RMD: Soyinka, J.P. Clark taught me discipline, punctuality

Veteran actor Richard Mofe-Damijo, popularly known as RMD, has credited Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, and late poet and playwright, Prof. J.P. Clark, with shaping his discipline, punctuality and sense of responsibility.

RMD disclosed this while reflecting on the values instilled in him by his mother, his education and the influential figures he encountered during his career.

The actor said his mother repeatedly reminded him of his background and the responsibility that came with it.

“She nurtured me and taught me that, at different points in our lives, we represent different people, families and institutions,” he said.

RMD said his upbringing and professional experiences taught him that discipline and responsibility were essential qualities for anyone entrusted with representing others.

He also recalled how his encounters with Clark and Soyinka strengthened his respect for punctuality.

“I was also fortunate to have been well trained in the schools I attended and by the people I had the opportunity to work with. They taught me the importance of discipline, punctuality and responsibility,” he said.

RMD said he first encountered Clark in 1984 while serving as a resident actor at the J.K. Randle Centre.

He later had the opportunity to work with Soyinka as a director, an experience he said left a lasting impression on him.

“I also had the opportunity to encounter Wole Soyinka as a director. If you have encountered Soyinka, you would understand what I mean. If he says 4pm and you get there at 3:30pm, he is already there,” he said.

The veteran actor said the experience changed his own attitude towards time.

“Timeliness is important to me. If someone tells you to be somewhere at 8 o’clock, you should get there by 7:30. That way, when they encounter you, you are already prompt and ready to take off,” he said.

RMD said he hoped people who interacted with him would equally learn from the values he had embraced throughout his career.

“I was privileged to work with people who embodied those values. Those are the kinds of people I have had the opportunity to work with, and I imbibed that culture.

“I hope that those who encounter me will also be conscious of what they can learn from me,” he added.

Reflecting on his eight years in public service, RMD said the experience exposed him to the enormous potential of government to bring about positive changes in society.

However, he warned that individuals entering public service needed deeply rooted values to withstand negative influences within the system.

“I served government for eight years, and during that period, I realised that government has tremendous potential for good.

“You see that you have the ability to change things for good, but the system is sometimes built in such a way that when good people come into it, if their values are not deeply rooted, the system can suck them in,” he said.

RMD said his experience in government reinforced his belief that individuals should remain committed to their values and principles.

“When I came into government, I was determined to fight to change the attitude that some people brought into the system.

“That experience taught me something important: if you can’t fight the system, get out and go build somewhere else,” he said.