Ibinabo becomes first female AGN president

Damiete Braide,
damiete_braide@yahoo.com      
07030059588
Last Sunday marked the beginning of a new administration of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, (AGN) as Ibinabo Fiberesima was officially sworn in as the first female president of the troubled guild. Held at Rumors Club, GRA, Ikeja, many practitioners, stakeholders in the entertainment industry were in attendance such as T-Mac Itseli, Ras Kimono, Andy Amenechi, Ugo Stevenson. Others are Zik Zulu Okafor, Genevieve Nnaji, Lola Alao, Matthias Obahiagbon, Fred Amata,
Bond Emeruwa, Ejike Asiegbu, Segun Arinze, among others. Acting chairman, Board of Trustee, BOT, of the guild, Emma Oguguo presented certificate of office to Fiberesima, said: “AGN has proved that we can overcome our problems. We have arrived. We want to take a step to move forward. Today, we are inaugurating for a new dawn. The election was keenly contested and she won in all fairness.
All who have gone astray should return. It is time to rebuild the association.” He said. Also the new executives were presented with certificates of office after being sworn in. Former President of the guild, Segun Arinze said; “ I am very pleased at the inauguration of Ibinabo. It’s been a long time coming. She deserves it because she worked for it. I want to appeal to her to carry everyone along. There is no winner, no vanquished. It is a new dawn in AGN. Let this be the last time we would hear of rancour again.
It is the biggest guild in Africa . Let us put everything behind.” In her response, the newly elected president while thanking all for her support and presenting her three key programmes which include-Health plan/Insurance/Pension scheme, job creation for registered members and interstate cultural/sports competition, implored every stakeholder to cooperate with her administration to take the guild to the next level. She said: “Actors have paid enormous price for their participation in movies.
It shall no longer be business as usual in this sector. The efforts to purge Nollywood of the many knotty issues that have caused the impoverished of a hard working people shall not be mine alone; nor that of this executives. With conceited effort, we shall, this time around bring the industry to a pedestal whereby owners of work and actors shall be proud of doing what they know how to do best.”