Members of Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN on Tuesday asked President
Goodluck Jonathan to sack of chief executives of the Nigeria Film
Corporation and National Film and Video Censors Board.
Ibinabo
Fiberesima, President, AGN made the request when members of the Guild
paid a solidarity visit to President Goodluck Jonathan at the
Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The President of AGN said only those
with passion for the entertainment industry should be appointed to head
the regulatory agencies.
“Mr. President, Your Nollywood is in dire
need of purposeful, practical, dynamic and experienced leadership at
the helm of affairs of the two regulatory agencies whose function border
on our industry, that is, the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) and the
National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB).
“Those
that have been appointed to run those agencies have shown lack of
capacity to put the industry on the path of growth especially in this
transformational period.
“We implore Mr. President to review those
appointments and appoint administrators with passion, zeal and total
dedication to the development of the film Industry, said the AGN
President.
Ibinabo added that while Nollywood, the Nigeria film
industry has been acknowledged as capable of employing over five million
people, it is in dire need of a modern, responsive legal environment
for it to continue to thrive and remain relevant to this
administration’s transformation agenda.
“The present Copyright Act is now grossly inadequate particularly in digital and Internet environment.
“The
criminal sanctions for piracy and other copyright infringements have
become ridiculously low and no longer as sufficient deterrence to
infringers,” said Ibinabo.
The AGN President specifically asked
the the President to ensure the full implementation of the revised
National Film Policy (NFP) and to present the bill on the setting up of
the Motion Picture Practitioners Council of Nigeria (MOPPICON) as an
Executive bill to the National Assembly to be speedily be passed into
law.
“We believe that that the implementation of the revised
national film policy which provides among other things for the setting
up of community cinemas in each of the local government area of the
country, the setting up of MOPPICCON and the setting up of a sustainable
film fund, is the most important intervention tool that the Nigerian
motion picture industry requires to address some of its structural
deficiencies” she said.
The guild also, requested for a land and a
building in the Federal Capital Territory for their headquarters which
will be named The Goodluck Jonathan Screen Actors House.
The guild
also urged the President to direct the relevant agencies to negotiate
and sign the foreign treaty with other country as currently non exists
with any country as well as inculcate them into the centenary
celebrations so that they can “produce a historic film that will talk
about us from 1914-2014 with a view to chronicle the achievements of our
founding fathers and socio political evolution”.
President
Jonathan told the AGN members that he will to look into their requests.
The President said while allocation of land to the Guild can be
guaranteed, he would meet with the FCT minister to help them build the
secretariat.
Labaran Maku, the Information Minister who
accompanied members of the Guild to the Presidential Villa promised that
their request that needed executive assent will be presented to the
Federal Executive Council next week.
Edem Duke, the Minister of
Culture and Tourism, also appealed to the guild to portray the positive
value of the country as well as the unity of the country in all their
stories.
