Sam Dede: Another political appointment for Nollywood.

Seasoned actor, Sam Dede, has been appointed the Director-General of Rivers State Tourism Development Agency. The appointment came on January 18 and has since taken effect.

The University of Benin Theatre Arts graduate also lectures at the University of Port Harcourt. He has often been described as the Al Pacino of Nollywood with his penchant for picking roles in action movies. He is equally a movie director and has over 10 movies to his credit.
The prolific actor has featured in several movies but he became a household name in 1996 when he acted in Blood Money. His popularity was consolidated when he took part in the blockbuster, Issakaba. The two-part movie released in 2001 was a play on Bakassi spelt backwards. It was aimed at capturing the activities of the then notorious vigilante group in the South-East.
Dede is reputed as a trainer. He is said to have trained the likes of Charles Okafor, Hilda Dokubo, Rita Dominic and Ejike Asiegbu at the University of Port Harcourt.
Since the enthronement of democracy in 1999, several actors and even actresses have been inducted into the Nigerian political terrain. While many have been courageous enough to contest elections, others have been appointed and yet, another set has played active roles in campaigns for politicians.
Former actor and scriptwriter, Rotimi Makinde, now has a ‘Honourable’ attached to his name by virtue of his present position as a member of the House of Representatives, representing Ife Federal Constituency.
Richard Mofe-Damijo, popularly known as RMD, is also the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Delta State. The lawyer-actor has been missing from the movie scene since his appointment.
Songbird Onyeka Onyenu was also one of the first set of entertainers to embrace politics. Twice she was aspirant for the chairmanship of Ideato Local Government Area of Imo State. Eventually, she was appointed the chairman, Imo State Council of Arts and Culture by former Governor Ikedi Ohakim.
Last year, amidst mixed reactions, Nollywood’s ‘crying’ actress, Nkiru Sylvanus, was appointed Special Assistant, Lagos Affairs to Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha.
And in 2010, actor and former president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Ejike Asiegbu, was appointed Special Adviser to the Abia State Government on Culture. The appointment came barely a month after Hank Anuku took up appointment as the Special Adviser to the Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan on Tourism and Entertainment.
Many of them who were not given appointments have also tried getting into politics on their own. According to reports, Jide Kosoko and Kanayo O. Kanayo aspired in the April 2011 general elections to represent their constituencies in the National Assembly, Tony One Week, the gyration crooner, also contested in his state, Anambra and won.
As the nation continues to wax strong in democracy and politics, it is expected that more Nollywood stars will join the train.