Some years ago, it was unthinkable that a Nigerian artiste would be given the opportunity to serve in any official capacity in government. In those days, it did not matter if an artiste had a good educational background or not. As long as he had chosen to earn his living as musician or actor over ‘real’ professions, he was regarded as no better than a dreg of the human society and treated as such.
But over the years, the artist managed to win some respect from the same people that had despised and treated him like an outcast. Nowadays, he is at times not only seen as a role model, he is also accepted as an important member of the society.
Some popular actors and actresses, as well as music stars, have been privileged to strut the corridors of power with a pronounced swagger. Within the last few years, a few artistes have been appointed to strategic positions in government, with most of them coming from Nollywood.
For some of these people, all that matters is the opportunity to serve their country or respective states in a different capacity, while the lure of power and a rare opportunity to line their pockets with stolen funds might be the driving factor for the others.
But the compelling question is: how well have these ‘privileged’ movie and music stars fared in their appointments? How much have they impacted on the lives of the same that they have set out to serve? Perhaps a glance at the profiles of a few, such as Sam Dede, Hilda Dokubo, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Nkiru Sylvanus, Ejike Asiegbu and Tony Muonagor, aka Tony One-Week, will provide the answers.
Sam Dede
Sometime in May, 2012, when he was appointed Director General of the Rivers State Tourism Development Agency, the news was well received among his numerous fans across the country. Uncle Sam’s colleagues at the University of Port Hacourt, where he has taught drama for many years and raised many fellow Thespians to stardom, and the ones in Nollywood had rejoiced with him. At the time, the general feel
Some years ago, it was unthinkable that a Nigerian artiste would be given the opportunity to serve in any official capacity in government. In those days, it did not matter if an artiste had a good educational background or not. As long as he had chosen to earn his living as musician or actor over ‘real’ professions, he was regarded as no better than a dreg of the human society and treated as such.
But over the years, the artist managed to win some respect from the same people that had despised and treated him like an outcast. Nowadays, he is at times not only seen as a role model, he is also accepted as an important member of the society.
Some popular actors and actresses, as well as music stars, have been privileged to strut the corridors of power with a pronounced swagger. Within the last few years, a few artistes have been appointed to strategic positions in government, with most of them coming from Nollywood.
For some of these people, all that matters is the opportunity to serve their country or respective states in a different capacity, while the lure of power and a rare opportunity to line their pockets with stolen funds might be the driving factor for the others.
But the compelling question is: how well have these ‘privileged’ movie and music stars fared in their appointments? How much have they impacted on the lives of the same that they have set out to serve? Perhaps a glance at the profiles of a few, such as Sam Dede, Hilda Dokubo, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Nkiru Sylvanus, Ejike Asiegbu and Tony Muonagor, aka Tony One-Week, will provide the answers.
Sam Dede
Sometime in May, 2012, when he was appointed Director General of the Rivers State Tourism Development Agency, the news was well received among his numerous fans across the country. Uncle Sam’s colleagues at the University of Port Hacourt, where he has taught drama for many years and raised many fellow Thespians to stardom, and the ones in Nollywood had rejoiced with him. At the time, the general feel
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