Nigerians were shocked when popular comedienne, Helen Paul, revealed that she was a product of rape while celebrating the doctorate degree she recently got from the University of Lagos.
In an encounter
with Sunday Scoop, Helen Paul said she didn’t regret sharing the true
story of her birth. She stated, “I chose the occasion to reveal the
story of my birth because I dedicated the degree to my mother. There is
time for everything and I felt it was time to tell the world.
Apparently, it’s not even my story; it’s my mother’s. I am humbled and
grateful to God for seeing me through the programme. Everyone was happy
for me in my family. Even when I finished secondary school, everyone was
excited for me. We celebrate each other in my household.”
Paul
said despite her father’s misconduct at the time, she had never held any
grudge against him. She stated, “I am on good terms with my father. Is
there anyone who doesn’t have a cordial relationship with his or her
father? That can only happen if you are a terrible child. Regardless of
what your father might have done to you in the past, your father remains
your father. If I said I was not affected by it while growing up, that
wouldn’t be honest. It could affect anyone but I used my situation to my
advantage. It inspired me to always do more and be the best, instead of
being depressed.”
Helen Paul also stated that she was not done
with learning, arguing that once one stopped learning, the person would
stop functioning. She said, “I like to learn; so, I will keep learning.
Tomorrow, don’t be surprised if you see me learning tailoring or
hairdressing. However, there was a time I really wanted to give up
while studying for my doctorate degree but I had the right people around
me. In life, you cannot do it on your own; you need certain people
around you to achieve greatness.”
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