Astounding facts emerged within the week, on the role Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State played during the funeral rites of the departed Nollywood actor, Ashley Nwosu.
Also in the same vein, President, Actor Guild of Nigeria(AGN), Mr Segun Arinze, has exonerated his predecessor, Mr. Ejike Asiegbu from the controversial N4 million gift allegedly dished out by Governor Orji, stating that the money was actually given to all the artistes that attended Ashley’s funeral rites, which took place on June 11,in Umuahia, and not to the bereaved family as rumoured.
Governor Orji was said to have cancelled scheduled plan to attend the retiring international, Kalu Nwankwo’s testimonial match played at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, last month, in order to pay his last respect to the departed Abia State born Nollywood actor.
Source said while the governor ensured that the departed actor was given a befitting burial, he made available the huge sum of N4 million to cater for the welfare of the visiting artistes. He was also said to have hosted the artistes to a state banquet in Government House, in Umuahia.
While, speaking on the issue during the week when contracted, the AGN president affirmed this development, but he refuted the N4m scam, stating that that “it is not true that the money was for the deceased’s family. Rather, it was meant to cover the artistes’ transport fare and other logistics.”
The AGN president blamed some of the delegates who did not benefit from the largess as he described their action as “disgraceful.”
“Nobody should blame the former president of AGN Mr. Ejike Asiegbu for whatever action he took on that day. Our members did not behave very well. Their action was disgraceful. The N4 million gift by the Governor was not for the deceased’s family. Rather, it was for the artistes who’d travelled from far and near places to attend the burial ceremony.”>Arinze explained.
Asiegbu, according to our source, was accused of sharing the governor’s windfall among the few delegates who were the early callers at the burial ceremony, while denying the rest of them who allegedly arrived the venue very late, right to the largess.
Confirming this claim, our source further stated, “the AGN delegates arrived the field where the funeral service was going on, very late. And because they came late, the chairs reserved for them were taken over by other guests.
Rather than look for alternate place to occupy, they tried to forcefully occupy the chairs reserved for the governor and his entourage.This action caught Ejike Asiegbu’s attention who tried to persuade them to find somewhere else to sit.
It was also gathered that at the graveside, the representatives of the actors’ body could only muster a miserly carton of Maltina, a crate of mineral and a cash of N10,000,00 as gift to the bereaved family as against the total sum of N800,000,00, allegedly realised by the burial committee set up by the leadership of the guild.
Speaking further on the matter, our source said “it was after the dirty deal was unravel that some members of the delegates decided to pay a visit to the deceased’s family in order to make up their misdeed.”
This development was confirmed in a text message forwarded by late Ashley’s wife to one of the insiders. The text message reads thus; “Dear…, a group of representatives of AGN Lagos state chapter on behalf of the exco and entire members of the guild led by Emeka Rising Ibeh and Ben Nwosu came today(21/6/2011) to present an envelop containing US$500 and N22000 which they say is equivalent to N100,000,00, which is said to be the total sum realised from contribution in support of my late husband’s funeral rites.”
