Emeka Rollas, the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, tells BABATUNDE TUGBOBO about his profession, Nollywood, and other issues The Inspector General of Police currently directed that actors and skit makers who use police uniforms with out authorization must be arrested. What do you are making of that order?

It could be very clean for the Inspector General of Police to provide such an order. I (once) had an interface with the IG through the pressure’s Public Relations Officer, and we mentioned troubles like this. We can not shrink back from the truth that before now, a whole lot of practitioners did not know the position of the law on certain things. However, lack of information of the law is not an excuse. It is time for manufacturers and actors to come collectively and interact the police in discussions.

On the opposite hand, the police additionally need to recognize that it isn’t sufficient to sit of their places of work and handiest point out regions that affect them negatively. They ought to recognise that the enterprise has additionally promoted the police positively. They want to have interaction practitioners and find out how we are able to sell them even greater. In the US of America, they (government) paintings hand in hand with Hollywood because they recognize it’s miles a sturdy medium to propagate many things, even authorities policies.

You studied Mass Communication on the university. Why then did you project into Nollywood? While I changed into a pupil at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, I got to recognize approximately a club referred to as ‘Attractions’, which is still in the school to date. Back then, we used to organise shows. I recollect that I did a display then called ‘Rolling Beats Jeans Carnival’. It become the first of its kind in that school. When I left faculty, I did now not without delay assignment into acting, till I met a woman, Mrs Nonye Okechukwu, who’s presently a costumier in Onitsha (Anambra State). She took me to the past due Mike Oriedinma, who in turn took me for an audition. I turned into in the end given a function, and that was how my acting profession commenced someday in 1996.

You once said that Nollywood isn’t a dump website online for ex-Big Brother Naija housemates. Why did you are making that statement at the time?

It isn’t always right that people criticise Nollywood, yet embody something involves their screens thru BBN. Some people just like the matters visible on BBN, however if an actor does any of these things, humans will start to shout. In BBN, the contestants are not educated before going into the residence. If former housemates who leave the show feel that they need to emerge as actors, then Big Brother have to amplify a hand of fellowship to the industry, instead of seeking to use the platform to create ‘pseudo beings’ who fade away after some time.

Another season of the reality display is on. What measures has the AGN put in region to defend against what you spoke about?

There is not a lot we will do, but we’ve got general practices. If everyone desires to be part of Nollywood, they need to observe the laid down techniques. Some human beings may have even gained the competition however when we check their behaviour even as at the display, we sense they don’t should be welcomed into the industry.

We did it with Whitemoney (winner of the 2021 edition of the display). We checked his mind-set proper from the beginning of the display to the end. We then deemed it vital to honour him with our membership. He is currently a member of AGN.

There appears to be a tremendous inflow of actors into the enterprise, with very little revel in, thereby inflicting roles to be interpreted wrongly. What steps is the AGN taking to accurate this anomaly?

Anyone who is registered with the guild will should undergo training before they may be recognised as actors within the enterprise. The schooling is carried out in one of a kind country chapters. After that, we’ve got an official induction rite, earlier than each person can turn out to be a member. Also, we have categorized club, where human beings undergo an internship even as schooling. In the route of the training, they’ll be made to understand positive matters about appearing.

Actors and filmmakers have often lamented the lack of guide from the government. In what approaches has the guild solicited the aid of the authorities?

One of the best problems of the enterprise is not just about government assist. If one desires government money, one ought to stand on a shape. Nollywood, because it presently is, lacks shape. However, we are looking to structure our guild; no longer Nollywood. If we are able to shape the guild, we are able to lead the p.C.. Many of the people who call themselves ‘filmmakers’ got here into the industry to act. But, because appearing did now not favour them, they commenced to diversify into other areas, inclusive of production.

If Nollywood’s shape were intact, it would be simpler for the authorities to put in funding. The remaining time the Federal Government attempted to assist Nollywood turned into while former President Goodluck Jonathan’s management gave the industry a whooping N3bn. One can’t positioned N3bn into an enterprise that has no shape. Till these days, no one can deliver an account of what befell. The Bank of Industry also got here up with a fund and mentioned what needed to be performed for people to get entry to the funds. In the course of that, it turned into realised that the general public of Nollywood practitioners did not have matters they could use as collaterals.

How an awful lot did the AGN get from the N3bn launched via Jonathan’s administration? When they released the N3bn, the situations connected to it made some humans ineligible. Because of the standards, many non-industry practitioners or even loved ones of presidency officers access the fund. That changed into possible because there was no structure in region.

What knowledgeable your choice to contest the location of the country wide president of the AGN?

