Versatile Nollywood actor,the man known as the black arrow and President
of The Actors Guild of Nigeria,Lagos indigene Segun Arinze few hours ago
resigned his Presidency of Africa’s largest Actors Guild after serving for two
years.
An attempt to hold an AGM to
elect a new executive in Benin was marred by violence.TAG got in touch with the
well known actor to get a first hand information on what transpired and why the
Guild is finding it difficult to elect his successor..Segun spoke in a No Hold
Barred Interview, the first interview he granted any online medium in Nigeria and
abroad after his resignation..Read on
The time was 8..56pm on thursady 3rd May 2012 when a call was made to Segun’s phone from Abuja..
After ringing for about 30 seconds,his unmistakenable baritone voice came on..
Segun: Hei: TAG ,how far.how you dey,where you dey.
The time was 8..56pm on thursady 3rd May 2012 when a call was made to Segun’s phone from Abuja..
After ringing for about 30 seconds,his unmistakenable baritone voice came on..
Segun: Hei: TAG ,how far.how you dey,where you dey.
TAG..I dey
fine bro,how u dey..where you sef dey.
Segun..Am
driving,on my way home.
TAG:Ok,Na
true say u don resign?
Segun..Yes
o,I have ,did you see my resignation letter
TAG.No ,I
haven’t,
Segun:Ok I
ll mail it to you when I get home. I have your email address
TAG, that
will be fine, but I want you to grant me an interview now, probably the first
to any media house in Nigeria after your recognition.
Segun..Bros,you
know I ll do anything for you TAG,we have come a long way together..i seem to
be the hottest commodity in town now, everyone wants to interview me. I ve
heard so much about your blog..I am impressed by what I have seen and read.
This is what a blog should look like, but you l l have to call me on my other
line, because the battery of this phone will soon go off and let me park while
we talk.
TAG..I ll
call you back in 2 minutes time.
Segun: That
will be ok with me.
Unfortunately five minutes time, we called back on the alternative line
and he picked immediately.
TAG...Can we
talk now?.
Segun...Why
not, fire on.
TAG...Why
did you resign As President, Actors Guild of Nigeria, the biggest association
of actors and actresses in Africa ?
Segun..I
resigned because my tenure has expired. it ran between 2009 -2011,two years. Am
not a sit tight President.
TAG..What
was the highest point of your tenure?.
Segun…..First
and foremost .the Guild under our leadership for the first time in the history of
Nollywood was able to get affiliated to such international movie industries and
Associations in USA like Federation Of International Actors (FIA),Twinning
process with Screen Actors Guild US ,collaboration and MOU
with fellow African Actors Guild like that of Ghana etc.Our tenure was
also devoid of any rancor with any member or group of people It is also to our
credit that throughout our tenure, we didn’t for a single day have problem with
members of the Board Of trustees of the guild, which has always been the norm.
TAG..And
your lowest moment?
Segun…My
lowest moment is now
TAG…But why?
Segun..Well,
what happened at the cancelled Guilds AGM in Benin was unprecedented in the
life of our Association. Could you believe that charms, juju and eggs were
freely used by the actors and actresses, made up of the contestants and
delegates..There was a free for all. Everyone took to their heels.I have never
seen anything like that in my life.
The election
was to be a family affair. We are not a political party but rather an
association of professions..To say i was disappointed is just putting it
mildly.
TAG..So what
really led to the mayhem?
Segun..The
chairman of the electoral committee.AGNEC ,Sunny Macdonald went beyond his mandate..I
was the one that appointed them with a full term of reference and code of
conduct for the election.
But for
selfish in defendable reasons, he went beyond his mandate and that led to the
fracas..Some State delegates said no State election was conducted to elect
their delegate as enshrined in our constitution.
TAG:So when
will this be resolved.?
Segun,,,The
Board of trustees will get it sorted out and election will be held soon.
TAG….We were
made to understand that your effort to impose certain candidates led to the
problem.
Segun...That’s
a lie from the pit of hell. I have no preferred candidate..All we want is the
best candidate that will continue with the legacies and foundations we have
laid. Down. Talks were making the rounds that I didn’t want to resign, but I
have been vindicated now.
TAG..So
what’s next with the Guild?
Segun…:I
advice that all culprits that disrupted that convention should be brought to
book as a deterrent to others who may want to repeat same act next time..I also
want to use this opportunity on behalf of my former executive to apologise to
all the delegates and stake holders on the incident. I want to assure them that
we ll surely get it right because we ought to be seen as role models. In every
election, there must be a winner and loser; it should be in the spirit of
sportsmanship.
I want to
see them transcend were we stopped. It’s not about BOT members,Ibinabo
(Fibresima),Yakubu nor Segun ( Arinze)….We should be seen to rise above
mediocrity devoid of electoral rancour.Integrity and honour should be our key
word.
TAG..What
has happened to the lifeline $250m lifeline given the entertainment industry by
the President Goodluck Jonathan..How well have you people utilized that money?
Segun……That
is news to me..Till today i can tell you without any contraction that we have
not seen a dime from that so called fund..We are yet to draw from it..Maybe the
relevant agencies should help us on this.
TAG..It has
been said that a lot of mediocrity abound in the industry,Nollywood is now an
all comers affair..Standard has been sacrificed on the altar of
professionalism..What’s your Association doing about this?.
Segun…..Mediocrity
is not a birth right of Nollywood alone, you see it in all other professions
including yours, journalism. Law, Medicine etc. It’s not the fight for only
actors.The Marketers, Directors etc also have a larger share of the blame.I
believe with time, we will be able to separate the men from the boys..
TAG...Thanks
Segun for given us your time on this unscheduled interview.
Segun..Thanks
TAG and Keep up the good work.
God bless…..Team Awesome Emmanuel (TAG)