Princewill Odey, the Nigerian comedian, popularly known as “Princewill’’ on Thursday said that his passengers, while he was a bus conductor, motivated him into comedy.
Odey told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that he was fond entertaining them with his witty comments which was his hobby.
“I had passengers who would wait at bus-stops to board my bus and I would talk and they would laugh; some would say, you are wasting your time, go and be a comedian.
“One day, two comedians: Emeka Smith and Mc Pato boarded my bus and from their discussion I figured out they were comedians and I asked for their cards and that was it,’’ he said.
He said that they used to tell me that my jokes were original and were always relieving them from their tensions and stresses.
Odey advised emerging and young entertainers to be original in their jokes adding that is what would stand them out from others.
He said that most of the budding comedians were deficient in creating contents thus portraying them as mediocre.
Odey said that mediocrity had become a challenge to comedy in particular and the entertainment industry generally.
He said that the young comedians were fond of copying jokes and humourous sayings of older and experienced comedians only for repetition while on stage as if such were their creation.
“They do not bother to create some jokes that will outlive what the pioneers had done.
“As long as they get paid for what they can say; they don’t care if they are adding value or not to the industry,’’ he said.
The comedian said that he used to devote so much time to creating jokes but that those who plagiarized them were reaping bountifully from his sweat.
“In fact, it is even as bad as someone somewhere answering your name. We need protection of our intellectual property and for our future’s sake and to secure our creativity,’’ he said.
He claimed that most entertainers were not receiving commensurate royalties from their works.
Odey, however, thanked God that some entertainers were, to a certain extent, comfortable with what they had earned from their works.
“I will say this has uplifted a number of practitioners from poverty and joblessness.
“There are those of us who would not have achieved so much if not that we are blessed with the talent of comedy.
He said that comedians deserved a better treatment when they considered the time, the sleepless nights they put in when arranging their jokes and ensuring they meet international standards.
NAN reports that Odey from Warri, Delta, is a graduate of Chemical Engineering from the Delta State University (Oleh Campus).
He won the “Up-and-coming comedian of the year 2014, from one of the FM stations as well as the “The African Legends Entertainment Awards’’ in 2016.
He also won the Opa Williams National Comedy Challenge (Lagos zone) in 2010.