we had the naming ceremony of our daughter most of them graced the occasion. When I got married my intention was to be a film producer, but I later discovered that I had married a man who is extremely busy, so I went back to school and even started some businesses. But I can tell you that I am still very close to my mentor in Kannywood who assisted me when people were running away from me.
Who is that your mentor?
He is, of course, Ali Nuhu, the king of Kannywood. When I joined Kannywood my former husband had to bribe some people in the industry but they still refused to feature me in their films claiming that I was still married. But when Ali Nuhu featured me in the successful movie, Adamsy, it opened doors of success for me. Producers then started running after me to feature in their films, but along the line I met Yerima Shettima and we got married and I said bye, bye to acting.
On many occasions, your husband had confrontations with security agencies after he had married you; he was even once declared wanted. How did you cope with that?
When we first met (and I had heard a lot about him), he also sat down with me one day and told me that he was a rights activist, a politician and youth leader, as such I should be prepared for the worst. I told him that I was ready to be with him no matter the challenges. If you come to our house you will see people coming for one issue or the other, but my husband’s hand is always open to help people. However, he dislikes begging; if you are the type that will disturb him by begging for assistance or the other, he will easily close his doors against you. I have over the years learnt to live with his way of life, and I can tell you that this marriage is destined for total success. As for his choice of food, although he stayed for a long time in the South, he likes local foods like tuwo and miyan kuka and pate (you know he is from Zaria).
As for whether or not I would accept to live with another woman if he decided to marry again, let me tell you that he has another wife, and that means I am the second. So, to answer your question, I say yes and no. You see, no woman will want to share her husband with another even though Islam allows for four wives. Honestly, I am prepared to give him the type of love that is second to none so that I will have him for life. That is why I have kept a few friends in order to avoid back-stabbing.
