2023: Nobody’s political ambition is more significant than the lives of Nigerians – RMD

As the 2023 elections draw close, the ‘usual suspects’ have once again declared their intention to run for the highest office in Nigeria.

While their campaign and lofty promises gather momentum, a famous Nigerian actor, Richard Mofe -Damijo, has said that the lives of Nigerians and their welfare must come first.

The 60-year-old actor said this during an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on the set of a new movie, ‘Conversations in Transit’ recently shot at the Mobolaji Johnson Station train station, Yaba, Lagos State.

Mr Mofe-Damijo, who served as the Delta State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism of Delta State from 2009 to 2015, urged politicians and Nigerians to shun violence and mindless killings while advancing their ambitions.

He charged politicians to stick to an ethical code that nobody’s ambition is more significant than the lives of Nigerians.

He said, “The raid on communities, kidnapping, ritual killings, all of it is part of ‘not caring enough, either for the commonwealth or our welfare, and living with the code that nobody’s ambition is more significant than an individual life. The election should not be a reason for killing each other.

“People separate Love to be – God kind of Love and humankind of Love. The day I stop seeing you as my neighbour, whom I should protect and care about, we lose humanity, and I think that is the state we are in now. And I am hoping that we should keep talking to ourselves to rekindle that.”

Ease of doing films

The actor said they are pivotal parts of the story about the importance of infrastructure in movie making.

According to him, a good movie goes way beyond assembling the right cast and the crew alone.

He said: “One of the things that are lacking in most of our stories is that our location does not tell enough. They are part of the story enough, and we need to have locations that are so pivotal to the stories that we tell.

“With more infrastructures in place, the better stories we can tell, and the more ease of doing films, I mean if there were no train station, how would have thought about a film on a train. The ease of doing film would be a lot better with better facilities.”

The actor, who played a lead role in the movie, also recounted how his infrastructural projects in public office also facilitated movie-making.

“I remembered ‘lighting up Asaba’ when I was in the government. I remember what it did to our movies because it meant that night shots were more picturesque,” he said.

Asked to speak about his dream role, the actor, who began his acting career in the 1980s, has played several roles in over 300 movies, said, “I have not even scratched the surface. I have not played God in a movie, and I have not played the role of a woman.”