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| Asiegbu |
Veteran actor and filmmaker, Ejike
Asiegbu, is not in a happy mood at the moment due to lack of unprofessionalism
in the motion picture industry as well as the abduction of the Chibok
schoolgirls. In this interview with Sam Anokam, Asiegbu bares his
mind on the many controversies in the film industry, his career and other
issues
What has been happening to you lately?
Nothing much, I’m just there watching as usual and also
doing my private things. I am in one way or the other contributing to the
development of our dear country.
What about the movie industry?
By the special grace of God, I’m one of the forerunners
of the industry, an experienced one for that matter. I am saddened by a lot of
occurrences, which are quite unprofessional. These days, I hear that actors pay
to act; most predominantly women pay to act and they do it with impunity. You
can imagine girls who throw caution to the wind, give money to people who claim
they are producers just because they want to be popular at all cost. It goes to
show you how morally bankrupt the industry has become and professionally so
much needs to be done to arrest the situation.
It is unfortunate a lot of unprofessional things are
happening. People now pay for their transportation, accommodation, feed
themselves and, at the same time, pay for roles, that’s what I hear. That is
not how a well thought out professional body or industry should operate. I
began to ask what the guilds and association are doing to curb the excesses of
these willy-nilly producers who are cashing in on these helpless people because
of their hunger to become popular someday. And these are some of those things
that I think are wrong and I will never lend my dignity to such excesses and it
further gives the industry a bad name. It is a minus for the industry as a
matter of fact.
I also hear a lot of things happening in Onitsha and
Asaba. It speaks volumes of some of their productions; that is not to say that
all of them there are culpable but there are also a few of them that have been
able to manage themselves and who know their onions and are doing their
thing but predominantly, I hear that that is the order of the day which is
happening and those who are involved, who also call themselves filmmakers,
should be ashamed of themselves because that is not the way to make movies by
cashing in on people because of their interest and hunger; you now turn around
to pauperise them. You cheat them and take advantage of them financially and
otherwise.
What about the ladies giving the filmmakers money?
They know the rules. It is not everyone that claims to
be a filmmaker that is a filmmaker and they are supposed to set the standards.
No matter the hunger and appetite of those who want to become superstars
tomorrow, you should not take undue advantage of them. It is illegal and it is
quite abhorrent that it should happen. The fact that there are those who want
to become superstars overnight and didn’t give a damn does not make them good
actresses or good filmmakers. If they think that the only way to become a
superstar is by throwing caution to the wind and sell their body cheap and, at
the same time, pay money, it is wrong. That is not the best way. They might
think that people do not know, but people know and watch them.
Have you said goodbye to acting?
Why should I say goodbye when I am in the business of
filmmaking? I cannot say goodbye. I do documentaries; I am a media consultant.
Film is an affiliate of media, which we will continuously play. And yes, for
sometime, took a break not because I have not been approached severally. On a
couple of occasions, I have been approached to do movies but the fear of paying
me what is right and due to me has driven them to the brink. They are scared
that my fees might be too much but, again, the same people who claim they are
afraid to pay my fee, pay people who do not know how to act.
They pay people who I know, on a good day, lack the
finesse of acting and you wouldn’t want to hear the kind of low fee they pay
the people they think they can just use to replace some of us who have made
indelible marks in the history of the motion picture industry. They prefer
cheap labour. They prefer people who are cheaper but that does not make the
people interpret the roles and that is why you don’t see the kind of movies
that you expect to see. That is why you see so many things that you abhor and
shake your heads in disappointment. That is not to say that there are no more
movies that have made more impact that are celebrated today.
They are the ones produced by independent producers. It
is only the independent producers who have done better movies now, who have taken
the bull by the horns. Of course, having learnt from their trade and past
productions, which we’ve had, they are the ones with the last bastion of hope
for the industry. In them you see quality and the conscious attempts to
practice and go according to the standards of filmmaking in the world, which is
good for Nigeria.
What is happening to the body of veterans of Nollywood
you are heading?
During our last meeting, we decided to be commenting on
issues that affect us, as key industry people, and also as Nigerians we have a
stake. It is quite unfortunate that some of our leaders have not got it right;
they are not following the trend, they are not meeting up. We are supposed to
be represented in the national conference. No one has done anything about that which
is quite regrettable and wrong.
I hold them responsible for the problems in the industry
because of the fact that they are not speaking up or reacting to issues as they
ought to and make the government take us seriously. Look at the national
conference where a lot of professional groups are represented, who is
representing the industry? We do not know. Who is representing role models? Who
is there for the music and movie industries? I can bet you, that whoever is
there, is masquerading himself. He is unknown to us because there must be that
relationship that we need to be giving feedback and whoever it is, needs to
know the problems of the industry and also he is supposed to be a good voice
for all of us.
