Veteran actor and politician, Richard Mofe-Damijo, speaks on the controversial facebook picture, his job as culture and tourism commissioner in Delta State, life outside Nollywood, the unveiling by Glo and why he is always at home among the Lagos crowd. He spoke with Gboyega Alaka in Lagos.
PERHAPS no news has been more disturbing or got lovers of Nigeria’s entertainment industry worrying more than a recent photo of veteran actor and now politician, Richard Mofe-Damijo, posted on Facebook; depicting a frail-looking man and calling for prayer for a sick man. To many, RMD has always been the perfect man: the dude, the dandy and the man all the ladies wanted to be with and the gentlemen wanted to be like; seeing him looking ‘sick’, therefore, broke many hearts and sent tongues wagging. Even his denial of any kind of illness and the fact that he deliberately went under a regime, seeing that his weight was beginning to get overboard convinced only a few, as anxiety around him persisted. But his appearance last Friday at the premiere of the play, The Siege by Sam Omatseye, chairman of The Nation’s editorial board, in honour of Professor Wole Soyinka at 85, seemed to have put paid to all speculations.
Now 53, RMD arrived the MUSON Centre venue of the premiere looking hale and hearty and mingling with the Lagos crowd in a manner only a Lagos boy would. It was a relief to many of his admirers and you could tell he has also missed the folks in Lagos, as he shook hands, patted backs and chatted excitedly with the crowd made up largely of guys in the media one of his earlier constituencies. Quite clearly, he showed no sign of illness, and were the fans relieved!
Asked if he felt embarrassed by the controversial Facebook posting, RMD, who currently serves as Delta State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, says, “It’s people who saw it and fell for it that I’m embarrassed for. How do you say somebody is ill, pray for him, when the person is a public servant; he’s accessible; he’s reachable and is in public everyday of his life? I go to work every day!”
RMD had explained to a top daily newspaper of how he took a deliberate decision to change his lifestyle, having woken up on a certain morning to the reality of weighing 120KG; something he considered outrageous and unhealthy.
He, therefore, sees social media speculation as another machination of Nigerians who have become masters of the ‘Pull Him Down’ syndrome; and says it does not get to him in any way.
Commenting on the message of The Siege, the staging of which was partly supported by the Delta State government, Mofe-Damijo says it is a great epic play, which simple message is that a nation should never forget their hero.
Asked if he was at the play purely as a representative of Delta State government, or if the aura of the theatre proved too much for him to resist, the thespian of immense talent says, “Both. I mean, it’s a part of me and I guess you cannot run away from your shadow.”
He confesses to missing the camera and the stage a great deal, but says he hasn’t really stayed away from it in the real sense. “My present job is such that I do a lot of work behind the camera with young people. I’m raising a new pool of young Deltans in music, in theatre, in comedy and in all the creative areas. So I really haven’t stayed away.”
He also expresses hope of coming back to acting at some point, saying “I surely would like to come back, as soon as I can find the time, although I cannot tell yet.”
On the reality that he certainly would no longer be able to play the dashing lover-boy roles anymore, RMD says satirically, “That’s only natural, I’m 53.”
Commenting on his recent unveiling by telecoms outfit, Globacom, alongside some other frontline industry players, and the suggestion that it’s probably the first time a top government official would be unveiled in a product media campaign, RMD reveals that he hadn’t even seen the campaign, but says it’s not the first time. “I have always been in the creative industry; and that sort of drums back into my life always. There are other things I’ve done in the past as well. There was a time I did something for Polo too. So I guess it’s just a bit difficult to run away from my background. Or rather they just won’t let me go.”
He also speaks on the great work he is doing in his capacity as Culture and Tourism Commissioner, saying that Delta State is now top destination in tourism and entertainment facilities. “Delta is a major tourism destination right now. I don’t think that outside of Abuja, there is any better conferencing city than Asaba right now. And we’re building the most ambitious leisure resorts in Delta State right now: one in Ileri near Warri and another in Ogwuchukwu near Asaba.”
On the joy of seeing his son get married recently, RMD says “I’m happy to see my own son get married and I can’t wait to be a grandfather.”
On why he seemed to drop all the protocol and officiousness around his office to mix with the Lagos crowd, RMD says, “Delta is home; but you know I have friends and family here as well and it’s always a pleasure to come around and see them all again.”
