A Warri based comedian,, identified as MC Olokpa has taken his time to pen down a lengthy open letter to Nollywood actor and Delta State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Richard Mofe Damijo, RMD.
He claims that RMD has done nothing for them all through the years he has been a politician.
It’s quite long… But if you can… read below:
“It’s with pains in my heart and with disappointment that I decided to write you this letter.Our hopes were high when you were brought into the Uduaghan government as Special Adviser on entertainment and Talent development and later commissioner for culture and Tourism about 7years ago.
Entertainers in Delta were happy that a veteran has come back home and also in a better position to reposition entertainment in Delta state.
Because even before coming into government, you have being trying all by yourself to develop entertainment which gave birth to MADE IN WARRI. It was a proud platform for Warri entertainers coming together to showcase themselves.
It became one of the most anticipate show then in the country because that’s where you get the real warri comedians. I remember the out going governor do attend even before he became the Governor.
And so, you can see where am coming from with this my Open letter.
You happens to be one of the most respected Nollywood actor in the country and beyond. The mention of your name makes the ladies go gaga with the way you play romantic roles on movie set.
And so, so much was expected from you as a commissioner.
Sir, before I go further, please ask yourself, did you meet up that expectation? Can you boost of any achievement all through your tenure?
Sir while you answer these questions, let me continue…
The first project you embarked on was DELTA TALENT QUEST (DTQ).
The aim was to discover talents in Delta state and promote them and so entertainers came out in their numbers.
A special house was built in Asaba specially for this project just to mention how serious you took that project.The project was broken into Comedy, Music, dance and movie.I participated in the Comedy Audition but was not among the finally 20 comedians they picked but my close friend Koliko qualify.That competition made even Comedian I go laugh to go and buy his car because he felt he was being insulted by one of the officials.I still remember how almost all the comedians in Delta state came out to slog it out with themselves and be the lucky winner of a brand new car, 1million and other benefits.
I qualified for the second round but lost out in the final selection but my close friend Koliko make the last 10 into the house.
That competition alone brought lots of comedians together, friendship were built from that day. I still remember Razor, Woko, Aboki, Young chief, akuji, Apostle Handsome Boy among others.
I was also privilege to attend the finals where my friend Koliko came second with a cash gift of 500k and only that competition changed his life up till today.
The talented young man that use to put on old clothes suddenly became a SHINE SHINE BOBO, a young man with not even 5k in his account suddenly saw 500k in his account..
it was not much of a surprise when he started buy shoes, chain, suite and every other thing to look packaged.
And so you can see what that project you initiate brought to us as entertainers in Delta state. In fact some of us started waiting eagerly for the next edition. I MUST WIN THE NEXT EDITION mentality came into most of us.
But after all the maiden Edition of comedy, Music, dance and movie edition was done, it became that last time DTQ was ever mentioned.
No explanation was given as to why the project was stopped but a Top comedian recently during a chat said about 300million is still being budgeted for that every year and part of it is now being use to finance One of the BIGGEST CONCERT IN WARRI. But it still remains an allegation sha but you can’t ignore every allegations these days most especially in Government.
Now sir, the tenure of our governor is coming to her end in few months and am trying to fish out your achievements but have not being able to.
-First, the DTQ project did not achieve its aim as was planned from the beginning. Let me explain a bit sir.
-ll the winner are all hustling on their own to make ends meet which ordinary wouldn’t have been so if you did some follow up after giving them cash.The winner of the comedy edition, I hear he now sells bread in Sapele and no longer doing comedy except once in a while.
The 1st runner up Koliko: The young man have grown to be one of the most sorted after comedian in WARRI but not NIGERIA which would have being possible if you did some follow up. What is Koliko Market value compare to his pair in Lagos with even lesser value?
Sir a well packaged, not too funny comedian in Lagos collect 50k to 200k per wedding but give all your winner of DTQ 20 to 30k for a wedding, they will not only crack jokes, they will also dance till the end of the marriage.
The difference between Lagos and Delta is packaging and media exposure and I will come to that later.
What about 2nd runner up Young Chief: the young man have being hustling to make a name for himself. All these things would have being much easily if you had plan for them after winning. The project gave them fish and not how to catch fish.
What about Ejiro that won the singing category? The golden voice is what I call her. Her voice can bring peace to a trouble nation. She is an all ready made material that just needed to be introduce to the world.
But sir the last time I heard from her was running a live Band. Imagine how Tiwa Savage, Omawumi would have end up as live band artist. sir, should I say another wasted talent?
I don’t even know of those that won Dance and Movie categories but I also think they ended up somehow doing other things.
The only people that still benefit a bit are Koliko and young chief who you something invite once or twice to asaba to perform. And the worst part is that when you pay comedians coming from Lagos atleast 500K, they pay our DTQ winners 50k and someone still cut the money before it gets to them.
So you see if there were other words I can use other than disappointment about your tenure I will definitely use it.
Sir you have being in this industry to know how things works but you just sat down, collected your salaries, bonuses plus all the CORNER MARKINGS ( only warri boys go understand ) and www.thatsall while we are still where we are.
There are certain things I know you could have done and I don’t know why you didn’t do them.
First, you became popular in Nollywood because of the media. We watched your movies and watched you on Tv and that’s how your fan base increased.
Now you coming back from Nollywood to become commissioner of Culture and Tourism should know that to promote people’s Culture is through the media and then people start coming to see what they have being seeing on TV, internet and any other platform.
Culture and Tourism working hand in hand sir but you neglected these things.
Sir you didn’t even bother to asked why there is no other Television in Delta State other than DBS and DRTV that most Deltans don’t want to talk about because they feel if you want to know about Burials, that the station you should be looking.
But do you blame them, is it true or false that the content DRTV have more are Obituaries advert?
