Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has appointed actress and filmmaker Destiny Etiko as his senior special assistant on Youth Engagement and Creative Economy. Ms Etiko, who is now a gubernatorial aide, thanked Mr Mbah for the confidence he placed in her, stating that she pledges unwavering loyalty, dedication, and commitment to his administration's vision and the good people of Enugu State.
Ms Etiko announced the appointment in a post on her Facebook page on Monday. She embraced the responsibility with pride, humility, and a determination to make a meaningful impact.
It remains unclear whether Ms Etiko was appointed recently or whether she was among the 101 new aides appointed by Mr Mbah to various positions in September, including special adviser, senior special assistant, and special assistant roles.
The 37-year-old has become the third Nollywood star to be appointed as Mr Mbah's aide in recent times. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the governor, in September, appointed popular Nollywood actress and filmmaker Eucharia Aṅunobi as his senior special assistant on women mobilisation for the Enugu North District. Another Nollywood actress, Rachael Okonkwo, was also appointed by the governor as his senior special assistant on Film and Creative Industry Development.
Ms Etiko was born in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State. She rose to prominence following her performance in the film called Idemili. In 2021, she was honoured with the Nollywood Personality of the Year award at The Sun Awards for contributions to the Nigerian film industry.
Nollywood stars and creatives usually prefer to relocate to Lagos State for greater career opportunities, but Ms Etiko has remained in her home state of Enugu, where she was born.
With this appointment, she joins a list of Nollywood stars who have been given political appointments in Nigeria in the past. Nkiru Sylvanus, another Nollywood actress, was appointed special assistant on Lagos State Affairs to the then Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha in July 2011. In April 2022, Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State appointed Nollywood actor Bob-Manuel Udokwu as his special adviser on Entertainment, Leisure and Tourism.