Entertainment Industry: Probe N3b Intervention Fund, AGN President Tells Buhari.

Daji Sani in Yola

The National President, Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) , Mr Emeka Ike, has called on the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the N3 billion intervention fund released to the entertainment industry by former president Goodluck Jonathan .

Ike made the call in Yola Saturday during an interactive session with journalists alleging that the money had been misappropriate by the cabals of the entertainment industry.

He said the presidency had meeting with so called creative industry while genuine registred creative associtions were not represented adding that , the few beneficiaries of the fund had not invested anything into the industry, but are rather buying houses in Abuja and Lagos.

Ike further claimed that most of the 247 actors said to have been trained at the cost of N899 million abroad from the fund, could not be traced.

‘’Mr president has to be careful as who he meet in the creative industry saying Kannywood ,ANTP and AGN which are the registered bodies of the entertainment industry in the county did not benefit from the fund’’.

‘’What these cabals do is to ensure these registered bodies are in crisis so that they can squander any intervention fund earmarked to the for the benefits of entertainment industry’’

“These cabals are scavengers they want to drag presidency to mud what they did in the last administration was terrible to the indutry, they are scavengers, and I am begging us here today to expose them.”

Ike advised the government to always relate directly with associations in the film industry such as AGN, ANTP and Kannywood, instead of individual actors.

The AGN president said he was in Adamawa to participate in a programme organized by the state Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, to encourage youth on self reliance.

He said that the film industry has the potentials to boost the nation’s economy, if properly funded.

The AGN president assured that under his leaders any sexual harassment in the industry would handled to logical conclusion in line with rule of law to serve as deterrents to others .