This would have been funny if it wasn't pathetic. According to a few Nollywood practitioners who were present at the Best of Nollywood Awards, which held last night in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, the governor of the state Rotimi Amaechi practically insulted Nollywood practitioners to their faces.
According to a source who reached out to LIB, during his speech at the award after he gave veteran actress Liz Benson a Lifetime Achievement Award, Governor Rotimi said that people in Nollywood are products of circumstances/necessity. He said that the only reason they are in Nollywood is because they couldn't find other jobs, that if they had, they won't be actors. Rotimi said these actors studied sciences, law, medicine etc but because they couldn't find jobs, they embraced Nollywood.
Present when he said this were Nollywood veterans including Liz Benson, Kenneth Okonkwo, Shola Sobowale, Desmond Elliot, Moses Inwang, Dickson Iroegbu, Bob-manuel Udokwu, Patience Ozokwor, Elvis Chuks, AY, Iyabo Ojo, Emem Isong and many others.
Governor Rotimi also put two veteran actresses on blast. He told the crowd that he gives Joke Silva and Kate Henshaw bags of money whenever they come to Rivers state. And then claimed he was the one who encouraged Kate Henshaw to go into politics.
Like that wasn't enough, Governor Amaechi then said he went into politics for money.
Some of the Nollywood practitioners are angry about what the governor said and have asked the AGN to make sure it doesn't happen again.
