ACTORS GUILD OF NIGERIA (AGN) MEETS SAG IN LOS ANGELES

 In its avowed commitment to youth development and upliftment of the entertainment industry in Nigeria, THE IFEANYI UBAH FOUNDATION, recently sponsored 10 members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN, to Los Angeles, USA to meet with the Screen Actors Guild of America, SAG.

The star studded delegation was led by the National President of AGN, Mr. Segun Arinze, other members of the entourage include the National Secretary, Ejezie Emeka Rollas, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Bob Manuel-Udokwu, Kingsley Ogbonna(Dauda), Ejiro Okurame, Uchenna Nnanna, Obi Osotuleand renowned film maker, Kingsley Ogoro.

The delegation was received in Los Angeles by the President of Screen Actors Guild, SAG, Prof. Ken Howard,Members of the Executive Council and members of the Board. In his welcome address, Prof. Howard tagged the visit as Nollywood Meets Hollywoodand revealed that it was the first time ever that SAG would be meeting any Guild/Association involved in film production from Africa.

Salient issues bothering on the development of the Nigerianfilm industry, aka, Nollywood were discussed especially training and re training of actors in particular and practitioners in general.

Series of meetings were held with both the Executives and Special Committees of SAG on the need for co operation and partnership in the following areas;

Setting up the AGN Foundation

Provide Template of Standard Contract for members as approved by the International Federation of Actors, FIA

Organize Regular training for AGN members

Provide template for the AGN Screen Actors Awards

Involve AGN in all of their major developmental projects

Commence the process of twining Arrangement under FIA

Both Guilds also agreed to protect the rights and welfare of members working within their territories and to equally curb the menace of mediocre and charlatans in the industry.

Henceforth no Nigerian Actor can work in the USA without proper clearance from AGN and also no American Actor can work in Nigeria without proper clearance from SAG.

The AGN delegation also visited the famous Universal Studios where they met with the top management of the production company. During the meeting, AGN President invited them to come to Nigeria as the country is virile for film productions especially with our beautiful locations, rich cultural heritage and God given talents. He informed them of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’sinterest to develop the entertainment industry and the Administration has provided the enabling environment for Foreign Investors especially in the motion picture industry which he holds close to his chest. Mr. Arinze talked about the $200 million intervention fund provided for the entertainment industry by the Nigerian President as a clear demonstration of his love and interest to develop the industry. He assured them that Nigeria is safe and a haven for film productions.

The management of Universal Studio said they were glad to receive the AGNdelegation and declared that Nigeria is the new frontier in film production and as famous filmmakers; Nigeria is certainly their next destination. They concluded that they have made a feasibility studies on making films in Nigeria.

The AGN team were treated to a star studded Hollywood traditional Luncheon by their counterpart before departing to Nigeria. The trip was also supported by SIFAX GROUP.

The Board of Trustees, National Executive Council, NEC and the entire members of ActorsGuild of Nigeria, AGN, wish to sincerely thank the Chairman and Management of IFEANYI UBAH FOUNDATION, for the Sponsorship and also the Management of SIFAX GROUP for their support.

