Actors, Producers Bicker over FG’s N3bn Grant.

The N3 billion grant recently given to Nigerian actors by the federal government is already causing major bickering among them.
The division among the actors, members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) is caused by how the money should be shared, with key players having different positions on the issue.
The state chairmen of the guild met in Abuja on July 18 on the modalities to adopt in disbursing the grants.
The National Chairman and Secretary of the guild, Agility Onwurah and Samuel Onibiyo, however, in separate interviews accused some practitioners of wanting to divert the grant.
Onwurah accused some movie producers of making moves to divert the grant for their use while leaving the upcoming artists behind.

“While practitioners suffered lack of funds and humiliation in the quest of producing films, some people were working to ensure that the guild remained static,” he alleged.
He said that the chairmen had resolved that the grant be used on production and distribution of movies.
The national chairman said they had paid a visit to the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and briefed them on the moves by some reputable producers trying to divert the grant for their use. He said that the board had assured of its timely intervention in the crisis, adding that the crisis would soon be resolved.
Onibiyo, in his reaction, condemned the conduct of those he described as “star actors” whom he alleged wanted to use the money for their schools.
He said the demand, if granted, would send the industry to the backstage, adding that those practitioners, who were already established, should not be allowed to take over the grant.
A prominent actress fingered in the controversy, Stephanie Okereke, debunked the allegation, describing it as baseless and unfounded.
She said that the grant was broken into three stages; production, distribution and training.
She directed the leadership of the guild to the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on the modalities earlier agreed on the grant. She said that some people had written to the minister stating that they no longer needed the money while some were working to ensure that the grant reached the intended practitioners.
She called on practitioners not to tear the industry apart, while threatening to sue anyone who made unsubstantiated allegations against her.