Segun and Emeka
By Benjamin Njoku
The crisis that rocked the boat of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN, throughout the greater part of last year, may have resurrected again this year with a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, on Monday, threatened to jail the National president of the body, Segun Arinze and six other members of the guild’s Board of Trustees, BOT, if found guilty of a case filed against them by actor Emeka Ike.
Emeka Ike is a factional president of the guild.
In suit number FHC/L/CS/1216/2010, filed on 28 January, this year, Emeka Ike had prayed that the court should declare an election conducted by the other faction of AGN on 7 January, 2011 null and void.
He also prayed that the court should compel the BOT to appear and explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against them for conducting an election when there is a pending court ruling that the status quo should be maintained.
Justice Mohammed Idris while presiding on the case on Monday held, according to Emeka Ike said , he would give the defendants a benefit of doubt to prove their innocence before taking necessary action.
The judge is said to have warned that he would not hesitate to send the defendants to jail if they are eventually found to have violated an existing order made by the court, restraining the parties from conducting any further election.
Speaking with HVP on the matter, while leaving court on that day, Emeka Ike said, “ the court order has nothing to do with me, rather it is Segun Arinze and members of the guild’s BoT against the court.”
He added that ‘the court ruled that the guild should not conduct any election, pending its ruling on the case I filed against the leadership of AGN since last year.”
Emeka however vowed not to leave any stone un-turn in ensuring that he gets justice at last concerning this matter.
According to him, the leadership of the guild violated court order by going ahead to allow the Lagos State chapter of the guild to conduct their chapter’s election against the order of the court on the 7th of January, 2011.
The election conducted by film maker, Theodore Anyaji saw Emeka Rising_Ibeh emerge as the new Chairman, Lagos State Chapter of AGN. It was held at Calabar Hall, Surulere.
The crisis in AGN started some years back during the tenure of Ejike Asiegbu, the former National President of the guild.
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