Abia AGN Criticizes National President Rollas Amid Chapter Crisis

Members of the Abia State chapter of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) convened in Umuahia and issued a plea to the national leadership of the organization to foster peace among actors. The AGN members, speaking after their monthly meeting, accused the National President, Emeka Rollas, of instigating turmoil within the Abia AGN.

During the meeting, Nathaniel Nwoko, Daniel Egwu, and Chukwuemeka Onyekwere, the Public Relations Officer of Abia AGN, voiced their grievances. They highlighted that David Amalaha, duly elected as Abia State Chairman in May 2023, has not received recognition from AGN President Rollas. Instead, they alleged that Rollas imposed Dorris Ogala as the interim Chairman of the Abia AGN executive, despite the presence of an elected executive led by David Amalaha.

Furthermore, the Abia actors claimed that Rollas had fueled conflicts and intimidated actors by lodging a petition with the Zone 9 Police Command, labeling some AGN members as supporters of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Additionally, they asserted that some Abia chapter actors were disowned through a media publication.

The actors also expressed disappointment that relatives of deceased actors from Abia State had not received compensation from the AGN National office, despite their significant contributions to the film industry’s development.

In response to these grievances, the David Amalaha-led executive has taken legal action to safeguard their rights, seeking recourse in the High Court, Umuahia. The actors urged the national AGN body to respect the court’s decision on the matter, pledging to abide by any ruling issued.

They concluded by calling on the AGN National office to cease creating parallel groups that undermine the efforts of the Abia chapter’s leadership.