I can assure you that as usual, some people who are
politically less conscious, fortune seekers have cornered that position for
their personal friends while appointing people who do not have any bases to
have anything to do with the industry and that is a sad development to which I
say I hold the leaders of Nollywood responsible for not being able to speak up
and get someone to represent us. It is wrong and I still say it is not late for
the chairman of the conference to look it that so that they can actually hear
and get feedback from this industry. One might be tempted to ask what I am
personally doing about it. Someone like me should have taken that role or
responsibility but because, again, I believe in the guild system, in the way
things should work.
I ordinarily believe that the leaders we have here are
supposed to know by extension what is right and what is not right while some of
them have refused to take advise from time to time which is also costing them
so much by not been able to achieve more than they are do now. They need to
listen to some of us who are veterans and are more experienced in understanding
how the government works and how Nigeria works.
On my own as a social commentator and as a former
president and president of Concerned Entertainment Veterans of Nigeria, I will
continue to do my best to speak up on behalf of the despondent members of the
entertainment sector who have no hope.
Can we have your thoughts on the controversy surrounding
Half of a Yellow Sun, in the sense of expunging some parts that may not
be in the interest of the country?
The Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board has every
right because the act that established it and its guidelines are quite
explicit. Just like any responsible and responsive government will do in trying
to protect its citizenry from chaos, anarchy and breakdown of law and order, I
do think that the essence of establishing it is to ensure that certain aspects
of sentiments, not just within Half of a Yellow Sun, but in other films
are not inimical to the development of the industry and the country at large.
I remember when we did the Apo Six, I was one of
the lead actors and the producer of that movie was asked to remove and expunge
some of the parts that tended to bring the police to disrepute or which tended
to show that there was a deliberate attempt by a particular tribal group to
wipe out the other. Such sentiment tells us it can generate or create another
civil war and these are some of those things, which show that anything that
will cause anarchy or chaos or disrepute or division of the country, we need to
stop it and protect the citizens.
I do know that for us as filmmakers, it is our
responsibility to react; it is our responsibility to say it the way it happened
but sometimes in doing that, we need to apply caution because of the
environment we live in. You could say those things are just your own account,
that a filmmaker is a filmmaker but you must have a point of departure and
point of agreement in trying to see how these things should be done.
There was also this controversy about the leadership of
AGN visiting Mr. President?
I endorse and congratulate the president of Actors Guild
of Nigeria (AGN) for deeming it fit to visit the number one citizen of this
country. It is a plus for her to have visited and she went with a group. I
think it is right. There is nothing wrong in it. When I was president of actors’
guild, I visited the then President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and he received
us well. The visit was to see what we could do as filmmakers to get the
government to see how waivers can be given to certain groups of personnel
particularly in the corporate world who have assisted the industry one way or
the other.
That way, it will galvanise and make them want to invest
more in the industry. I think it is right. There is nothing wrong in it.
However, I also heard that there are so many issues, which I have not
corroborated on allegations of either the president asking for the removal of
certain bodies from the industry like the Nigerian Film Corporation and the
Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board. I treat them as rumours. I have not
heard any clarification on that but whether their visit was germane, it was,
whether she had every right as the AGN president, she has every right.
Just as any group can visit the President. I don’t see
why that should cause some furore for some people who feel they were not among
those who were selected to go, to begin to wag their tongues and begin to
condemn. I also hear that the President appointed Ibinabo Fiberesima a member
of the governing board of the National Council of Arts and Culture (NCAC) for
which we thank and appreciate the President. It’s a long time this has happened
to the industry. It is an added vigour. It shows they recognise what we are
doing and we are most grateful to Mr. President for that appointment.
I disagree with certain persons who think it is not
right. I do not share their sentiments. Their sentiment is that of
disenchantment because it did not happen to them. I know every person in this
industry, and I can tell you what they stand for and what they represent. I can
tell you that it is because that good did not happen to them. They feel they
are the Elijahs of this present administration that anything good must happen
to them by virtue of the fact that they are old. They rather come out in the
papers to say all uncomplimentary things about their colleagues. They should
have known better as elders that they claim to be. It is unfortunate and
regrettable.
As a veteran and father, what is your take on the
abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls?
It is unfortunate. It is heart rendering. My heart goes
to those children who were abducted. As you can see, we are beginning to have
more and more reactions and very soon, the truth will come out on what that
took place since the kidnap of those innocent children. A lot of questions will
arise. It took three weeks for the parents of the children to speak up. It took
more than three weeks for Nigerians to begin to react. There are a lot of
blames but beyond the fact that these children were kidnapped, it’s a sad point
in the history of Nigeria.
It has become the issue all over the world. It is the
worst inhumanity any one can think about. It is sad because a group of reckless
human beings who are not supposed to be among us have chosen, of all things, is
to kidnap innocent children and it shows cowardice instead of strength. I join
other Nigerians to ask them to bring back our girls alive. It is a watershed in
the history of Nigeria. What has happened is a pointer that Nigerians should
look and prepare for the next election. We should know the kinds of leaders
that we are going to elect. It is also incumbent on Muslim and Islamic leaders
of thoughts to come out and condemn these acts. They, particularly the northern
leaders, are not doing enough, whether individually or collectively.
Source: Daily Independent
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