BEVERLY HILLS, June 24, (THEWILL) – We’re yet to hear the end of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) leadership tussle between Ibinabo Fiberesima and Emeka Ike going by the actor’s recent statements.
Ike who had been at war with Fiberesima for months over leadership of the guild, was announced President following Ibinabo’s 5-year jail sentence. She was also stripped of her title as President of the body.
In a recent interview with HipTV, the actor however disclosed that he remains friends with Ibinabo and Segun Arinze despite popular belief. He said the two are paid stooges who have been rewarded to have press conferences. “I know who I’m fighting, they are bigger conglomerates…multinationals.”
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Meanwhile, in another interview with Television Continental (TVC), Ike accused his predecessor Ibinabo of achieving nothing while in power saying she led the guild like a side business.
He said: “I have gotten awards severally for being one of the builders of Nollywood. We did what we had to do as young people because we got very excited about it. It became a big deal and right now, everybody is celebrating it. We were part of the people that donated our time, efforts to create the model, Nollywood.”
Speaking on the crisis in Nollywood, he said, “Right now, there is no crisis in Nollywood. If I go to court with you and there is a judgment and a resolution, then the crisis has ended. A court of competent jurisdiction, a High Court in Nigeria had resolved the issue, told the parties that it’s wrong, that it had been dissolved, fired.
“Their appeal was refused in the High court because it was a declarative judgment.”
“So, if you say crisis, you need to know the crisis has been logically and legally resolved, legitimately settled.”
“Ibinabo was ordered to pack out, give receipts, results and everything to designated authority. So, when you say crisis, that is a media bluff. They keep going to the media to say there is problem in AGN so they can have their way but I tell you this, there is no crisis.
“Having been designated, we are now trying to put things together.”
“This is not about Ibinabo’s manslaughter case. But you know, someone who has such a huge case is not fit to rule our people. That is not good for our young people.”
“She was more interested in putting the wrong people in power like Segun Arinze, who does not even have a BSc and is not fit to be in power in AGN.”
“You put some money on the table and say ‘go and abuse Emeka’ and that’s it; they go!
“Ibinabo didn’t want to leave power. She was fighting Ejike Asiegbu. She told everybody the board of trustees owns the AGN. Who owns Nigeria Bar Association, NBA?” He quizzed.
“So much illiteracy and huge ignorance and you use all of this impunity and walk into locations and order my people around.”
“You order them to go to places like parastatals, government houses and you ask them to bring money for the AGN. It is true the AGN needs money to run but then it has to go through proper channeling, like the house coming up with what it needs.”
“We then go as a body and present our demands. Not by carrying our beautiful faces and go to present proposals. That’s dumb because the AGN is not running a prostitution cartel. We are serious minded actors who pay our dues.”
“Ibinabo never carried the industry along; she only did her thing with just a few powerful people who claimed ownership of AGN. Am I supposed to just keep quiet on that?”
“I will not keep quiet and let few people empower few people and let some multinational company empower a few people to oppress everybody.”
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