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•Group asks Gov. Nwifuru to call Ogbuewu to order
From Wilson Okereke, Afikpo
The Ebonyi State chapter of the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has appealed to the state governor, Chief Francis Nwifuru, to call his Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Stanley Ogbuewu, to order.
•Ogbuewu with Ebonyi AGN members
They accused the commissioner of meddlesomeness, alleging that he flagrantly cancelled the group’s election and other programmes in the state, slated for October 26 and 27, 2023, respectively.
Sole administrator of AGN in the state, Roland Chukwu, described the commissioner’s action as a big shame, noting that notable actors from outside the state were already arriving Abakaliki, the state capital, for their summit, when Ogbuewu aborted their programme through a radio announcement.
•Ogbuewu
Chukwu, who disclosed that the commissioner was also a member of the guild, further alleged that Ogbuewu took the ignoble route because he wanted to impose himself on the body as its chairman in the state.
According to him, Ogbuewu had earlier declared interest in the chairmanship position of the body but, sensing that his ambition would not materialize due to the popularity of other candidates, he allegedly used state power to abort the exercise.
“Before his appointment, Mr. Ogbuewu had indicated interest in contesting the election for the office of the chairman.
“But after his engagement I thought he would drop the ambition, since he had gotten a bigger position, but he insisted that he would contest, though I was not surprised because it is his fundamental right and choice to contest.
“While the election period was fast approaching after he had bought a nomination form, he called me and enquired about the particular ministry that harbours AGN and I explained that AGN/Nollywood falls under the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.
“Additionally, it is the same federal ministry that supervises everything that has to do with AGN and Nollywood and also spearheading the Motion Pictures Practitioners Council of Nigeria, called MOPPICON Bill, while Information and Culture are in separate ministries at the state level,” Chukwu explained.
He noted that the commissioner’s only reason was that “AGN/Nollywood is under his ministry. So, he directed that we should write a letter requesting for endorsement and approval from his office.”
Chukwu, a former vice-president of AGN, South East, said that the commissioner was duly notified by the chairman of the planning committee, Eze Chimezie, and expressed shock over the turn of events.
The cancellation notice from the ministry made available to us directed that the AGN members should get an approval from the ministry before they would conduct their election or hold other similar activities.
The AGN members were strictly warned to comply with the directives or face the full wrath of the government.
The AGN leader regretted that such things were happening in a state that was yet to make its mark in the movie industry, noting that things like that would scare industry players from making movies in the state.
“We are nowhere as a state in the movie industry. Our intention was that the summit would help take our people to stardom, since those who have made a name in the industry were ready to coach young artistes at the summit. But we lost that golden opportunity because of the inordinate ambition of one man who wants to be commissioner and chairman of AGN at the same time,” Chukwu lamented.
Izunna Nwankwo, a budding scriptwriter in Abakaliki, said the commissioner might have the erroneous impression that the AGN was another parastatal within the ministry of culture and tourism.
When contacted through telephone calls and short text messages, Ogbuewu declined to speak with our correspondent on the issue but asked him to go ahead and write anything he liked.
