Emeka Rollas Ejezie, the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), has raised serious concerns about the conduct of producer Adanma Luke, linking her negligence to an incident where an actor was nearly killed on set. He recounted how an unqualified driver hired by the producer caused injury to an actor by recklessly reversing into them, necessitating expensive medical treatment covered by the guild.
Despite the gravity of the situation, Emeka Rollas noted that Adanma Luke's response was limited to a simple apology, failing to acknowledge the severity of the incident or adhere to professional standards expected in the film industry. In an interview with Arise TV, he stressed the need to treat filmmaking as a professional endeavor rather than a casual family affair, emphasizing the importance of upholding safety protocols and ethical practices.
In the aftermath of Junior Pope's tragic death, Emeka Rollas directed AGN members to refrain from collaborating with Adanma Luke, the producer behind the movie 'Another Side of Life,' which the deceased actor and crew were en route to before the fatal accident occurred. This directive was issued as part of efforts to uphold safety standards and protect the welfare of actors within the industry.
Similarly, the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) took decisive action by suspending Adanma Luke pending the submission of a comprehensive investigation report into the boat mishap that led to Junior Pope's demise. Emeka Rollas reiterated the guild's commitment to ensuring accountability and transparency in such matters, highlighting the significance of thorough investigations to uncover the truth.
Emeka Rollas emphasized the AGN's readiness to pursue legal action against both the Association of Movie Producers and Adanma Luke Production in response to the incident involving the actor's near-fatal injury on set. He revealed that the guild had incurred substantial expenses in covering the actor's medical treatment.
PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO FROM 17:34
Hear him: "The other day, we had an actor who almost died on set because this producer hired a driver who could not drive well, he doesn't even have a driving license. And while he was reversing, he hit the actor on set. It was the guild that took him for treatment and we spent millions of naira to get him back on track. The Producer was still saying the same thing that please, I'm sorry. This is not a profession for Brothers or Sisters, it's a business profession. If you are hiring an actor, pay him very well and he will do the job very well."