Yvonne Nelson, a renowned Ghanaian actress, has recently unveiled intriguing details of her experiences with influential Nigerian men in her memoir, “I Am Not Yvonne Nelson.”
In her book, Yvonne recounts being enticed to visit Nigeria due to the presence of a potential donor for her glaucoma foundation. Eager to pursue her philanthropic endeavors, she flew into Nigeria and subsequently boarded another plane to reach the magnificent kingdom. Although her stay was brief, she emerged from the encounter with an unexpected $5,000 in her possession.
“One had to go through several halls before coming face-to-face with the ruler. Wait here. Come here. Go there. These were the instructions I heard until I met the powerful ruler, who was not so powerful in physique. He was a frail old man who looked like someone who could not survive another five years. The inner court I was ushered in to meet him had a magnificent royal bed, where he beckoned me to join him. Whatever the intermediary had told me did not happen.”
Reflecting on the encounter, Yvonne describes the governor, an older gentleman, as someone who seemed to assume she understood the purpose of her presence. She felt he expected her to comply with certain undisclosed expectations. Prepared to resist any untoward advances, Yvonne’s determination was further reinforced by the governor’s attitude.
When he invited her to join him on the bed, she questioned his motives, considering his age. She remained steadfast and refused to move. Realizing he had made an erroneous judgment, the governor promptly dismissed her.
“It seemed, like the governor, this old man expected me to know why I was there. He expected me to go ahead and act on cue.”
Mentally, she had “prepared to resist anything untoward and his attitude fortified my resolve even more.”
“When he asked me to join him on the bed, I wondered what he needed me there for. At his age, what was he up to? I didn’t move. And when he realised he had made a wrong choice, he dismissed me.”
“He gave the man who took me there a wad of dollar notes, who then gave me a share of $5000 as compensation for travelling to see the king.”
However, her anger and disappointment toward her friend severed their friendship.
She also questioned whether his involvement in organising events for influential men included facilitating exploitative acts.
