In compliance with the constitution of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, President of the guild, Mr. Emeka Ejezie Rollas has set up a 10-man committee to review its constitution.

In his opening remark on Wednesday, May 8 2019 at the Pelican hotel, Lekki, Lagos, Rollas said: “This is a dream come true. The Actors Guild of Nigeria constitution is supposed to be reviewed every five years and it so happened that this administration fell into the year that the constitution is to be reviewed. Apart from the fact that we saw defects in the document we already have, the time and season also happened to be now.

The essence of this exercise is to officially inform our guild that this is a new dawn. We want to go down to the foundation of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), repair what we can and redirect the guild moving forward. We thank God that this guild has been sustained till now, it is no longer about the old ways, its adding new trends. All of us know that some 20 years back, a lot of profession in vogue like type-writing; you are told that you need it but today, these people who depended on typewriting and shorthand are no longer feeding, new trends are in place. We need to move with the trends.

We also know that the film industry many years ago revolved around VHS tapes but technology changed all of that and if we as actors cannot change with the change, we will remain stagnant. We will remain here, people will come with different style, rip us off and go their way and you won’t blame them because it is what they met that they used. They came and saw that this place is exploitable, they took advantage of it. I’m so happy that we have members of this guild who would want to work for the guild without being paid. I thank you all for honouring us.”
Chairman of the national constitution review committee, Dr. Ken Okonkwo has this to say: “It is a privilege to be appointed chairman of this committee. A footballer of those days was grateful to God. He said this is something he would have paid to be allowed to do because he has the passion and love to do it but now he is doing it and he is being paid for it.

People like us no matter what we become tomorrow; we will always be defined by Nollywood because that is our primary constituency. We will do all we can to make sure that the foundation of AGN is now rebuilt on a firm ground. With a good foundation, a good man can build a skyscraper and it will stand but with a bad foundation, no matter how good you are, you cannot build on it. I believe that a new era has come for Nollywood. We are trying to build a legacy for the next generation. Life is a stage, from the experience AGN has had in the recent past which was traumatic and I want to believe it is over.

I believe God allowed it so that we would wish not to ever go back to that kind of era and it is only the constitution that can protect us from that shock that nearly destroyed this guild. We are at the verge of the birth of a new AGN. We will make this document so tight that no one person would be in a position to do something without the agreement of some other people. The whole idea of the constitution is for checks and balance. The whole idea of democracy is to checkmate dictatorship. No man is wise enough to be entrusted with absolute power because in all ages absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is natural.”

Adding his voice deputy chairman, Board of Trustee (BoT) Actors Guild of Nigeria, Mr. Emmanuel Oguguo encouraged members of the committee not to be distracted by any kind of rumour but that they should try their best in bringing out a comprehensive constitution that would be beneficial to all.

Former national president, Segun Arinze who acknowledged that the task before the committee is arduous however charged them to make the constitution attractive to the up and coming ones in terms of welfare and protection of their rights and talents.
The committee which was inaugurated had the following as members – Dr. Barrister Kenneth Okonkwo (chairman), Edith Irabo Shola, Ajisafe Ayokunle, Honourable Desmond Elliot, Ifeanyi Agility Onwurah, Bob Manuel -Udokwu, Barr. Ikechukwu Ezenagu, Hajia Salma Ibrahim, Ronnie Dikko and Keppy Ekpenyong Bassey.