Why are we even having only DRTV in Delta state? Why no silver bird or other Private own tv stations just as we have in Edo, Port-harcourt etc. Its an open secret that government are preventing them so that they won’t over shadow DRTV.
Ok, if that is the case, why don’t Government upgrade DRTV to international standard? Don’t tell me we are too poor not to afford it because we all know that billions flow into the state every month apart from Tax. So don’t go there.
It show there is something you are not telling us. *SUSPICIOUS*
Secondly, I saw on the papers with the headline ‘RMD PLANS RETURN TO NOLLYWOOD’ and am like which of the nollywood again na. Sir you know you are Nollywood and Nollywood is you.
You had a perfect chance of turning our Movie industry DOLLYWOOD here in delta state in something great but you ignored it sir. You know we have great talent and potentials here waiting to be tap but nothing was done.
Sir it was under your Tenure that Movie producers starting coming to Asaba to shoot movies and even up till now. Asaba is now the best location right now. Some actors and actresses have temporarily or permanently relocated to Asaba.
But we have not being able to tap into that area. This is a new opportunity to partner with these people in other to expose our up and coming act.
To make them stay, Government would have build a film village in Delta state. Sir, Udu L.G.A where you come from have enough land to do and that would have being a major achievement for you and the government.
Udu people would have being grateful for that. That would have fit into the much talked about DELTA STATE BEYOND OIL but you blew off that chance.
All through your time in office, you could not initiate any Carnival Celebration.
Just like we have the Calabar Carnival, A Warri Carnival would have make sense. That would have changed the face of Warri for ever. Oh, I guess you forgot. if different streets in Warri can host peaceful Carnival at night with fun fair, then Delta State Government could have done better.
I was watch your interview on Channels recently in TRAVEL GUILD. You were talking about Delta State Tourist Potential and Location but in reality there is no tourist Center here.
Like in Calabar, We have TINAPA, OBUDU CATTLE RANCHE among other Tourist Destination put together by Government.
As far as OBUDU CATTLE RANCHE people still travel from different part of the country just to relax. President Goodluck Jonathan at a point went there to relax.
Sir can you point anywhere in Delta State you can go and relax? Not to talk about the Governor. Its a shame that 7years after.
The Delta Leisure and Mandela Garden you spoke about are just on paper and you won’t be around to see it come to reality because after your tenure you will going back to Nollywood.
If you want to enjoy, you can travel round the world enjoying Tourist site but no one in your state.
Sir I was watching the C.D of WARRI AGAIN concert and I saw you laughing and enjoying yourself seriously. But sir, why don’t you pause and think for once why there are not much Warri comedians performing?
Have you bothered to ask why they only provide two slot out of over 400 based warri comedians?
Is it that the warri base comedians are not funny enough or they can’t make people laugh?
Are the organizers having personal issues with WARRI COMEDIANS?
Sir, these are question we think you should be asking your friend AMAJU.
Sir what happened to MADE IN WARRI concert you started before coming to government? Only you can answer that shall.
Sir its been a lengthy letter and I hope you read it very well like a block buster movie script.
I will like to end my letter here but I won’t stop until I let you know that of a truth, you FALL OUR HAND.
It is the combination of all these things that most Deltan are saying UDUAGHAN did not perform but they fail to pick out those commissioners that made it a failed government.
I, like Most Delta Entertainers have moved on hoping that the incoming government will look at our direction and do the right thing.
WARRI is the home of entertainment and should be treated as one.
Its a pity I come from a country where if you dare speak the truth, you are label as a REBEL but we owe it as a duty to speak out so that people should start doing the right thing. Even as we share the National cake, we should remember the Cake is for everybody.
Sir if you think all what have said is just my own personal opinion, send some neutral persons into the street, you will be shocked with the kind of feed back you will get.
Sir in Shun Bebe voice, someone asked me, Who RMD help? i nor go lie i couldn’t answer him
The End
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Because even before coming into government, you have being trying all by yourself to develop entertainment which gave birth to MADE IN WARRI. It was a proud platform for Warri entertainers coming together to showcase themselves.
It became one of the most anticipate show then in the country because that’s where you get the real warri comedians. I remember the out going governor do attend even before he became the Governor.
And so, so much was expected from you as a commissioner.
Sir, before I go further, please ask yourself, did you meet up that expectation? Can you boost of any achievement all through your tenure?
A special house was built in Asaba specially for this project just to mention how serious you took that project.The project was broken into Comedy, Music, dance and movie.I participated in the Comedy Audition but was not among the finally 20 comedians they picked but my close friend Koliko qualify.That competition made even Comedian I go laugh to go and buy his car because he felt he was being insulted by one of the officials.I still remember how almost all the comedians in Delta state came out to slog it out with themselves and be the lucky winner of a brand new car, 1million and other benefits.
I was also privilege to attend the finals where my friend Koliko came second with a cash gift of 500k and only that competition changed his life up till today.
The talented young man that use to put on old clothes suddenly became a SHINE SHINE BOBO, a young man with not even 5k in his account suddenly saw 500k in his account..
it was not much of a surprise when he started buy shoes, chain, suite and every other thing to look packaged.
-ll the winner are all hustling on their own to make ends meet which ordinary wouldn’t have been so if you did some follow up after giving them cash.The winner of the comedy edition, I hear he now sells bread in Sapele and no longer doing comedy except once in a while.
So you see if there were other words I can use other than disappointment about your tenure I will definitely use it.
Now you coming back from Nollywood to become commissioner of Culture and Tourism should know that to promote people’s Culture is through the media and then people start coming to see what they have being seeing on TV, internet and any other platform.
Is it that the warri base comedians are not funny enough or they can’t make people laugh?
I will like to end my letter here but I won’t stop until I let you know that of a truth, you FALL OUR HAND.
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