…As Interim Executive is birthed following reconciliation

Abia State Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Creative Economy Dr Matthew Ekwuruibe demanded that  peace and progress should reign in the state chapter of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), asking members that filed  pending court cases to withdraw them  within the period to be specified by the new  Interim  Leadership Committee of the chapter, and communicate with government accordingly.

The Commissioner  spoke Wednesday at the New Eastern Comfort Hotel Umuahia, the Abia state capital, during the reconciliation meeting of the then rival  claimants to the state chapter leadership.

The meeting featured lifting of the suspension of the former state Executives, dissolution of the former Unity Leadership and the Constitution of a nine member state  Interim Leadership Committee led by Mr David Onyebuchi Amalaha as Chairman,  with Mr  Emeka Onyekwere as Whip, and the  inauguration of this  Committee  by the AGN National  President Alhaji Abubarkar Yakubu Sanusi.

The Chairman of the  inaugurated state one term  Interim Committee , Comrade Amalaha who  elatedly declared the reconciliation as remarkable, noting that the  AGN Board members  and National Executives  visited the state because of their  commitment to finding and effecting lasting peace in the state Chapter,  assured  that the state AGN has reunited for good and desired progress.

 The State AGN had been   engulfed in over four years leadership rivalry that led the then national leadership to suspend the then state leadership, which scenario  stalled the state chapter activities over that period

The Commissioner who lamented that the state AGN remained inactive for years despite government progressive policy for the sector, charged the interim Executives to do the needful ,  carry all members  along,  especially the hitherto aggrieved members, to make desired  progress, stating that the state government is revamping the Ojukwu Bunker, National War Museum, building massive Entertainment Village, including developing various Tourism Centres and potential ones, reviving arts and culture in the state , among others.

He said, ” Government wants total peace in Abia AGN Chapter and now recognizies only the Amalaha-led  Interim state Executives who is to hold office for one year, adding that  government is ready to work with all duly constituted professional groups in the state”.

He urged that all pending Law Suites against AGN be withdrawn and communicated to government within the period that this Interim State Executive will set”.

The AGN National President, Alhaji Sanusi who lamented that the state Chapter lost six valuable years to rivalry, discord and misunderstanding that would have been used  to make progress,  including identify talents, attrack investors in Film production among others,  that would have positioned the chapter among the strongests in the country.

He charged the chapter not to rely solely on some states like Lagos and Delta for opportunities,  but  exploit  the abounding creative potentials in Abia state  stating ” Abia state is richly endowed with talents culture , compelling stories , and creative energies with capacity of sustaining flourishing  industries”.

Noting that as the Abia state Government drives it’s ongoing transformation in the sector by building infrastructure, advancing image, the state AGN Chapter should similarly be doing its own both spiritually and  professionally, stressing that ” the era of blame, factionalising and personal egoing must end and pave the way for unity and desires.

Immediate past AGN  National President, Dr Ejezie Emeka Rollars while urging members of the state chapter to  now embrace the  peace resulting from the reconciliation instead of living in the past, recalled the 2009 AGN leadership, and how the then controversial Port Harcourt election ultimately paved the way to emergence of a Government of national Unity which he opined,  restored stability in the  AGN.

He consequently appealed to those who  felt aggrieved with his actions while he was in office,  to forgive him the way he  would also  do to them.

Some leaders of the AGN also addressed the large number of members in attendance.

Patron of the AGN Mr Steve Ebo a veteran actor who said he personally,  as the then  AGN national Vice President, supervised the formation of  the Abia State  Chapter, charged the members to embrace the brokered peace, be loyal to the leadership, and work unitedly towards restoring the state’s position as a major Hub of Nigeria’s film industry.

“Aba (Abia State) was one of Nigeria’s leading filming Centres that played significant role in its growth from  which many successful Actors launched their careers. I am optimistic that with this reconciliation, the state administration of governor Alex Otti would set into faster motion it’s arts, culture, Tourism and related programme activities

According to him , true membership of the AGN goes beyond registration and attending meetings but actively participating in productions and collaborating with industry colleagues towards growing the industry.

Notable attendants included popular renowned cultural singer- musician Chief Paulson Kalu who was honored by the current Governor Alex Otti administration with celebrating his birthday anniversary.