Jemeji
Jemeji
Jemeji is a Nigerian Telenovela based on the activities going on in a small village of Aji in the heart of Badagry. Created on the 2nd of March 2018 by Victor 'Sanchez' Aghahowa, the telenovela is blessed with a hybrid of well-acted Episodes and a stellar cast packaged together in a story of mystery, curses, deaths, love triangles and a lot of suspense. [1][2]
Background
Badagry is an independent coastal town in Lagos State and also a Local government area. The town sits down proudly between the city of Lagos in Nigeria and Seme Border in the Republic of Benin (1967). [3]
‘Jemeji’, which means ‘Turn by turn’ was brought forth to promote the language, art, culture, traditions and taboos of the Badagry people as a means to bring in something fresh to the Big Screen. [4]
According to the Creative and Executive producer of the series, Victor Aghahowa, the telenovela came about as a result of a documentary he did about the town, so it is very possible that some of the stories highlighted there could be True Life stories. [6]
Plot
Jemeji is the story of Senami, a 28-year-old American-trained doctor who comes to Nigeria for her National Youth Service. She is surprised to be posted to her father’s village, Aji and despite objections from her father, she is determined to get to the root of a family mystery, fell in Love with a local boy Oviyon and was in the middle of a lot of Mysteries that left her visibly shaken in the finale.[7]
Folake, is the Outsider dating fellow Corper, Obi who watch as his life changed before his eyes from an Engineer and a young graduate to becoming a Tribal chief in a village which he does not know it's origin. He never expected what happened to him and even as he tried to make sense of his new status as an unwilling chief, a rival in the character of the Otogan of Jegba is seriously working hard to remove him from the throne. Folake writes this all down in her Blog, which develops into a Novel.[8]
Then there is Peace who suffered a lot of Misfortune in her life. Her mother leaves her at birth and also leaves behind a Prophecy which seals her fate as the chief priestess (Mausi) of Aji. Her boyfriend dies in a mob action, leaving her with a pregnancy and when she settles in to become the Mausi, her Mother, Medeyonmi comes back to make things more complicated for her.[9]
Cast
Emokpai Agharese as Senami George [12]
Omowunmi Dada as Folake Adeoti[13]
Tope Tedela as Obi Nwaemike[14]
Ayoola Ayolola as Oviyon[15]
Mary Kowo as Iye Oviyon[16]
Tina Mba as Medeyonmi[17]
Keppy Ekpenyong Bassey as Otogan of Jegba[18]
Tony Akposheri as Fonton[19]
Mercy Johnson as Petunia[20]
Akin Lewis as Chief Adomeh [21]
Mawuyon Ogun as Meghonu [22]
Iyke Michael as Dr. Jide Abisogun [23]
Bucci Franklin as Neza[24]
Odera Olivia Orji as Peace[25]
Preye George as Matron Zansi [26]
Charles Etubiebi as Seye [27]
Teniola Aladese as Sejiro Akweyon[28]
Wendy Lawal as Seyive[29]
Sola Onayiga as Iye Minasu[30]
Fred Amata as Senami’s father[31]
Eric Didie as Jonah[32]
Rotimi Salami as tout [33]
Trivia
This telenovela has won several awards including the City People Entertainment Awards in the category of the ‘Best TV series’ in the year 2018.[34]
Mawuyon Ogun, who played Meghonu is actually from Badagry.[35]