Veteran Actress, Joke SIlva was featured on a recent edition of LOVEHAVEN magazine, and she spoke on her adoption and how she got to know she was adopted by her parents.
The 56-year-old veteran was adopted by the late Chief E.A Silva, a reputable lawyer, the then Babajiro of Lagos and his wife late Dr Abimbola Silva a pioneering female doctor, who died in July 2015.
Mrs Joke Silva revealed this recently at the first Annual Conference of Heritage Adoption Support and Advocacy Group (HASAAG).
Panelists at the conference which held in Lagos included a representative from United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Mr. Wilfred Mamah, Mrs. Bridget Ituseli, a counsellor, public speaker, marriage facilitator, teacher and Writer Mrs.Bami Obasanya, who is the Chief Welfare Officer, Child Adoption and Fostering Unit of the Ministry of Youth and Social Welfare, Lagos State, Mr. Oluwatoyin Kotun.
Revelation
I remembered going out with my cousin and we met a big cousin She introduced me as ‘my cousin’s daughter and this is Dr Silva’s daughter.’ Then, the older cousin was like, ‘Dr. Silva ke? Se Doctor Silva bimo ni? (meaning does Dr. Silva have a child?). Did Dr Silva ever has a child?’
I was so confused and when I got home I told my mum, ‘I met this lady that says you never had a child.’ My mum froze and she said, ‘don’t mind them, they are used to rubbish talk.’
But I got to know years later when I wanted to travel and was looking for my passport where my mum kept it. Since she was not around, I opened the box in her absence and I saw my adoption papers. I never discussed it with my mum because I felt it was something that would hurt her, that was why, it was kept secret from me.
Amazing Parents
But I had incredible memories of my amazing parents for allowing me to do my A Level in England and going to one of the best schools in Bournemouth (a seaside resort on the southern coast of England) coming back after my A level with two of them having an argument on what I was going to do because I had failed my A level having done it for the third time then. I had done it thrice because I changed from science to Arts— I didn’t do well at all.
Bringing Olu Jacobs home
Several years later, I brought home the one I wanted to marry and my mum asked my husband, if he knew I was adopted and he answered in affirmation that I had already told him.
Many years later, there was another memory of a very nasty member of our family. My mummy always very supportive of her relatives sat on our balcony and said my aunty would never be supportive of her because in the Yoruba language, ‘won o kuku bimo’ (she never supported her because she didn’t have a child of her own.)
Letting my kids know
I then realized that I needed to tell my children about my adoption. I don’t want anybody to tell them in a way it wouldn’t be supportive. I called my children and I told them the ABC of my adoption story. They now told me that grandma had already told them.
It was then I learn that somebody in my son’s school had told him about his mum being adopted. He told grandma and grandma told him everything. Little wonder, my mum and Soji, my son were very close. Till she died, my mum my son remained inseparable.
Olu and I Lost Our Daughter
I have memories of my firstborn Dayo who died at the age of 10 and a half years. She was in coma and my husband would not allowed them removed her from life support until my mom came. He needed my mom’s approval then because grandma was so close to Dayo, they were inseparable.
She gave the go-ahead for her to be removed by saying she was better up there than making her suffer on life support. My mum was the one that saw us through because my dad already had a stroke and couldn’t be of help at all then.
I remember when my mother saw the health of my husband, who was deteriorating over the death of our daughter. She gave my husband a cheque of a hefty sum to go and complete the house we were building then. But because of how arrogant our husbands could be on matters like that, he rejected the offer of his mother-in-law, and quickly gathered himself together to go and complete the house.
Celebrating Late Parents
My mother is the first person who taught me how to pray and she told me, whatever the problem, her own father, Bishop Phillips, taught her to kneel down and pray on any issues bothering her life.
Whenever I go to her, she said, “Joke have you being on your kneels, oya take it to Baba God in prayer. Take it to daddy in prayer.”
In the Silva’s Will
Even in their wills, I was well protected. My Daddy being a lawyer said in his will that all his children, both adopted and biological, should be treated equally. I was not stressed in anyway. We were all well taken care of till my mum died at the age of 89. At 56, I still miss her but I know she has definitely gone back to her father.
