As the Godwill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State’s N30 million award endowment to Nollywood has become a source of disagreement among movie practitioners, another governor’s gift is becoming the talk of the town. This time, it is a gift from Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State who recently hosted some stakeholders in the industry. Those invited included actors, directors, musicians, radio broadcasters amongst others and they all had a dinner with the governor at the Ogun State Government House.
Governor Amosun ibikunle
Since then there had been allegations that the General Manager of Ogun State Television (OGTV), Ayinde Soaga had cornered the money that was meant for the welfare of the actors. The rumour mill has also been buzzing with the allegation that some of the actors had in fact manhandled him for stealing their money.
But an aide to Soaga has made a statement aimed at clearing his boss’ name. “The man was not involved in Nollywood activity. Ayinde Soaga is not a Nollywood practitioner. He is a newsman. He is the current general manager of Ogun State Television and not governor Amosun’s aide as captioned in the false report.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun hosted Ogun state entertainment professional forum. The governor in his benevolence, considers his visitors convenience as the dinner went late into the evening, gave the forum of 58 people in attendance, the sum of N2.5m for them to get accommodation and fuel their cars as most of them came in from outside the state to attend the meeting. The Yoruba theatre artistes insisted on sharing the whole sum. The coordinator of the project, a Nollywood director, Kehinde Soaga (not Ayinde) directed that they share the sum of two million Naira and use the remaining five hundred thousand for hotel accommodation and other expenses that may arise, as the government insisted that their convenience and safety is of more paramount importance to them. They were later on checked into three different hotels in the city. The use of Ayinde Soaga’s name and picture on the report is defamatory. That he was almost lynched by actors is a blatant lie. He has absolutely nothing to do with the event and the money so given. He never got a kobo from the money,” the statement issued and signed by his aide read in part.
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