It is the second week in December and some moviedom practitioners are in the news for different reasons…

A special birthday treat for Chinedu Ikedieze
Notable Nollywood actor, Chinedu Ikedieze, aka Aki, got a surprise birthday treatment on Tuesday while on a movie location in Asaba, Delta State. As soon as cock crowed on Tuesday, members of cast and crew of the yet-to-be-titled movie and some staff of the hotel literarily woke the recipient of the national honour of Member of the Order of the Niger (MFR) up from bed with singing and spraying of naira notes.

Those who hatched the ‘surprise coup’ got a saxophonist to add colour to the surprise treatment. Ikedieze later shared the video of the surprise treatment on his social media handle. Captioning the video, the actor of many credits thanked the cast and crew and hotel staff for the surprise treatment. He wrote: “What a surprise on my birthday. You guys- Blessing Patrick and the staff of Rodina Hotel Asaba nailed it. Special thanks to Gomes Production for pulling the strings.” We at moviedom say happy birthday to the star of Daddy Must Obey, Aki Nu Ukwa, 2 Rats and Pipiro.

Nollywood Icon Paul Obazele Still On The Labour March
Bookmakers, who didn’t give Nollywood icon and former President of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Paul Obazele, as much chance to survive the stress of seeking the Labour Party’s ticket in the forthcoming 2024 Edo State Governorship election are having a rethink. They all agree that the LP aspirant has been dazzling them with his presentation since he threw his hat in the ring in July. They point to how the actor, producer and philanthropist recently dazzled the executives of the party during a courtesy visit. Obazele had seized the opportunity of the courtesy visit to highlight the areas Edo State is distressed as well as a detailed blueprint on how to turn the socio-economic activities of the state to global standard. Earlier, the Edo State Chairman of Labour Party, Comrade Kelly Agbaloi, said the party needs a candidate that could bring the state to an enviable height and believes the candidacy of Obazele has the magic wand. Responding to chants by of ‘Paul Obazele naim we want as governor’ by supporters who besieged the Secretariat, the governorship aspirant gave hope to the crowd when he said: “The time to take your future in your hands is now so that we all can be proud to say we are Edolites.” Obazele stated that he focused on the principle for good governance and the right choice of the people, which favours him mor

RMD, Ali Nuhu Applaud Government Support For Creative Industry
NOLLYWOOD icon, Richard Mofe-Damijo; Ali Nuhu and comic merchant Atoyonta Akpobome aka Alibaba were among the key industry stakeholders who met with Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday. The stakeholders who were led to the meeting with the Vice President by Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, expressed satisfaction with the effort made so far by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration to substantially support the growth and development of the creative industry. At the meeting, Vice President Kashim Shettima threw his weight behind the burgeoning Nigerian creative and entertainment industry, pledging substantial support through the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme. Shettima hailed the sector and lauded its role in shaping the nation’s image and acknowledged its potential to “blossom and bring back more than what little is given to it.” The Vice President committed to allocating a “sizable tranche” of funding from the iDICE programme to the creative industry, recognizing its crucial role in nurturing the industry’s entrepreneurial spirit and driving innovation. “This is the second time we are meeting in the past couple of weeks, emphasizing the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s dedication to fostering a lasting alliance with the creative and entertainment community. We are resolute in positioning this sector at the forefront of our economic diversification efforts,’’ the Vice President said while affirming his confidence in President Tinubu’s capability to propel the nation forward economically. The Vice President also said, “in response to the Minister’s concerns about budget allocation, we secured an increase from N1.1 billion to N9 billion for the ministry. Our actions speak louder than words; we are committed to supporting your growth for the benefit of the Nigerian economy,’’ Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Musawa, lauded the Vice President’s engagement, calling it “a testament to his commitment to see the industry grow.” She outlined plans to build a roadmap for the sector’s flourishing and acknowledged the crucial role of intellectual property (IP) securitisation in attracting investment. Others stakeholders at the meeting such as M.I Abaga, Ado Isah and Mansura Isah also expressed their excitement about the government’s renewed focus on their sector.

Joke Silva Insist ‘The King Must Dance Naked’ This December
IF you have been wondering why veteran actress Joke Silva has been off the mainstream radar for a while, wonder no more. The actress of vast credit and Managing Director of Glover Memorial Hall has been busy superintending over rehearsals of Fred Agbeyegbe’s epic play, The King Must Dance Naked. Auntie Joke, as the actress is simply called by younger colleagues, is executive producing the play that will hit the Glover Memorial this December. Directed by Toritseju Ejoh and Adebunmi Adewale, the fee-paying stage show, which is presented by Olu and Joke Jacobs Lufodu Productions, will also run in January, from 5 to 7. The play is one of Agbeyegbe’s successful and most referenced plays. Ogbodume is plagued by famine, drought and disease after the coronation of Omajuwa as crowned king. The cause of the plaque is attributed to the inability of the king to procreate. However, the cause of the king’s inability to produce an heir-apparent is not known until Majebi appears. The rest is for theatregoers to find out when the play opens this December and in January of 2024.