In life, everyone
has his own past, and when he or she given an opportunity to turn back the
hands of the clock, the person would not hesitate to do things better. Some
years ago, the President of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Ibinabo Fiberesima
was involved in an accident in Lagos, which claimed the life of a medical
doctor. The matter was dragged to court and the former beauty queen was sentenced
to prison for manslaughter.
Ibinabo used the
occasion to make some request from the President on what the movie industry in
Nigeria wants from the government, which includes the passage of a bill to
strengthen Nollywood.
Osaremen Ehi James spoke with this recently
appointed board member of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) in
an interview, which later turned out to be very emotional.
What
is your view about President Goodluck Jonathan during your recent visit to Aso
Rock
I am convinced that
the President wants a change in the industry and that he has Nigerians in his
heart. From what I observed about the President, he feels the pains of every
Nigerian and I think Nigerians should support him.
What
would Nollywood gain from your appointment into the NCAC
You see, the
National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) is like an advisory body. An actor
is appointed as a member of the board for the first time since 1999. For me,
there is a light at the end of the tunnel because we would be represented
properly. We sell the arts and culture of Nigeria to the outside world. So,
like I always say, I can’t do it alone. We would all have to work together to
make a change in the industry. I know the President, from the bottom of his
heart, truly wants to transform Nigeria. He wants us to be the best.
There
are insinuations that your visit is politically motivated, especially at it is coming
a year before the next general elections, what’s your reaction to that
I became the President
of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) in 2012, and I have been writing letters to
him. I am sure others wrote letters too. But, I thank God that the President
responded to my own. If you read my speech, you will understand why I went
there. I am trying to restructure AGN. I get accolades from people, but the
success is not for me alone, it is for all of us. The person coming after me
might not have the same vision with me because we lack continuity culture in
this country. We don’t have sustainable development culture.
But
the President wooed the people through entertainers in 2010
(cuts in) I don’t
listen to what people say, they will always have something to say, but my aim
is getting Nollywood to where it should be.
That’s my priority.
Your
appointment came shortly after the visit…
Yes, because of my
speech. You should read my speech and understand it. I didn’t think this would
come to me, I thought it would be for somebody else. Even those I went with
said my delivery was outstanding. Because of the kind of person I am; I am
down-to-earth and blunt, a lot of people are praising God for it. My phone kept
ringing and I had over 4,000 messages on my phone.
Do
you feel pressurized to perform
No, because I
perform well in any given position. I like to impact on people’s lives and so
for me, this is a bigger challenge in a bigger platform to show that we can do
it.
What
is your message to your people
Let us work as a
team, individuality cannot make Nollywood, we must work collectively.
What
have you learnt in life so far
That you should
appreciate people, there are some people I have impacted on, who keep praying
for me. I meet people who I don’t know, who say they have been praying for me
since I had that problem (car accident in Lagos). I meet people who pray for me
in their mother-tongues.
Do
you think your past has really helped your present
Definitely.
If
there is something you want to reverse in life, what would that be
That the car
accident never happened.
Do
you still feel sorry about the incident
I will forever be
sorry about it; it is not something I like to talk about. It is not easy;
sometimes you sit down and think about the incident.
What
did you learn from that experience
Like I said, I
like to appreciate people. You think you know people until something happen to
you. I realized that all you have is God. Human beings have a way of doing what
they have to do. Even if they don’t mean it, it just happens. But with your
God, your darling, nothing goes wrong.
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