Encomium
IFEANYI Dike is the chairman, Board of Trustees, Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN). And as the custodian of the guild, it will be a disfavor to the association if he doesn’t set the records straight concerning the issues raised against himself and president of the guild, Ibinabo Fiberesima, especially on their visit to President Goodluck Jonathan, which according to the actor cum ace broadcaster was a blessing to the guild. He, however, called on Clarion Chukwura to formalize her membership of the guild.
He told ENCOMIUM Weekly this and much more on Wednesday, April 30, 2014, at Ogba, Lagos.
As the chairman, Board of Trustees of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), what’s your reaction to all the issues raised by Clarion Chukwura against Ibinabo Fiberesima, especially on her recent visit to President Goodluck Jonathan on behalf of the guild, which you’re also involved?
I like to say there is no issue. Clarion Chukwura is only looking for relevance, and she thinks she can ride on Ibinabo’s popularity to get that relevance which Ibinabo will not reply. As the president of Actors Guild of Nigeria, replying her is trying to recognize her rabble-rousing antics because she is not even a member of AGN. So, she doesn’t deserve any reply. It’s so unfortunate that somebody that calls herself a veteran didn’t make any effort to form any association for the actors. Now, this young girl, with her leadership that has brought succor to a lot of actors through the health scheme going on, through so many assistances she
has rendered to the members of the guild. Also, through a lot of good things that are coming to the guild, Clarion is now jealous of this young girl because she went to see the president. If she has anything against President Jonathan, she should say it. Everybody sees the president, it’s just a privilege to see the president of your country. In America, Jay-Z sees Obama. During elections, entertainers see their president. And we’re not even in election time, and with Ibinabo we went to Aso Rock. It’s not for anything anti-AGN. We went to install him the Grand Patron of AGN because he has been the only president who has brought succor to Nollywood. For goodness sake, in what way can we say thank you to such a man that has brought relief to an industry that people regarded as a never-do-well. It’s only when they want to laugh that they invite actors but now they are taking us serious.
For your information, the Actors Guild of Nigeria is now a member of Federation of International Actors (FIA). Clarion Chukwura is not even aware of what’s happening in the guild. She is not even a member. So, what are we talking about? She said she was called at a point to lead the guild, yes that’s right. But what happened to that call?
She said she was truly invited to lead the guild but she quit when the crisis got to the level of inviting the police, and she wouldn’t want her image soiled…
(Cuts in) For goodness sake, even if you want to make an omelette you have to break the egg. If you want to be a leader, you must be ready for the crisis that comes with leadership. You only want to butter your bread, you don’t want to go to the police. That means you’re not ready to serve. After all, anybody can be taken to the police, including the president. Do you know how many times they have called the police for Ibinabo and she defeated all of them? So, if it were Clarion, it means she would have run away. She is a deserter. We don’t want a deserter to come run our guild. And she thinks of herself alone, we don’t want such people at all as our leader. If you want to serve the people, you must also get ready to sacrifice. Let me tell you one thing, Ibinabo is comfortable on her own, she doesn’t need AGN to make her big. She is a rich girl, even before she came into the guild. So, what are you telling me? She’s from a very reputable family. She doesn’t need any push to become anything. She is already somebody, and in fact, the guild is benefitting from her wealth of experience. Let me also tell you something, if you want the association to move forward, you must elect somebody that can take you far. And Ibinabo has done so well for the guild, and they all know. Those that are looking at her from outside that are non-members are only envious of her achievements. Okay, when it was all men ruling AGN, where was she? She thought that Ibinabo is a fellow woman, she can muscle her. It’s a lie, she can’t. Let me also remind her, I am the chairman of the Board of Trustees, and the position of AGN president is not vacant for now.
But as chairman, Board of Trustees of the guild, Clarion said you can’t speak on behalf of the president or to defend the president in any capacity…
I am not speaking on behalf of Ibinabo but in the interest of the guild. Nobody should come and rubbish the guild. After all, when we were going to the police station, why didn’t they leave me as the chairman of the board? They would have left me but I was going there to defend the guild. As the chairman of the guild, I am the custodian of the guild, and anything that goes wrong with it, I will be held responsible. Do you know what it means to be board of trustee chairman, that means the trustees of the whole association fall upon you. I can’t keep quiet and watch the people who don’t know where the head and tail are rubbish the guild just because they feel they are popular. I am not happy the way she has taken the issue. Look at her, she said she can’t be vice president. You don’t want to start from the scratch, you just want to become the leader. That means you’re too ambitious. But if that is the case, you don’t have to start using political languages that you want to serve the people. Who do you want to serve? Do you know them? Ask her, if she knows how many branches we have. Does she know the members of the guild? She said we have two chapters of AGN in every state, it means she doesn’t even know anything about what’s happening in the guild she wants to lead. Let me tell you, we only have one chapter in each state.
But she said the whole thing has been polarized.
No, that’s what I am telling you. It’s wrong.
But we also learnt that Lagos State chapter has two chairmen, two executive councils…
(Cuts in) No, Victor Osuagwu is the chairman, Lagos State chapter. There is no division in AGN, Lagos chapter at all.