On her sick bed I always sang her favorite tunes, she would be imputing the melodious tunes and she died singing to her Lord. She had prepared her family before my coming into her life because I had an incredible big Silva family.
I have a very big family I am the first daughter, I carried the responsibility of a first daughter. Everybody in my family cannot take any decision until sister Joke has come. I can’t call my parents adopted parents. They are my parents”
The journalist denied wrongdoing, adding that Joy Musa would get her money soon. But her accusers wondered why it’s taking so long.
Radio Nigeria 103.5FM OAP Abigail Gogo faces allegations of cornering a “small” amount of money Nigerian celebrity Joke Silva donated to a bomb victim on live radio.
Silva was on Abigail’s show in August last year when Joy Musa, who lost four children, her husband, and brother in a herdsmen attack in Jos, called in to open up on her predicament.
Touched by the story, Silva reportedly handed N50,000 to Abigail instructing her to give it to Joy Musa.
The bomb victim, who recently attempted suicide in despair, is yet to get the money.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday appointed actress Joke Silver, actor Kunle Afolayan and others into the newly constituted Board of Arts and Culture.
The governor urged them to go all out and explore private sector support to nurture new talents and generate events for a sustainable development of the creative arts sector in the State.
The Governor, who spoke at the inauguration of the Board at the Banquet Hall, State House, Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, said that though the State Government in the last 23 months had covered a lot of ground in terms of design and structure of the arts and entertainment sector, so much still needed to be done if it must realise its goal to become a global hub for music, theatre and film.
“The commitment of our administration to harness the huge creative talents that abound in the State in the fields of Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Sports has never been in doubt. The ultimate goal is to use all of these to drive tourism, create employment and increase the contribution of the non-oil sector to the State’s gross domestic product.
“The Council for Arts and Culture which we have just inaugurated has a huge responsibility to translate our vision in this regard to reality,” the Governor said.
Governor Ambode said the Board would among other things, be expected to ensure the sustainable management of arts and culture facilities and infrastructures in the State and create a sustainable framework for the sector.
While urging the Board to generate local and international events to showcase and promote the State’s diverse talents in the field of creative arts, music, entertainment and sports, he tasked them to promote and preserve the rich cultural heritage while being sensitive to the diverse cultures of the citizens of the State.
He said the State was currently leading the initiatives to transform the National Museum and the iconic National Arts Theatre into world class centres of history, tourism arts and entertainment, while construction work on the six arts theatres across the state has began in earnest.
Besides, Governor Ambode said that in recognition of the enormous responsibilities the Board would be saddled with, his administration ensured that only seasoned professionals, notable and respected personalities were chosen to serve on the council.
Members of Board include, arts enthusiast, Mrs. Polly Alakija as Chairman, with veteran thespian, Joke Silva, multiple award winning actor and movie producer, Kunle Afolayan, influential visual artist, Mr. Kolade Oshinowo and foremost artist and designer, Chief Mrs. Nike Okundaye as members.
Other members include, Mobee of Badagry, High Chief Patrick Yodenu Mobee, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr. Adesina Adeyemi and Director of Culture at the Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture, Mrs. Saidat Otulana.
He said the inauguration of the Board, coming on the heels of the 50-day event countdown of the State’s Golden Jubilee celebration, showed the total commitment of his administration to put the arts and culture sector in the right perspective.
“We will continue to provide a conducive environment for a private sector-led development as a strategy towards actualizing our vision. While we will intervene where and when necessary to support this development strategy, it will be the responsibility of this distinguished Council to seek and explore private sector support to nurture new talents and generate events for a sustainable development of the creative arts sector in the State,” he said.
Governor Ambode also thanked members of the Board for accepting to serve the State especially the Chairman, Mrs. Polly Alakija, whom according to him, is well revered for her commitment to the arts and selfless service to the society.
Speaking on behalf of the new appointees, Mrs. Polly Alakija thanked Governor Ambode for reposing confidence on her and other Board members, assuring that they would stop at nothing to make great impact in the lives of young people through arts, culture and creative sector.
She also assured of the commitment of the Board to explore all areas of possibilities to achieve the set out objectives to make the arts and entertainment sector evolve as a revenue generating mechanism for the State.
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