The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has knocked Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, for describing Labour party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, a nollywood actor.
AGN, in a statement on Saturday by its director of communications, Kate Henshaw, said the governor’s statement is ‘very offensive and demeaning to the Actors Guild of Nigeria.
The statement reads “The statement is very offensive and demeaning to the Actors Guild of Nigeria and Nollywood as a whole as it was purely intended to deride the acting profession. Nollywood Actors have in no small way projected the image of our dear country positively from the negative perception the likes of El Rufai and his cohorts have portrayed us to be.
“The Guild is utterly bewildered by this kind of statement from a sitting governor who claims to be educated and intelligent, referring to a noble profession of intelligentsia endowed with uncommon talent.
Chief Rollas lamented that it is quite unfortunate, as it portrays the Governor’s ignorance of the pivotal role of the actor in the emerging global creative economy after many years of his checkered sojourn in government.
“Little wonder Nigeria is battling from serious economic quagmire after many years of clueless leadership who depend solely on the oil industry as they are bereft of ideas to grow and develop the country.
“Chief Rollas asserted that actors are intelligent, educated, creative, and highly endowed with ingenious capacity to lead and develop Nigeria more than some average leaders ingovernment houses today.”
The national president further called on El-Rufai to withdraw his nescience statement and tender an unreserved apology to Nollywood Actors immediately.