-Abubakar S. Yakubu
National P.R.O Actors Guild of Nigeria

FAJ-A PHILOSOPHER-KING, AHEAD OF HIS TIME, AND HIS WORKS

-DELE MOMODU
Very blunt and frontal, though some will describe him as brutally confrontational,Femi Akintunde-Johnson, whom we all love to call FAJ is one man who is passionate about his craft.
He is rarely caught sitting on the fence on issues and each time he writes, his is deep and incisive. It is this writing style that makes him cut that figure of a bully. In any case, he had to be, because we are in a country where we love to take things for granted. He became the godfather, and the bible of entertainment. You would have thought he was already in his fifties at that time. As tall as he is, his pen was taller and mightier.
FAJ was incorruptible. He was addicted to his work, this thankless job that has become our religion. Please forgive my blasphemy. His principle was that of no friend nor foe. No story was too intimidating for FAJ to write. Many times, friends begged me to beg FAJ. Let me confess that I did not have the influence to deliver the message. I knew his ready-made answer. ‘Bob Do, you know you are too much of a politician and have too much friends, if we spare all your friends, there will be no paper to publish’. I admired his guts. He was a philosopher king, ahead of his time, and his art.
Reading his masterpieces, you could easily see that FAJ had an impeccable pedigree. He was a scholar in journalism. He should have been teaching Mass Communications, Theatre Arts, Music, English Language, Literature, and so on. He would have excelled in all.
If this was a serious society, FAJ would have been banished to Harvard, Oxford orCambridge Universities as a researcher into our fading arts. Or he would have been in New York’s Broadway checking out plays, music and movies. He would’ve been inducted into the Academy of Arts in any part of the world. But here we hustle between our art and our trade, or better put our daily bread. In the process only two things suffer: Our Art and Our family.
It is within this order that FAJ had endured all tribulations; to stick to his art. He himself may not be as visible as before but FAJ has remained committed to his lifetime passion. This book, I have been asked to present is an eloquent testimony to the triumph of mind over matter.
Aptly titled, FOOTPRINTS, Interventions in Nigerian Entertainment, it is a potpourri of powerful reportage, as well as a cadaverous analyses of Nigerian arts and entertainment. In this collection of essays by FAJ, the reader is taken down memory lane and on a tour de force of creativity at its best. The time span is long. It covers many generations of our arts and artists. But mainly the era before the explosion of hip-hop. He still finds space for the new wizkids of music though.
I know there is so much more from this master chronicler, the consummate artist, the quintessential teacher, the avuncular critic, the stupendously talented prose stylist and above all, a man of God. This book is a compendium of reference materials and a must-read for all lovers of great music and spectacular performance.
I thank FAJ for this honour, and I thank his ‘number one’, his wife, Ire, for standing by him through thick and thin. In FAJ we see the promise of a great future of Nigerian intellectuals. The best we can do is to give him a standing Ovation for his gallant effort and help to spread this book all over the world.



-culled from NET

HUSBAND STABS CORP MEMBER IN THE EYE

Deann Igho, a corps member serving in Port Harcourt, is now a one-eyed woman, courtesy of her husband’s assault.

It was gathered that Deann’s husband, Sylvester Nmezi, stabbed her in the eye during a minor squabble at home. If you think that the act was a mistake, you are wrong. After stabbing his wife in the eye, the man locked the doors against her and left her to bleed to death.



For Deann, this is like a dream. She married Sylvester barely a year ago and hoped to have a good marriage. Their affairs had started when she was a student at the University of Port Harcourt. Their love affair blossomed and they agreed to get married.

However, Deann’s parents, siblings and relatives objected to her marrying Sylvester. Along the line, she got pregnant for Sylvester and her family didn’t have any choice but to grant her wish. She moved in to live with Sylvester. Last year, she gave birth to a baby boy.

It was gathered that Deann is Sylvester’s third wife. First, the man married about five years ago and the marriage crashed after producing a child. He married again but his second wife did not give him a child before they parted ways. He then married Deann.

The fight 
Sylvester returned home after being away for two weeks. A quarrel had ensued between him and the wife, in the evening. To Deann, the matter was settled, but her husband did not want to let go.
It was gathered that in the dead of the night, Sylvester woke his wife from sleep and demanded that they talked. His wife told him that whatever discussion there was had to wait till the morning, to avoid waking the baby, who had cough and catarrh. In a fit of anger, Sylvester stabbed her twice in the eye, locked the door and escaped.

Since their home on Ada George Road, a developing part of Port Harcourt, is isolated, neighbours could not hear Deann’s cries. Writhing in pains and on the verge of bleeding to death, she managed to call her siblings in Lagos, on phone. She also called her parents and Sylvester’s parents, who also live in Lagos. She also, in pains, captured her bleeding face with her Blackberry phone camera and sent them to those she called. Her family contacted their friends in Port Harcourt, Mr & Mrs. Castro, who broke the door and took her out. She was then taken to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) for medical attention.

Nero Igho, Deann’s brother, who was in Lagos when he got this distress call, told Saturday Sun that he called Sylvester severally but he refused to pick his call. He had to fly to Port Harcourt the next day.
After initial treatment, Nero took his sister to police area command, where the matter was reported. She was, thereafter, transferred to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, where by a team of three doctors confirmed that the eye was dead, after surgery.

