The Nigerian movie industry otherwise
known as Nollywood is poised for a
showdown as the Association of Nollywood
Core Producers,ANCOP, has petitioned
EFCC and SFU over the N50 million
largesse donated by Governor Godswill
Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State to support the
industry.
The association is alleging massive fraud in
the disbursement of the fund. It has
petitioned the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Special
Fraud Unit (SFU) to investigate the matter.
According to a copy of the petition made
available to HVP, signed by the association’s
President, Comrade Alex Eyengho, the
group is asking the agencies to invite the
National President of the Association of
Movie Producers, AMP, Zik Zulu Okafor, the
National President of the Directors Guild of
Nigeria, DGN, Andy Amenechi; the Secretary
General of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN,
Yakubu Abubakar and actress Stephanie
Okereke- Linus Idahosa for obtaining the
fund and disbursing it without the consent of
the industry’s stakeholders.
Part of the petition dated August 19, 2013
and addressed jointly to the EFCC and SFU,
read thus:
“On June 15, 2013, news broke out that
some Nollywood stakeholders under the
auspices of a non-existent ‘Guild of
Nollywood Stars’ visited Governor Akpabio
in his office in Uyo for the purpose of
collecting the N50 million pledge to
Nollywood.
“The Governor presented to the visitors a
prototype post-dated (25-06- 2013) Zenith
bank cheque number 00063639 with Akwa
Ibom State Government as the account name,
issued in favour of Guild of Nollywood Stars.
“We also gathered that the Governor, in his
usual generosity, gave each of the visitors
N500, 000 cash. “Expectedly, the massive
publicity given to the entire episode by the
press generated heated debates. In fact, it
polarised the industry till today.
“Suspecting fraud, ANCOP immediately
raised the red flag when it queried the use of
a non-existent ‘Guild of Nollywood Stars’ to
access the N50 million pledge, by those who
visited Governor Akpabio.
“We are demanding that you immediately
commence a full-blown investigation into the
alleged fraudent act over the N50 million
Governor Akpabio gave to Nollywood to carry
out a specific task but now domiciled in the
account of one of the the over 30 associations
and guilds in Nollywood…Sir, anything short
of this is an invitation to anarchy in
Nollywood.”
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