Popular actress and mother, Mercy Johnson-Okogie shared on Instagram that she rode the train with her 2-year-old daughter Purity yesterday March 3, 2015.
She released a lengthy press release today March 4, 2015 detailing her reasons.
Rad below...
My picture and that of my daughter, Purity in a Lagos train has surfaced online and quite a number of people have asked me what I was doing in a train and in Lagos for that matter; not Paris or London.
I was around Iddo at Ebute Metta when my Range Rover developed a mechanical fault and I had to make a very important appointment in Ikeja regardless of the usual traffic congestion in Lagos.
Luckily, a member of my management team was around, he suggested a train ride and we were in Ikeja in less than 30 minutes but that is not the crux of this statement.
Like I mentioned earlier, I have had to answer questions in private and public as to why I would board a train because trains in Nigeria are considered a means of transportation for the ordinary and not-so-rich people. A friend called and said I just devalued my brand by being on the train with ordinary people. I couldn’t help but laugh. Are we extra ordinary people because we are celebrities?
In as much as I understand the concept of branding, packaging and exclusiveness, I will never trade the experience to sit, interact and feel the pulse of so-called ordinary people.
By the way, I am part of the ordinary people. I grew up as an ordinary person among ordinary people. Why would I avoid them now? Would that be because I am now famous? Without these ordinary people, how would I have been famous in the first place? Without the so called ordinary people, where would Nigeria's growing population of so-called well packaged celebrities be today?
For the purpose of clarification, I was not on that train due to lack of money to get a well packaged cab or to get somebody to bring another car from the house but, my car developed an unforeseen fault and I needed a fast , reliable and convenient alternative immediately as there was urgent business to be attended to and I respect time a lot.
The train was available where I was; most importantly, I did not want to turn down the opportunity to be with the people who would ordinarily not have access to me so I grabbed the opportunity with both hands and here we are.I want to thank my co-passengers, officials of the train for treating me with absolute respect and courtesy, I am indeed, very grateful. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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mercy johnson u dey fall my hand cos I like u so much, just imagine u entered a 750naira train from iddo to ikeja is dat fair enuf cos I saw u on TV campaigning for GEJ, y don't u try d commoner train of 230naira, I guess u will b on admission right now wit d heat and population
ReplyDeleteI am disappointed with any person who discredits MJ for using the train. MJ, aside from the exigency of time, pls ignore the mediocres and use it again and again when opportunity presents itself and pls buy extra tickets for your fans as many as you can isuue there and then to show haters that ypu are there not out of poverty but to as well mingle with the 'common' people that made you a star, who constitute the sky from where you shine. Pls MJ, ride on more on that train to even encourage that type of transportation.
DeleteYou must be sick upstairs
Deleteits a show of patronage..
DeleteI think Prince is actually the one that needs his 'upstairs' examined if he has issues with a free Nigerian in a free society, choosing her mode of transportation. If you consider a ride in a train by MJ as debasing, then what do you think of others using it, less human or no class? If yes, then, you lack respect for humanity and and are only interested in a show of class. MJ, pls ride the train again and again and fedel the vibes of the class of society that brought the best out of you. It's a free world and you are at liberty to do so.
DeleteI thought they said you are on the run from the Nigerian Police. Very important appointment indeed. What you wore, most especially the torn jeans showed how important the appointment was . What a campaign strategy. It is not until you ride in one of the trains before we know that they operate in Lagos. The FG had already told us that but can we compare the two trains to the ones in developed countries? We like celebrating mediocrity in this country. The strategies of the FG to gain our support seem not to be working.
ReplyDeleteShe never mentioned anything about campaign in this article. Why are some people exuding hatred without reason. She chose to ride on the train due because she needed it. You haters should go and get a life please!
ReplyDeleteGod bless you MJ let them say, people will always see one thousand reasons for their dead brain without a common sense
ReplyDeleteI wonder how someone else's choice has become some people's problem. That she chose to use the train, whose business is it? Some people are indeed jobless, hopeless, stupid and senseless. Why calling her names cos of her choice of transportation which is one of the rights we have as Nigerians. In developed countries it's not like this o cos it's a plus to celebrities to act like a "commoner". And Pls, how is anyone's concern what she wears to her appointment. Do u knw if it's official or unofficial appointment. Illiteracy is a disease. Let's learn to mind our business in this country.
ReplyDeleteMJ Kai, how stupid do you really think we Nigerians are? As much as l appreciate ur gesture and concern for mr president re-election but know offence is only fools that will buy this ur gist. Just keep it up with the way you have been campaigning for mr president sorry you got it wrong this time around.
ReplyDeletePeople are funny sha.
ReplyDeleteWhat do we really need in this world, U do d right thing people still talk, u do the wrong thing, same thing, hmmmmmm. Anyone is free to do anything he/she feels like doing. And why shlould we waste our time to discuss issues like dis? Mercy do what makes you comfortable. BE YOURSELF.
ReplyDeleteAre you dreaming of rubbing shoulders with the cream of the
ReplyDeleteindustry?
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