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  • AGN debunks arrest, detention of national president Rollas

    AGN debunks arrest, detention of national president Rollas

    The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has denied reports that its national president, Ejezie Emeka Rollas, was arrested and detained by the police in Umuahia, Abia State.

    According to a statement by the guild’s spokesman, Cornel Udofia, the reports are “a figment of imagination” aimed at embarrassing the Nigeria Police Force.

    Udofia said the controversy started when a group of ‘disgruntled elements’ reportedly hijacked the Abia AGN chapter by conducting an illegal election without the national body’s consent.

    This he said, led to the appointment of interim chairmen, including the latest one, Mr. Emmanuel Ehumadu, also known as Labista.

    He said that during Labista’s first meeting on January 9, 2025, Rollas attended to encourage participation, adding that things took a turn when someone in the crowd began issuing threats and causing chaos.

    He noted that Rollas sent a distress call to the police, who intervened and invited the individuals involved for questioning.

    The AGN has reiterated that Rollas was never arrested or detained, and the reports were fabricated to discredit the Nigeria Police Force.

    The statement reads: “Actors Guild of Nigeria debunks arrest of national president…

    “Our attention has been drawn to news making the rounds in local Abia blogs claiming that the AGNNational President Dr Ejezie Emeka Rollas MON was arrested and detained by the police in Umuahia., Abia State.

    “Ordinarily these blogs do not deserve this refutal but for the benefit of teeming supporters of our National President who has been doing a great job and for the records.

    “For those of you who have followed the AGN story in Abia it would be recalled that since 2024 a set of disgruntled elements led by one David Amalaha hijacked the Abia AGN by conducting an illegal and kangaroo election without the consent of the National body as enshrined in the AGN constitution. As a result, the Guild in Abia has been led by different Interim governments pending when the matter in court would have been over.

    “Recently Mr Emmanuel Ehumadu aka Labista was appointed as the new Interim Chairman of the Abia State Chapter. January 9th 2025 was his first meeting and luckily the National President was around in the State due to the death of his mother-In-Law so he attended the meeting to encourage participation of all members.

    “After his speech where he reeled out the national programs for 2025 somebody among the crowd raised up his hands to speak and he was given audience only for him to begin to rain abuses to the national body, issuing threats and causing chaos. At that point the national president sent a distress call to the AlG zone 9 who intervened and the boys were invited to the police for questioning.

    “The meeting continued. At the end of the meeting the National President went to the zone 9 Umuahia and made an official entry of threat to life.

    The National President was never arrested and detained as claimed in the report.

    “It is a figment of imagination of the writer calculated to embarrass and disrespect the Nigeria Police Force. Signed, Cornel Udofia, Presidential Spokesman”.

  • Rollas receives AGN byelaw for safety on set

    Rollas receives AGN byelaw for safety on set

    The President, Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Dr. Ejezie Emeka Rollas, has received the draft copy of the bylaw of the AGN.

    At the presentation in Lagos, Rollas received the proposed byelaw for the AGN from the Chairman of the Byelaw Committee, Emeka Ike.

    Explaining why he set up the committee, Rollas said: “Today we are here for two specific reasons, for the past two months and three days a committee was set up by the national executive council to come up with byelaws both for safety and to help the guild build a structure that can help actors do their work very well. Today they are rounding off the presentation of what they have come up with. This will show members that we are taking the guild seriously. This guild cannot move forward without having structures that would match global international best practices.”

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    Ike said: “A nation without byelaw is not in existence and an association or a group without byelaw is not profitable. We have lived like this all through the life of Nollywood and this perhaps is one of the reasons why things are not checkmated, why there is not much residual, why people are not gaining from things they are supposed to benefit from and people go to make contracts without having a background. All that put together is the wisdom of Mr. President who said we should sit as a committee to find a way to address several issues that have existed in the entertainment industry as it relates to an actor. I can assure you that the document we are presenting here today is landmark and it is going to send a shock wave in the industry. This will necessitate the indigenous filmmakers to copy from here things that would lead to a better industry where everybody is a prize winner. We discussed everything that pertains to the actor.”