Members of the Nigeria entertainment industry of Delta State origin have lined up behind a former governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan, and his ambition to represent Delta South Senatorial District.
The entertainers made their position known when they paid a visit to Uduahgan in his Warri, Delta State country home, where they pledged their unalloyed support to him.
The entertainers are led by popular comedian, Francis Agoda, popularly known as I Go Dye; and Akpobome Ogude, aka Ogus Baba.
Conveying the goodwill message to the former number one citizen of the state, Ogude thanked Uduaghan for the opportunity given them to express their profound gratitude for all he has done in the entertainment industry in spite of the impromptu visit.
Recalling with nostalgia the time they shared with him while he was governor, he said: “We have missed you, we missed the breakfast, the smiles and jokes, above all, you gave a lot of us platforms and encouragement to excel, hence we have come to say sir, we are behind and with you on your new political endeavour.
“We do not have much but this N50,000 we give from our hearts to open a new chapter in your new political quest.”
Also speaking, Agoda wished the erstwhile governor well and assured him that the token they have given in support of his senatorial pursuit was from the entire Delta State youths viz-a-viz the gate-takings from the Harry Song show held at the Warri Township Stadium recently.
Responding, the senatorial hopeful appreciated their show of love and support towards him and the good people of Delta State.
Uduaghan further stressed that he invested in entertainment while he was governor because he always believed in the talents of the youths from the state.
Uduaghan noted that his time as governor brought Asaba to limelight as the number one destination for the Nigerian movie industry as measures were put in place to make life easy for movie producers and directors.
He said: “Virtually all the hotels used for the shooting of movies were subsidized by government to encourage the industry.
“Hence, Nollywood became one of the biggest export in Nigeria with a lot of return on investment to the Nigerian economy.”
The Peoples Democratic Party bigwig declared that when he becomes a senator, he would ensure adequate laws are made to promote the industry, just as he would see to the sustenance of peace in the region to provide the enabling environment for its operations.