Emeka Ike: AGN was used as meal ticket

 

Emeka Ike

Popular actor, school proprietor and factional President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Emeka Ike does not have kind words for his predecessors. As far as the Stigma actor is concerned, the past leadership of AGN failed to live up to its responsibilities.

Emeka, in company with some of his executives, recently visited an elderly actor, Tunde Alabi, who had his leg amputated as a result of complications from diabetes. During the visit, Ike donated some money for the veteran’s upkeep.

Baring his mind to Sunday Scoop, Ike said, “AGN was used as a meal ticket by some people before now, and it was not living up to its mandate. AGN is supposed to provide for the welfare of Nigerian actors, but the people who ran it were operating it like a personal business. They spent most of their time in office visiting governors and Aso Rock.  Things like that led to the African Magic rip-off because the clique of elitists I mentioned earlier were in business with them, albeit without structure. Many of them were patronised, but today, they have been abandoned, and DSTV is moving on with Uganda, Kenya, and other African countries. DSTV came to do business, but we were not organised ab initio, and now they prefer to deal with the Association of Movie Producers (AMP).”

Explaining why he hasn’t been seen in movies in a long time, Emeka said, “I feel the industry in Nigeria is ripe enough to pay me for all I’ve done for it. I think it would be sheer foolishness for me to keep exciting Nigerians without asking the right questions. Right now, I’m more interested in ensuring that actors get paid every time movies are shown.”