From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
The National President of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Mr Emeka Rollas, has revealed that the association has set up a committee to look into cases of sexual harassment suffered by actresses in Nollywood.
Rollas who was speaking yesterday during Enugu State AGN monthly congress said that though acts of sexual harassment and abuse were not peculiar to the movie industry, his administration was determined to reduce such incidences to the barest minimum.
He said that this was part of several efforts made by the guild to reposition the industry and to ensure adequate welfare of its members.
“A lot of people think that you cannot act good movies if you don’t pay a producer to give you a role or if you don’t sleep with a producer to give you a role. Therefore all of the molestation that we have had, we had to set up a committee to be dealing with sexual harassment and all forms of molestations.
“This committee receive the reports of these acts without revealing the identity of the person reporting it. So of you are harassed by anybody all you need to do is go on the App on our website and report officially go a number you see on the screen and the case will be handled neat.
“We have arrested people in Abuja and we have tried them in the court of law without revealing the identity of the people who reported them. What I want to tell you is that we are on the verge of redefining the guild to make it better.”
On his part, the Chairman, AGN Enugu State Chapter, Mr Brown Ene urged members in the state to key into the programme of the national executive including the health insurance policy which guarantees medical care at a highly reduced price for members.