What of Don Pedro’s faction?
We don’t even know whether it exists. He is just doing his own thing and we don’t want to disturb them. We have already served them all the notices and if you want to be fooled, go there. We have warned the public against having anything to do with them. If we decide to muscle them, they will say ‘Ha! Look at what actors are doing to their fellow actors.’ That’s why we warned the public, if you want to be fooled, go there. When the time comes for election, you won’t see them there because they are not members of the guild. We know the members of the guild. And let me tell you one thing, it’s high time people that do not belong to the association stayed away. We call them interlopers. And for your information, if she is being used by a group of disgruntled elements that have positioned her against Ibinabo, she is making a great mistake. She said she is consulting, I don’t know who she is consulting. Is she consulting with those that don’t even know anything concerning the guild? Is she consulting with those that will swallow her at the end of the day? So, she should be careful. She should ask questions on anything she doesn’t understand. Not just talking on the pages of newspapers and people are collecting little money from her and at the end of it all, they rubbish her. Let her just quietly go and rest and wait for her time. First, let her register as a member of AGN.
You mean that she wasn’t a member when she was asked to lead the guild?
Yes, she wasn’t. We just invited her as an external person, a recognized actress to be the sole administrator of the guild. We recognized her as a powerful actress but not as a member of AGN because we needed somebody that had no political lineage to salvage the industry but she deserted us. Now, she says she wants to lead the same association she ran away from because of police case. Now, everybody in the guild is saying peace is the answer. And Ibinabo, being a wonderful girl has brought peace to the guild. Now, you want to allow yourself to be used to scuttle the peace. If she is clever, let her just withdraw because if she wants to become president, she has to register first and spend a minimum of five years again, attend meetings and pay dues regularly before she can run for any office.
Does that mean she has not been paying her dues in the guild?
Nobody even knows her as a member of the guild. They just know her as a popular actress. Does she know where AGN meeting holds? Does she pay any due? Some people died in Nollywood recently, we didn’t see her at any of the candlelight nights. When Sam Loco Efe died, we didn’t see her; Justus Esiri died, she wasn’t there at the candlelight. Enebeli Enebuwa also died, nobody saw her there; Peter Ene also died, she didn’t come. So, is it when it’s rosy that she will now come? She wants to reap where she didn’t sow, it’s so unfortunate.
But she insisted there is crisis in the guild?
There is no crisis in the guild. You can take that to the bank. The crisis only exists on the pages of newspapers. I am telling you the truth. It’s so unfortunate that some people will ask question but they won’t want to ascertain from the right quarters, and they go to the press. That’s why I am granting ENCOMIUM Weekly interview because I believe it’s a soft-sell magazine that has been in existence for a long time, and that’s why it’s still thriving till date. She said that the Board of Trustees members can’t talk on behalf of the president, are we deaf and dumb? Listen to me, as far as it is the president, nobody can touch the president, if you touch the president you have touched the board. That president is the president of the whole guild, and if the president is doing anything wrong today, the board is the first to call Ibinabo to order. So, as far as we are concerned, she is doing very well. Do you believe there is an airline in Nigeria today that every member of the guild can fly to anywhere at a very reduced rate? Is that not an achievement?
But Clarion also accused Ibinabo of using the visit to President Jonathan to seek political appointment, you have not shed light on that?
I was there. In fact, I was the one that decorated Mr. President as the Grand Patron of the guild. For goodness sake, Ibinabo outlined all the problems facing the guild. We have our office in a flat. Even, if we have international visitors, that small office in Surulere, Lagos is where we receive them. But go to America, their actors have a very big office in New York. But at the end of the day, we’re able to have a great deal with the president by giving us a big headquarters in Abuja that will serve as the home of actors. Is that not a great achievement? Ibinabo is not doing all these for herself, she is doing those things for the future generation. If we have a head office in Abuja, which the president has promised to build for us, is that not a worthy achievement? We will now have an edifice bearing Actors Guild of Nigeria. For your information, Ibinabo must complete the project before she leaves.
Does that mean Ibinabo has been given automatic ticket and that the office is not contestable for now?
No, it can be contested but for goodness sake, what I am saying is that we know some people that can contest and we know those who can’t.
So, what you’re saying in essence is that Clarion is out of the picture?
Yes, she is definitely out of the whole thing. Let her not have that ambition at all. Already, all the states chairmen have given Ibinabo the mandate to go for the second term but other positions can be contested for and the board has it like that. So, what else do we want? The time Clarion said she was running a non-governmental organization (NGO), how many people benefitted? She should just leave Ibinabo alone and allow her fulfill destiny.
How old is AGN now?
AGN was formed in 1995 as Nigeria Actors Guild, and was registered in 1998. I used my money to register it. It was later changed to Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN). Where was Clarion all this time? She was nowhere to be found. We only know her as a popular actress and not a member of AGN. Not all popular actors or actresses belong to AGN. The fact that you’re a famous face doesn’t qualify you to become a member.
– TADE ASIFAT
