By Osagie Alonge
It was all going well for Mercy…
Nigerian Entertainment Today can authoritatively tell you that Nollywood star actress, Mercy Johnson, despite the recent controversy surrounding her upcoming wedding, will still be getting married on Saturday, August 27, 2011.
In the last few weeks the actress has faced allegations of snatching her husband-to-be Prince Odianosen Okojie from another woman; to managing rumours of a pregnancy. Despite the whole drama, Johnson remains adamant on having her wedding. As at the time of this report, wedding plans were underway. Her close friends tell us she’s going ahead with the big plans, even though she’s remained evasive, refusing to issue any statements.
But the controversial wedding will no longer hold at the Christ Embassy church headquarters, as earlier announced.
An insider at Christ Embassy’s head quarters situated at 51/53 Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos, tells us that there is no way the wedding can hold in the church. Mercy we hear is not a regular member and even though the church doesn’t have a notice board for upcoming weddings, our source insists they have neither mentioned Mercy’s marriage during wedding announcements at service nor placed it in their Sunday Worship newsletters.
‘Anybody that wants to get married in the church will have to attend the ‘Foundation school’ for new believers, become a member of the Pastoral Care Fellowship (PCF) for a month and then go for marriage counselling’, an insider at Christ Embassy who would rather remain anonymous tells NET. ‘It is only a committed member of the church that can marry here, I haven’t seen Johnson worship here. I strongly doubt if the church will allow her wed here especially with all the brouhaha surrounding the wedding ‘. NET also gathered that the church’s main office at Oregun is where all marriages are approved, so if there is a case where Mercy is a regular worshipper at some other Christ Embassy branch, she and Prince Odianosen will still have to go to the main church for marriage counselling.
But Mercy’s people tell us the reason she’s moving the wedding is because the church’s strict pastors refused to give her and her scandalized groom a clean bill of health – insisting a divorce letter must be produced before the wedding would be allowed.
We could not immediately confirm the new venue and it’s not likely she has given guests a new address.
Legally there will be consequences if Mercy goes ahead with the August 27 wedding with Prince Odianosen. If the husband-to-be does not legally divorce Lovely then he will be committing an act called bigamy which is filed under the Nigerian Criminal Code as an offence punishable by law. It also makes the marriage to Mercy null and void. Nigerian Entertainment Today reached out to Lagos based lawyer Festus Keyamo who, surprisingly, declined commenting. ‘I believe it’s a private matter. I reserve my comments, thank you’, he told us.
Publicist Bobby Taylor comments ‘I don’t think it will affect her career in anyway. It’s a sad situation, however I feel her Publicist is doing a great job in addressing the public. However she will have to address the public herself soon and can do that through her publicist’.
And talking about how the whole drama will affect Mercy’s career, some think it will slow her down while others think it can only be bad for a while before everything calms down, wedding or not. Speaking with Segun Arinze, President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), he says ‘It’s Mercy’s call, it’s entirely up to her. If the (other) woman says she has proof, well they’ll have to sort themselves. It’s a matter of settling themselves. She’s a professional and whatever happens in her personal life shouldn’t affect her career.’
Throughout this whole drama, one person who has remained silent is the man in question – Prince Odianosen. His wife Lovely, says an embattled Odianosen has been trying by all means to divorce her. She posted online pictures of divorce petitions and court summons sent to her father in Benin, Edo state on several websites over the past two weeks.. Our reporter paid the Edo prince a visit but was not granted access into his residence at Oluwadamilola Fashade Street, Omole Phase 1, Lagos. We however gathered from neighbours that he rarely leaves his home ever since the recent news became public.
Even though this whole situation is as uptight as it can get, this isn’t the first time something like this is happening. In 2005, actress Shan George was accused of marrying a certain Tony Nwosisi who was apparently married to another woman named Success. In 2008, a US-based woman named Ruth Okoro disclosed publicly that popular actress Ini Edo was the reason her husband Philip Ehiagwina dumped her in the states just to marry Edo.
16 comments
Its so sad this is happening,pls take it easy,it always and not change wat i feel 4 you. I still lk up 2 u. Pls think very well b4 u tk ur decision. Ginia 4rm benin
pls mercy think well before u take any action dont be in a hurry for marriage u are still a young lady.u can settle that guy nd the wife see nw the wife is refusng to give out the divorce letter pls my dear stop embaracing urself the guy is nt worth all d trouble
Mercy Johnson is getting married on the 27th @ Christ Embassy.
She is a woman with the morals of an alley cat. As for a professional lawyer like Festus Keyamo declining on such a sensitive issue shoes the level of moral decadence in our society. A reputable attorney who knows the legal implications of bigamy chooses to play mum because an actress is involved leaves little to desire. It is shameful that people do all sorts of things and don’t pause to weigh the significance. Mercy Johnson is a corrupt soul who can harm anybody on order to achieve her selfish desires. Odianosen Okojie is legally within the confines of the law married to Lovely adaze Okojie in Italy and if circumventing justice is done for certain people because of their status in the society then the law system in Nigeria has gone degenerate and its useless!
mercy pls leave another woman husband.husband snatcher upon all d whole shakara and showcase wee u de do 4 nollwood u go marry another woman husband some thing wee don chop remain.petience ozokwor call u ashawo u fight am.u no be ashawo u go marry ur fellow woman husband.PlS MERCY LEAVE DAT MAN ALONE.
Mercy pls do whatever u have in mind and dont get disturb by stupid people that dont know what they are doing. women should learn to handle there men well. if i were in mercy shoe, i wil go ahead. dame whos cares.
Mercy pls 4get about dis so called prince nd pry 2 god 2 give u husband hu ‘ll always make u happy.
Mercy,d bible tel’ us dat any woman that marry anoda woman husband is a theif. So there 4 don’t b a theif. let d man go he is not 4 u.
As a gud christain pls obey the word of God dat say wot God has join 2gether no 1 shud put asunder.
namesy,plis i beg u if dat lady prove’s prince is really her husband,then just “let’s go” ok.i know its not gonna b easy 2 forget but i believe he’s not d right person 4 u,& i pray God will give u ur own husband at d right time.2 me o i know dat man doesnt wat it,he’s a man dat doesnt know how 2 handle things on his own.plis mercy just forget abt dis man & respect ur GOD cos it’s not in d BIBLE 2 take wat belong’s to someone & u know dis man belong 2 someone.plis let him go
Like what Festus Keyamo believes it is a private matter so let’s not judge, only the parties involved knows what is going on. At mercy just take ur time to think about this issue i know u are a strong woman and i pray that whatever decision u make will be the right one
Please Mercy listen your parent advice, and see pastor councelling the situation.
Mercy how it happened, I know you to be smart girl but why dis? All have to say is that listen to your parent advise, also find great man of GOd I mean ordain Pastor of God for good councelling about the situation. It is my prayer that God give you your heart desired.
Mercy,all wat dat matters is if the guy here luvs u,if he does then u don’t ave a problem
Mercy,wil u just open ur eyes nd cmmit dis deadly sin?do unto others wht u wnt others 2 do onto u.D evil dat men do live wit dem.Think abt it nd take any dicision u wnt 2 tak cos u ar nt a kid.
MJ I’m speechless