FROM NOLLYWOOD Actors’ Guild of Nigeria (AGN) 5th National Chairmen’ Conference - Communiqué - The Actors’ Guild of Nigeria (AGN) National Chairmen’s Conference rose in Abuja on the 14th of July 2013 after its 2-day Meeting which commenced on Saturday 13th July 2013 to issue the following as captioned. (A) State of the Nation 1. That The State of the nation calls for sober reflection on the need for peace and tranquility which we all owe as a duty from our individual home fronts, and therefore call on the citizenry of Nigeria and residents to come together as our brothers keeper to ensure that peace reign, this we observe and agree in totally is the only way out of the present political and economic logjams which includes the ongoing strikes. 2. That Boko Haram and or any other group should please pursue their cause or differences without further blood shed so that our society will be a save haven where economic activities will once more, thrive. 3. That we should all protect our nascent and growing democracy with dignity and unalloyed loyalty to the progress of our father land – Nigeria, as we have no other place to call ours, we passionately appeal to our leaders therefore, to sheath their swords and put the nation first at all times. (B) State of the Guild That as practitioners, we have chosen to not only let the Society see beyond the micro view of ill conceiving us as indecently dressed, uneducated, religiousless (sic) or not mannered people to that of professionals that we are, indeed are, as we have even sciences in the growing Nollywood industry today in Nigeria. 2 In view of the above, we have x-tray the present crisis rocking the Guild for some times now and has decided to put an end to it because it is impeding progress of Nollywood practitioners and directly tearing on AGN in particular, and therefore, ready to ensure an enabling environment to set an agenda for a new dawn in the Guild, thus re-positioning it as one big family that we are really suppose to be. A: (i) Constitutionality (ii) Validity of Present AGN National Executive Council (1) That irrespective of the Constitutional breach by the Chairmen / BOT’s unilaterary suspension of the Constitution in Lagos at Woodpecker in April 2009 for two (2) years for the purpose of forming a Government of National Unity as proposed by Ifeanyi Dike which eventually produced Segun Arinze, the Constitution is still the only legal document of the Guild as it is the last any National Convention as adopted to date and the period of suspension has since expired (2011). Consequently, we resolved thus: (1) In the interest and credibility of AGN in Nigeria, we the State Chairmen stand by the last known Constitution adopted by a valid National Convention in Enugu 2007, we recognize that the proposed Constitution is yet to be adopted by any national convention. (2) NEC should call for a long overdue National Congress / Convention on or before three (3) months from the date of issuance of this Communiqué. (3) Despite the shortcomings of the present NEC which is not Constitutional and not in tandem with the norms and practices of AGN, we still recognize the present NEC for the purpose of moving forward provided it: 3 i. Hence operate according to the dictate of this document in A1. ii. Note that it should respect its tenure of two (2) years on which it was brought in and conduct an election to usher in a new National Executive at the end of its tenure. B: (i) Validity Issue of AGN Chapters (ii) Revalidation (iii) Election Fees in States (iv) Sole Administratorship. Consequently resolved thus: (1) No information should come to the States through any other source other than the Chairmen who are the leaders in their States and Chairmen of the States’ Executive Councils; such will hence be treated as a disrespect to constituted authority as entrenched in the Constitution. (2) Revalidation should not be used in anyway to invalidate any State Chapter’s existence as it is an administrative Policy and not a Constitutional matter, neither should it affect the State or National elections’ whose tenure should be held sacrosanct and sacred. (3) The use of Sole Administratorship is not acceptable and as such conduct of elections as at when due should be the issue, the body responsible for elections should take responsibilities at all levels when put in place (4) The amount to be paid by Contestants for Elections in each State should be the responsibilities of the State while the two (2) Observers expected at such elections from the National body should be adhered to as provided by the Constitution. (5) State Chairmen should as a matter of new order cultivate the idea of causing a letter to remind NEC about the expiration of their tenure of office, at least two months to such period 4 C: Finance That the issue of the proposed N3b from the Bank of Industry (BOI) to the entertainment industry should be clarified properly to know the stake of the Guild. D: AGN Chairmen’s Election It was agreed that the election was long over due and should be conducted for new officers for the National Chairmen’s Conference. Consequent upon which we resolved: (i) Election slated for next meeting in October 2013 at a venue to be fixed by the Secretariat. (ii) The Interim Chairman and Secretary should continue E: (i) Issue of Suspensions / Removal / Expel (1) We condemn in strong terms and in totality the issue of the several crises and wrangling at the National Secretariat which had led to Police arrest of Ibinabo Fiberesima, Abubakar Yakubu at the National Secretariat. (2) We call on NEC to put its house in order w.e.f and stop fueling crisis in State Chapters by creating or attempting to create parallel chapters. (3) The expulsion of former Lagos State Chairman, Emeka Rising and Edo State Chapter Chairman are condemned. The Expulsion and Suspension are therefore, rejected as we call for adherence to Constitutional provisions in respect of all processes. F: Authentic Information about States / Chairmen and State Excos That henceforth, authentic information about States and Chairmen as well as their EXCOS can only be obtained through the National Chairmen’s Conference and their Social Media address agnchairmen@yahoo Sgd. Onwurah Agility Onibiyo Samuel E. R. O Chairman Secretary
Posted on: Tue, 16 Jul 2013 08:33:08 +0000
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