When he stepped into the Multi-Purpose Hall of Lagos State Television premises, during the annual lecture award organized by Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN) little would you know that Henry Akpololo Enunuaye Ejuone alias Plenty Mouth and Olorogun 1 of comedy is a comedian. But when he mounted the rostrum and started dishing out rib cracking jokes laced with Urhobo language the audience including Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Umar Manko were seen reeling with laughter.
In an interview granted to Editor-in-Chief of Urhobotoday, Oghenekevwe Laba after hilarious display, the Orerokpe born comedian spoke on several issues among whom is how comedy solved criminality in Delta state and create source of unity among the youths
Excerpts
How do you come about comedy?
It all started when I was in secondary school. To be frank comedy is an in built thing to me. I grew up with it. At home we do say funny things among ourselves and there is always laughter . My father, mother and my sibling mouth are injected with laughter. Comedy is a thing of the family. I discovered that I can make a living out of it. After secondary school, precisely 1988 I started kicked off comedy professionally.
What schools do you attend?
I did my primary and secondary school education in Lagos and graduated from Delta State University, Oleh, where I studied law.
How come you are fluently with Urhobo language in your comedy when in actually fact you did not grow up in Urhoboland?
Well, I captured the language from my parents who speak Urhobo language to us regularly at home.
What have done in your comedy to unite the Urhobos?
In those days they use Warri to depict the crime side of the society in comedy. It is either Warri boy did this or that. In those days they use to hear a lot of kidnapping incidents in Warri. But it is not like that in this present dispensation. This is because most of the jobless youths have created talent and profession for themselves in comedy. This had created means of livelihood for many of the idle youths. This is why Warri is standing out as the city of comedians. From Ali Baba, I go die, to Gordons. Just name it. The numbers of comedians are growing from Warri daily. They have been encouraging the youths to take their mind away from criminal acts and get talent that will keep them busy.
Delta State is a criminally prone area. What is your advise to the youths about giving up crime?
Just like what I said earlier, try as much as you can to obtain a talent. Go to school and acquire knowledge so as to create a talent that will put food on your table and definitely, the sky will be your limit.
How can we achieve unity in Urhoboland?
If we can create a forum like here in Lagos where Urhobo youths will meet once in a month it will create a venue to make the Urhobos in Lagos come together and from there unity will be achieved.
What message do you have for the Urhobos and people of Delta State?
Urhobo Waado! I greet all my fathers. I great Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan May his days be long. I great all the members of Delta State executive and the great people of the State that are making the people of the state proud. Our own Richard Mofe Damijo had been doing great things and may God assist him. To my fans over there I say God bless you, it is your support that is keeping me in where I am today. God bless you all.