Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has been commended for the early steps he has so far taken on the entertainment subsector but he has been urged to move further by pushing the sector into a wealth and job spinner.
Some of the biggest investors in the entertainment and leisure industry, who made the appeal, said that the appointment of a driver of entertainment issues in government would reactivate the sector that made the old Rivers State the entertainment destination in the past.
The key leading voices and investors in the Niger Delta, including the Mayor of Pitakwa, KO Baba Jornsen, and Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China, urged Fubara to work closely with the leaders of the industry so as to trigger spike in the industry.
They made the call during a press briefing to unveil details of ‘Mayor of Pitakwa’ show 2024 in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The creator of the show series, Jornsen, also tasked the state governor to leverage the brightening relations between the government and the leisure industry to consolidate and boost investment in the sector.
He said: “Yesterday, I was with the Commissioner for Youth, and the discussions facilitated things. Governor Fubara is bringing youths on board. For instance, this is the first time the government is sending representatives to entertainment shows in the state.”
So, now, he said, “We urge him to go ahead and appoint an SA Entertainment who can talk about comedy, music, dance, blog, etc, because the office running entertainment for now is office of the Commissioner for Culture who only talks about Zoo, Pleasure Park, etc.
“So, SA Entertainment will help create jobs. This show alone has created over 70 workers from now to event night. That is how big the industry can be. So, get an SA Entertainment to synergise with the industry, then, see how this sector can create jobs and wealth,” he said.
The promoter of ‘The Mayor of Pitakwa’ show series said all plans were set to make the 2024 edition one of the biggest.
"This year", he went on, "a ‘Presidential Table’ is a reserved table on stage at N5million. This is an innovation".
He said they have a strong team that can push a narrative that will suit partners and sponsors, as the big objective was to give brand visibility to the partners and sponsors, adding that, "it is going to be fully comedy (up to 98 per cent)".
On security, he said it was in place, saying the event centre has strong security system and works with the best security units in the state capital as backup.
Also speaking, the headline sponsor: My-ACE China (CEO, the Housing & Construction Mayor Limited), appealed to the Rivers State Government and other governments in the Niger Delta and South-East to leverage comedy as an industry to create wealth.
He said: “In some states, the window to leverage on this is getting narrower. Oprah Winfrey once urged people to make themselves relevant. This is done by being part of those trying to succeed.
“The brand, ‘Mayor of Pitakwa’, is growing at a fast rate. If the state government does not take advantage now, they might miss out like the government missed out when Burna Boy, a Port Harcourt boy, won the Grammy. This was so because the state government did not invest in him when he needed them. The opportunity does not stay there forever.”
He said this was why the entertainment community was happy with the present state government on what Governor Fubara did to host, honour and support Stanley Nwabali (national goalkeeper and AFCON hero).
“So, we say, this is the best opportunity to invest in ‘Mayor of Pitakwa’. When artistes blow, they are never easy to get because they become too big (busy) to care about you.”
The investors and entertainers admitted that the state had not had it so rosy for years, saying the interest so far shown by governor has stirred the industry into believing that hope still lies ahead.
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