The Actors Guild of Nigeria has called for the sack of those at the helm of affairs of the Nigeria Film Corporation and National Film and Video Censors Board.
The call was made by the President of the guild, Ibinabo Fiberesima, when they paid a solidarity visit to President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Fiberesima is the first female President of the guild since its inception 15 years ago with about 5 million members nationwide.
Fiberesima urged the President to review their appointments and employ those with passion for the job to instil purposeful leadership in the film industry.
She said that those who have been appointed to run those agencies have shown lack of capacity to put the industry on the path of growth, especially in this transformational period. She implored the President to review those appointments and appoint administrators with passion, zeal and total dedication to the development of the film Industry.
She also said that Nollywood was in dire need of a modern, responsive legal environment for it to continue to thrive and remain relevant to this administration’s transformation agenda.
In his response, President Jonathan promised to look at the requests put forward by the guild for the donation of a piece of land, stating that the land was guaranteed, but that he would meet with the FCT Minister to help them build a secretariat.
Noting that actors nationwide have touched the lives of Nigerians even to the grassroots, the President said that Nollywood was the tool that would be used to redefine Africa.
The Information Minister, Labaran Maku, promised that their request that needed executive assent would be presented to the Federal Executive Council next week.
The Culture and Tourism Minister, Edem Duke, also urged the guild to sustain the positive value of the country, as well as the unity of the country in every story they tell.