By Benjamin Njoku

The stage is now set for a new Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) to emerge as the newly appointed Chairman of the guild’s caretaker committee, actor Steve Eboh has vowed to do his best with his team to restore the past glory of the troubled Guild.

Steve-Eboh

Eboh was appointed the Chairman of the caretaker committee, after a recent resolution of stakeholders to chart a new direction for the guild.

The stakeholders’ congress was convened by Mr Agility Onwurah (Chairman AGN Abuja and Chairman of all State Chairmen), which held in Awka, the Anambra State capital last weekend. The well-attended congress resolved to set up an 11-man interim working committee to supervise the affairs of the guild and conduct fresh elections. The interim working committee headed by Steve Eboh had notable actors as members; Hakeem Rhaman(Vice Chair­ man), Renell Badejo(Secretary), Bob Emmanuel Udokwu(Adviser), Ochendo Mc Smith(PRO), Rita Tony Edochie(Member), Ernest Obi(Member), Vitalis Ndubisi(Member), Zenith Abubarka(Mem­ ber), Rita Daniels(Member) and Edith Irabor(Member).

In a communique issued at the end of the congress, the stakeholders explained that the decision to set up a caretaker committee has become necessary following the need to save the guild from imminent collapse.

“In the quest not to leave a lacuna in the governance of the Actors guild of Nigeria National Executive; the chairman of all the chairmen of the state chapters (Mr Agility Onwurah) in line with paragraph four of the judgment convened a congress on the above-mentioned date.

The essence of the meeting was to discuss and seek a lasting solution to the lingering crisis in the Guild and the need to constitute a solid structure to resuscitate the guild. However, the deliberation was hinged on the judgment of March 2015 by the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos headed by Justice J.T. Tshoho. The provisions of the judgment were extensively deliberated upon by all taking special cognizance of the paragraph four which states that the 1st and 2nd defendant should surrender all paraphernalia of their offices to the guild,” the communiqué reads.

In his acceptance speech, Steve Eboh has called on all hands to be on deck in order to put the ailing guild on track again. “We promise to bring the guild to an enviable height and to conduct a credible National election within three months,” he said.

Before now, AGN has been plunged into crisis following a court ruling which sacked Ibinabo Fiberesima as its former president, based on a suit filed by an actor, St. Maradona Mikevine, who was the national treasurer in the election that produced another popular actor, Emeka Ike, as AGN president.