On his experience, Deann said: “Sylvester used a knife to remove one of my eyes and locked the door against me so that I will bleed to death.”

How Sylvester was arrested
Saturday Sun gathered that after the attack, Sylvester moved over to Lagos and was lodging in a hotel. While in Lagos, he told those who called him on phone that he was in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The bubble bust when someone sported him and told Deann’s family. Nero traced him to the hotel and fooled him into believing that there was no problem, as they saw the matter as his trying time with his wife. He followed them home, where the police picked him up. The police said he would be transferred to Port Harcourt, where the crime was committed.

Sylvester’s plot to flee Nigeria
It was learnt that Sylvester actually planned to flee Nigeria, which was why he came to Lagos. He had made arrangements for an International passport, which he was waiting for before he was nabbed.
While cooling off at Lagos Police Command cell, Sylvester blamed Satan for his action. He denied stabbing his wife. According to him, the ceiling fan cut her wife’s eye.

Quest for justice 
Deann’s family wants Sylvester to pay for his deeds. Nero is working with a non-governmental organisation, Crime Victim Foundation, to get justice for his sister.

Source: Sun News Online

BEAUTICIAN TOYIN ALAKIU IN RENT MESS -Owes landlord for two years

Lagos socialite and beautician, Toyin Alakiu, is currently having it rough with her finances. The delectable lady who is the MD/CEO of Fresh Looks, a beauty outfit on Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos has not been able to pay her rent now for two years.

And it has become so bad that her landlord, Evang. Myke Ikoku, besides issuing her a quit notice, has equally dragged her to court. The case is currently going on in one of the courts in Lagos.

Interestingly, the petite and pretty businesswoman has also not been having it easy on the home front. Her husband of many years, Tayo Alakiu, whose praises top Yoruba musicians like K-1 De Ultimate once sang to high heavens, has also abandoned her for another woman, Kehinde, daughter of late Chief Solomon Ayoku, owner of Goldengate Restaurant in Ikoyi, Lagos.

In fact, Tayo and Kehinde now have a child together – which was allegedly one of the reasons he left her. Tayo and Toyin were married for years without any issue.

Attempts to speak with either Mrs. Alakiu or Evang. Ikoku were unsuccessful. However, a source close to both of them told us that the former is indebted to the latter to the tune of about N3million. “I think she pays N1. something million per annum. And if you multiply that by two, it will be in the region of N3million or thereabout which she has not been able to settle”.

ONYEKA ONWENU LOSES MOTHER!

The Elegant Stallion and one of Africa’s most successful female musicians, Onyeka Onwenu, is devasted and dumbfounded. The courageous crooner and gifted gazelle just lost her mother, Madam Hope Onwenu. The resilient and good-hearted woman who would have been 93-years-old on January 6, 2012 died on Saturday, October 22, 2011, in Anambra State.

We learnt that she had not been enjoying the best of health for sometime, but that her final hours were enveloped in joy and happiness. One of her children, Onyeka, spent the whole of Wednesday, October 18, with her, plaiting her hair and even revisiting one of the woman’s classic compositions, Ochie Dike, with her. Narrating what exactly happened that day, she said: “We sang Ochie Dike Nnem, the song she wrote for her own mother and we sang praises to God, in our usual manner. She slept off and I left. I promised to come back on Tuesday. But I have been praying ever since, that if it was her time, that God will take her gently and peacefully in her sleep. That is exactly what happened. I give all the glory to my God. May my mother’s indomitable spirit rest in perfect peace. Ochie Dike, Ka Omesia. Dalu nnem. I love you”, she said in an emotion – laden voice. Her burial plans will be announced in due course.

KELVIN LUCIANO IN GHASTLY AUTO CRASH

There is panic in the Nigeria entertainment industry, right now as one of its own, Kelvin Luciano, the boss of Questionmark records, is authoritatively gathered to have been involved in ghastly auto crash, which took place at the early hours of  Saturday, October 1^st 2011, in Abuja, Nigeria.

Kevin was in the car with 4 other friends coming from the congress lounge on his way to his residence in Gana Street Maitama when the accident took place.

According to information gathered by us, Kelvin was said to have three broken ribs and a left lung that went flat. He is currently admitted in a yet to be disclosed hospital in the Federal Capital Territory and said to be responding to treatment.