Segun Arinze resigns as AGN President

EMBATTLED President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) Segun Arinze has resigned from office. In a letter dated May 2, and addressed to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Prince Ifeanyi Dike, which was made available to The Guardian, Arinze said following the recent happenings in the guild, which climaxed with the last botched elections in Benin.’  He described the April 27 election in Benin City as ‘a sad development for AGN.’ Arinze said: “My tenure as president ended last year, December 9, but I stayed on in deference to the BoT and the vast majority of our members who prevailed on me to oversee a successful transition through a free and fair election.

The events in Benin City are now a common knowledge. I even constituted an independent electoral committee to forestall any electoral rancour or external influences. For my integrity and honour, I hereby resign as president of Actor’s Guild of Nigeria (AGN), and it comes into effect immediately. I thank the BoT, the state chapter chairmen, presidents of other guilds in Nollywood, all AGN members and the media for the tremendous support given to me during my tenure. I also thank my wife, Julie, for holding on during the challenging period of service to the guild. I wish the guild the very best as we move forward.’

Before he gave notice of this resignation, Arinze had issued a statement where he apologised for the electoral commission’s inability to conduct the election, which was to hold at Baden Baden Hotel, Benin City.
“To say it was embarrassing, disappointing and a blight on the image of the guild would be an understatement”, Arinze said.  He assured that the kind of behaviour showed by some members of the guild, which led to the suspension of the election would not be tolerated, neither should it go unpunished, a reason the leadership of the guild arrived at some resolutions including the dissolution of the Actors Guild Electoral Committee (AGNEC).

The setting up of a three-man panel of inquiry to find out what happened and make recommendations within two weeks and a meeting of all candidates of the botched election, which was scheduled to hold yesterday. The candidates expected include the actress Ibinabo Fiberisima and Steve Eboh (a.k.a Ajebo) who both vied for the position of President.

Arinze, in that statement, also directed all state chapters that have not conducted elections to do so as soon as possible. He also stated that an all-new independent AGNEC would be set up immediately and free from any interference.  Arinze stressed his commitment to the emergence of a new leadership for the AGN and further appealed for calm and restraint and assured that the leadership of the guild would do everything humanly possible to resolve all begging issues. But with Arinze’s resignation, the guild has been thrown into further confusion.  

Emeka Rollas, the Secretary General, who should have taken charge in the absence of a sitting president, resigned to contest the April 27 election. The guild is now at the mercy of its sit-tight BoT, which has been fingered as responsible for the botched election. Even Arinze was accused of not allowing the electoral committee to be ‘truly independent.’

A member of the electoral committee, Ben Nwosu, lamented their failure to live to expectation because of undue interference by ‘the president and members of the BoT.’  However, a member of the BoT, Emmanuel Ogugua absolved the committee of any blame. He, however, confirmed that BoT has received and accepted Arinze’s resignation.

Ogugua, a former president and founding member of the AGN, disclosed that BoT was already shopping for a caretaker chairman that will oversee the running of the guild for another three months. “We have started talking to some people and should conclude our discussion in a few days. We would shop for and appoint an administrator to run the guild for three months, conduct elections and hand over power. We are taking our time and carefully not to appoint anyone that will become power drunk and would not want to vacate office”, Ogugua said

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