September 13, (THEWILL) – Nollywood actress, Nkechi Blessing, has stated that the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN) was slow to speak on the Baba Ijesha saga because some of its members are also allegedly guilty of sexual assault.
THEWILL recalls that Baba Ijesha is in a legal battle after he was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
The development sparked a lot of controversy among Yoruba film stars, including TAMPAN suspending Blessing after her social media fight with Kehinde Adams over the issue.
Speaking on the matter during an interview with Chude Jideonwo, the actress stated that TAMPAN leaders were initially afraid of commenting on the case for fear of being dragged by those they had assaulted sexually.
“When I was ranting and ranting, they still did not come out. Everyone was tagging them and asking them what they have to say about the matter but nobody came out until Mr Latin, TAMPAN president, made a video and said he cannot suspend or chase Baba Ijesha out of the industry because he’s not a member of TAMPAN, which is quite understood. Everyone said oh no wonder you people kept quiet,” she said.
“But let me tell you the real sense why most of these people have been quiet. It’s because if one of them comes outside to talk, all their victims will come out and call them out. QED!
“That’s why everybody is quiet because, in one way or the other, they are all guilty of the same thing. Because they will tell you with their full chest: ‘if you don’t sleep with me, you won’t get this role’. Yes! That is what it is.”
Blessing added that she is not bothered by her suspension following her comments on the matter.
“But for me, suspending me that have been looking for a way to leave your industry that is not favouring me, it’s like you’re helping me,” she added.
“What they (TAMPAN) did was pure blacklisting because they had the same issue with Yomi Fabiyi, but they sent a letter of invitation to him, they didn’t go outrightly to suspend him, so what stops them from also sending me a letter of invitation, here from me first and I’ll be apologise.”
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