Okusaga Adeolu, better known as Saga, was a Big Brother Naija housemate in the recently concluded season six. Saga was one of the season’s most talked-about housemates. In a recent interview, he told ROTIMI IGE about his life, passions, lessons from the reality show and his plans for the future. Excerpts
You went into the house as a corporate engineer and was thrust into a large entertainment circle. What shocks did you experience in nine weeks?
Hmm…There were a few shocks that I experienced and I will call them ‘reality shocks’. It’s a very daunting experience, being away from not only loved ones but from people in general for such a long period of time. You prepare your mind before going into the house, telling yourself all sorts of things just for motivation in order to keep morale as high as possible. Then you enter the house and BOOM, you find yourself among strange people that you have never met or interacted with and you have no familiar person to lean on as you go through trials in the house. For me, that was the first shock. The next shock came when bonds started to form across different ‘cliques’, which was very interesting. I quickly realised that belonging to a clique was not my style so I became a member of every clique (so to speak). Up till this very moment, the whole experience has been like an enormous maze of events that will definitely change life as I’ve known it forever.
Imagine me seeing that Lionel Messi now plays for PSG and CR7 is back to Manchester United!
You are also a fitness enthusiast and led housemates every morning (except one of course). How did that help in the house and through your stay?
I am extremely grateful to Biggie for allowing me lead the housemates through the morning routines. I’m even more grateful to the housemates for trusting me through the process and coping with the rigors of all the morning sessions. Working out in the morning, after the previous day’s tasks and an alcohol-laden Saturday night party can be a very difficult process. I think I speak for all housemates if I say that the workouts kept our bodies and minds sharp, kept us focused and healthy through our stay in the house.
You developed special bonds in the house. Can you tell us some of these people, why and how you intend to forge better relations with them after the show?
Hmm…the most obvious bond was the one I had with Nini. We were best of friends and that friendship kept us sane throughout our stay in the house. I was very close to Pere. He was my guy. I was also close to Arin with whom I shared an intellectual and creative connection. It was quite painful when she got evicted so early into the show. I was close to Niyi and Yousef. As for Liquorose (the energy goddess), we bonded over our love for dance and music.
Over time, especially after Big Brother’s task, I developed a relationship with Angel, Cross and Emmanuel. I’m someone who is largely always in the midst of people so I’m looking forward to positive collaborations with all my friends from this season of BBN irrespective of all that happened during our stay in the house. It’ll be great to do big things individually and as a group whenever the opportunity presents itself.
You were quite close to Pere. You had a little rift with him and settled it. What can you tell Nigerians about him, having known him personally?
Pere is a very great guy and I say this with all sense of humility. Friends have their ups and downs but there is one thing about me, I will always say my mind to you in the most constructive way possible. When I look back at the incident you’re referring to, I won’t even call it a rift. I expressed myself to Nini about some reservations I had about my buddy, Pere.
For reasons best known to Biggie, that clip of my pillow talk was played in a manner that appeared as if I had done my guy dirty. That was definitely not my intention. Again, it was just banter between Nini and myself. When you lock people up in a confined space without access to their usual routines and connections, the only form of whiling away time sometimes is to talk about yourselves and each other. I’m glad that Pere and I have spoken and sorted out that ‘rift’ (as you call it) and we are now in a very good place as friends and brothers. I will forever respect him for his support when I was confused during Nini’s absence. Without the shadow of a doubt, I know he has my back and I hope he knows that I have his too.
Fans usually, most times, judge by what they see, not fully understanding what really goes on in the House. Can you explain some misjudgments that you can react to/explain having experienced both sides now?
I don’t know where to start from. There is so much to say but I will elaborate only briefly on the one everyone wants to hear about. My friendship with Nini. Nobody scores as many goals like the man who runs commentary from the comfort of his couch. To such a man, every leg move is analysed…”.
He should have used his heel to trap the ball instead of his toes”, He should have passed to the left instead of passing to the right”, “the coach doesn’t know what he is doing, he should have made player X man the left flank instead of the right” and so on. If that man was thrown in the pitch, he may never be able to even touch the ball, let alone score a goal.
By the same token, being in the BBN house was seen by many as just a game. They had their own ideas of how each of us should have played. But I’ll tell you this, it wasn’t just a game. It was a test of resolve, endurance and resilience, bonds, our levels of expression, the strength of our character and indeed, the fabric of our humanity. I have learnt that in life, there is a place that money occupies while life experiences have their own sacred space. In lay parlance, I’m saying that not everything is about money. I accept that we are emotional beings but let’s always remember that we each have the individual life experiences that we alone can go through because these experiences are bespoke to us.
‘My father remains my greatest motivation’
If you were given a fresh opportunity as a housemate, what would you do differently?
Hmm…Honestly, I don’t know. One thing that I can say for sure is that I will always be myself in anything that I do. My father taught me one principle that I always go by, which is, “My yes is my yes and my no is my no”. I do not waiver nor waver.
Tell us a bit about your childhood, early memories of growing up…
There is so much to say. Honestly, I can go on and on without stopping. Basically, I grew up in a very loving and playful environment (I put emphasis on these two). Growing up was full of lots of fun and laughter. You may not believe it but there was a time that I could not move my body to save my life. My sister is a great dancer and she was the one that showed me the ropes early on. Now, I can beat my chest to say that dancing is one of those things that grew on me as I became older. I will out-dance my sister by a mile if she ever tries me on any dance floor now (laughs).
Most of my memories are of my late mother. Suffice it to say that they are very pleasant memories that I hold very dear to my heart but let’s leave it at this for now because we may need a whole session to talk about my childhood.
You seem quite close to your father and spoke glowingly at every opportunity about him. Why?
Well, I’m surprised that you say that the things I said were glowing. Many people I’ve met have said that I was throwing shades at him. Let me say this clearly, everything I said about my father was intended to be glowing and I’ll tell you why.
We grew up under the very strict hands of my father. That man does not celebrate mediocrity. He does not believe in “he is only human”. He believes that if only one person succeeded, then it should be you. I used to think that he was being hard on us and frankly, there was a time when I was terrified of him.
Today, I am glad that he walked us through that path. As a child, such a path is narrow and lonely but I’m now blessed with 20/20 hindsight vision and I can see why he did what he did. The world we live in is a cold, competitive one and only the man that can be excellent in spirit, excellent in character and in fact excellent in all things, will make it. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. It may be difficult but if you can be consistent with your spirit of excellence, there will always be that one day where it will pay off for the rest of your life.
Now that you are out, what is next for Saga?
From the bottom of my heart, I’m grateful for the opportunity. This is not a show that you have a second shot at. For me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The show was an opportunity for me to showcase four of my dearest passions: my art, modeling, acting skills and enthusiasm for body fitness. I am looking forward to taking my art to another level by hosting exhibitions as soon as possible. I am also looking to start an art academy where I can teach art to enthusiasts willing to learn.
I am also working on spreading the reach of my fitness club. Prior to the show, it was conducted online. I’m thinking of going global by developing a fitness app that will be available on the Android and IOS for interested people within and outside Nigeria.
What advice would you have for social media trolls who may have misinterpreted your intentions in the house?
Life is short guys. Positive vibes only. Peace!
Tell us a bit about your fashion sense?
I’m very ubiquitous when it comes to dressing up. I can wear anything and make it look good, from engineering PPE overalls to beach shorts and tank tops. Fashion is embedded in your mindset. Just be comfortable and enjoy yourself is what I tell myself.
Will you return to your day job any time soon?
I haven’t made a final decision regarding that yet. Everyone will know when I do.
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