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Nollywood: One industry, too many problems
By Emmanuel Ukudolo,
Correspondent, Lagos
The Nigerian home video industry has indeed come a very long way. Not too long ago, the industry marked its 10th anniversary with a lot of pomp and pageantry and attracted favourable comments from government officials, senators alike and the Lagos State Government.
But while these favourable comments continue to pour in, the industry seems to be embroiled in one form of crisis or the other. First in the series of crises was the failed impeachment bid on the executive of the Filmmakers Cooperative of Nigeria (FCON). The target of the exercise was mainly Peace Anyam Fiberesima, FCON’s Director of Finance, and then President of the cooperative, Dr Don Pedro Obaseki.
Those behind the impeachment plot were the renowned filmmaker Zeb Ejiro, Madu Chikwendu, president, Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Chike Brien, vice-president, AMP (all members of FCON).
They were not happy with the modus operandi of the executive, which engendered near collapse of the film market. Though the coup on the executive failed, a very determined Zeb unequivocally demanded the resignation of the FCON executive or face duplication of the cooperative. Few months later, a rather fed-up Obaseki threatened to announce his resignation before the end of the year, a threat he faithfully carried out.
But while the dust raised was beginning to settle down, film marketers decided to impose the severest of punishments on some class of artistes whom they perceived to have been overbearing as a result of their current status in life. Major culprits were Omotola Jelade-Ekeinde, Genevive Nnaji, Ramsey Noah and Jide Kosoko, among others.
Their offences ranged from alleged collection of appearance fee without showing on set, high appearance fees and other unethical behaviours. Ironically, the artistes seem to be learning their lessons knowing there is perhaps no other way to sustain their extravagant lifestyles.
One of those to speak out to avoid dying in silence was Prince Jide Kosoko, who not only begged the marketers to reconsider their stand on the matter, but practically dragged the special assistant to the minister of Information and National Orientation into the matter to plead on their behalf.
But the marketers insisted they never banned anybody but decided not to use some group of artistes in their productions for the group’s unethical behaviours.
While stakeholders are battling with this development, news of the purported impeachment of Zack Orji, president, Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), further decimated the peace that hitherto prevailed. His sins include failure to conduct elections into the 16 state chapters of the association, alleged insensitivity to the plight of banned artistes and his refusal to hold office as a sitting president.
Orji has since disproved all the allegations, maintaining that he remains president of the association since he has yet to be officially informed by the Board of Trustees. While the industry has yet to recover from this, the Board of Trustees of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP), comprising Chief Eddie Ugbomah, Ken Nnebue, Joe Dudun, Zeb Ejiro, Shola Adeyemo and Mrs Amaka Igwe, wielded the hammer and suspended the President of the association, Mr Madu Chikwendu, while he was away in Abuja attending to matters having to do with the association.
In a swift reaction to the shocking development, AMP issued a statement signed by its General Secretary, Mr Alex Eyengho for the president suspending Zeb, Ugbomah, Dudun, Nnebue, Zik Zulu Okafor and Paul Obazele for alleged refusal to pay union dues for the past eight years. Zeb was alleged to be owing the total sum of N160,000, Dudun (N100,000), Nnebue (N100,000) Obazele (N100,000).
The president stated that AMP’s constitution ascribed no specific role to the Board of Trustees, adding, “Supreme authority lies in the General Assembly.” Zeb and Obazele were also alleged to have been involved in sexual harassment of certain actress(e)s who were not mentioned. Besides, Zeb is also alleged to have looted AMP’s treasury between 1996 and 97 while he was president of the association.
Okafor is not indebted to the union, but his offence is his failure to account for over half a million naira, being revenue collected from sales of forms during the Central Working Committee (CWC). He was alleged to have refunded only N34,000. Ugbomah was suspended indefinitely for alleged scathing comments against the association.
So far, a committee headed by Mr Obi Madubogu has been set up to investigate all the allegations.
But it appears all is not yet over. Where else the wind would blow is left to the imagination of just anybody. As it is, the only major unions without any seeming distraction in terms of crises are the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), under the leadership of Mr Fidelis Duker, and the Association of Movie Producers and Marketers under the leadership of Mr Olusegun Afolabi. Even though there is no threat of impeachment in either of the association, the DGN, earlier in September, threatened to revoke the membership of some directors based on their inability to meet up with membership dues thus impacting negatively on the day-to-day running of the association.
Within that period, Nigeria’s budget also made provisions for it, indicating official government’s recognition of the industry. Few weeks back, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Dr Okey Ikechukwu, told a gathering of filmmakers and marketers that the industry has not only colonised the whole of the West African sub-region, but that government considers it as an image making tool.
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