I actually have contested that role for 12 years but various things stored occurring. I accept as true with I even have a date with destiny, and my essential intention is to trade the narrative. For me, the motivation turned into to look at the device and spot how I should make a contribution definitely to it.

In what ways has this position affected your appearance in films?

It has had a bad impact because I don’t have time to be on region anymore. Except I decide to make out time. At a factor in Nollywood, we now not make films; instead, we strike offers.

What has been your maximum challenging moment because the President of AGN?

The biggest mission become the way to convince my participants to be at the equal page and make the contributors recognize how treasured they may be. When evil prevails for a long term, people will take evil to be properly. In Nigeria these days, because corruption has been right here with us for a long time, the majority feel that is the norm. Actors have been disadvantaged through the years, so a lot of them have normalised it.

At one time, you named Senator Elisha Abbo as patron of the guild, and this generated a number of grievance because of the Senator’s terrible public picture. How have been you able to appease disgruntled participants?

I reached out to the individuals who were calling for my head. I additionally reached out to a few senior colleagues, such as Joke Silva, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Segun Arinze and Okey Bakassi. We had a assembly and we decided that we needed to cautiously examine what turned into occurring, and via a public family members method, we were capable of address the problem decisively.

Did you regret identifying to appoint him? I received’t use the word, ‘regret’. Perhaps, the word, ‘oversight’ is higher. If now not that I turned into beneath stress at the time, I should have noticed that it became the identical arguable senator. It did now not occur to me (that he became the one that had been within the news for the wrong motives after he assaulted a female at a sex toy save). It changed into our individuals in the Northeast who provided his name to me. Because I changed into below stress, the factor exceeded the committee stage, were given to me and I authorised it.

Despite the public outcry, did you retain his nomination nonetheless as the customer? No, I can assure you that he become no longer retained as an AGN patron. What are the advantages that include being the president of AGN?

In any position of leadership that one unearths oneself, one must do properly, so that the humans that one serves will supply top testimony about one. So, while one is contesting some other function, people will deliver testimonials that one did well within the preceding function. At this level, we are still constructing systems for the enterprise.

How were you capable of unify aggrieved factions that existed before your emergence as president?

I supply the dignity for that to God. I prayed approximately it. In locations wherein I became presupposed to experience proud, I humbled myself. For the factions, I went to peer them myself and spoke to their consciences to understand that we need to do this (build the guild) together. Conflict resolution can best be finished by using a determined character. I become determined to make it paintings.

Sex-for-roles in Nollywood is a project that has refused to move away. How is the guild tackling this?

President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Ejezie Emeka Rollas has once again secured the release of veteran actor, Chiwetalu Agu from the custody of DSS.

Military released him, DDS re-arrested him. I hope Road Safety will not arrest him tomorrow 🤔

— Kingsley dikeogu (@uba_dike) October 12, 2021

We have a committed e mail cope with and get in touch with quantity, through which people can make lawsuits, whether it’s miles approximately rape or any shape of molestation. However, we’ve got not been receiving reports from human beings, and I don’t realize why. I needed to even go to some states to investigate and discover if there was a hassle. I also found out that a few folks were framing humans up, claiming it turned into due to sex-for-roles that they did not prevail in the enterprise. However, this phenomenon isn’t extraordinary to Nollywood. It happens in other industries.

What movie shot you into the limelight? I assume it was My Cross, which I acted in along Liz Benson. It is typically believed that entertainers can’t hold their marriages. How have you ever been able to hold your marriage for near a long time now?

I got married in 2003, and this can be my 19th yr. Marriage is an organization of God, and it’s far sure to be attacked. There is not any perfect marriage everywhere. I decided that nothing will manifest to my marriage. Even if it calls for me to beg, I will do this to make it paintings. However, marriage failure isn’t always extraordinary to entertainers. I can give you examples of human beings who have a hit marriages inside the enterprise. Every marriage can’t be the same.

Having studied Mass Communication, did you at any factor practise journalism? I once had a quick stint with some ‘junk’ newspapers. What do you don’t forget to be your best success because the president of AGN? I don’t like to sound my trumpet. I will prefer that contributors of the guild communicate for me. I even have accomplished many things silently, and when I start to unveil them, people could be stunned. Some of the things we’ve got performed are our medical insurance scheme, putting in a welfare committee, and a fitness control committee. I actually have also made the guild non violent to the point that humans now consider within the AGN.

How does the guild guide ill actors? In the ultimate four months, we’ve got allotted over N6m (to ailing participants of the guild). I keep telling actors that it’s far what one gives to existence that it’s going to supply returned to at least one. The duration you had been doing properly, save up some thing and protect your self with one of a kind health insurance schemes. When you fall ill, it’s going to help you.