Conflict in Nollywood
Ike becomes factional president of AGN
The movie body known as the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has been a field of battle among its members over who becomes the president or not. Some time this year, an election was conducted,
which produced Segun Arinze as the factional president of the body. Kanayo O. Kanayo and his faction disagreed with the emergence of Arinze as the president and he declared himself as the president. In the middle of this ongoing battle, another election was conducted producing Emeka Ike as the AGN president to the discontent of the likes of Arinze. Embattled Arinze attempted to halt the caretaker committee of the guild from conducting the election that produced actor Ike. Arinze, last month, was appointed to head the alleged Government of National Unity set up by the Ifeanyi Dike-led Board of Trustees of the guild, with Ike as his deputy as a way of moving the troubled guild forward. Arinze allegedly stormed the guild’s secretariat with a team of policemen from Area D, Mushin, with the intention of stopping the election. However, he failed as the Kanayo team, armed with a court order, refused to be intimidated.
Odueke killed a 16 month old baby
Tayo Odueke, popularly called Sikiratu Sidondo, a named she got from the wayward lifestyle role she played in the movie Sikiratu Sidondo years back, killed a year and four months old baby boy known as Daramola. The incident, which happened last Friday at Muri Busari Close, Oloti Village off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos has been dragged to the State Traffic Division B OPS Department where the actress cum movie producer is apprehended.
The Ibinabo Fiberesima crisis
If you can recall, Ibinabo Fiberesima killed a male medical doctor identified as Suraju Giwa while allegedly driving carelessly and under the influence of alcohol along the Lekki/Epe Expressway in Lagos. The Nollywood actress was later convicted of murder/manslaughter and was sentenced to seven years imprisonment by the Igbosere Division of the Lagos Magistrate Court.
Those who did not make it through 2009
The death of Omoladun Omidina, aka Kenkelewu, the late wife of the dark skinned Yoruba movie comedian, Tunde Omidina, popularly known as Baba Suwe, is still generating controversies. Her husband who was rumoured to have killed her.
Nicholas, the Galaxy Damsel television programe presenter on Galaxy television, died from the effects of diabetics.
Steve Efosa Kadiri, popularly called Steve the Sleek, of Ray Power, died after battling for years with a deadly Kidney problem.
Also to be remembered is Remi Abiola, the veteran actress and one of the wives of the late business mogul, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, who passed away after an being diagnosed of Cancer at a New York hospital. She died on August 3.
Just this month, Caroline Johnson, an actress, died of cancer of the blood.
Awards by Nigerian entertainers
Awards were given out and received by the members of the industry. Locally, such awards for 2009 included the Sound city Music and Video Awards (SMVA), the Nigerian Music Award (NMA), the Future Awards, the AMAA, awards and the City People Awards etc. Internationally, there was the Koral award, Grammy award, Afro Hollywood Award and a host of others.
Kuti geta Grammy nomination again
As quiet as Femi Kuti appears to have been in recent times, he has been busy making himself a better person and improving his career. He has again been nominated for the Grammy awards. Kuti got a KORA award for his hit album ‘Bang Bang Bang.
Ezuruonye become the face of Amstel Malta
Good looking actor and Glo Ambassador, Mike Ezuruonye, has just become the face of Amstel Malta and for this, he got paid in millions. His contract will run for one year.
Monalisa Wins Afro Hollywood award
Taking time out of her busy schedule in the bustling city of Lagos, Glo Ambassador and sexy screen siren, Mona Lisa Chinda, jetted out to the Queen’s own country (England) to attend the 2009 edition of the Afro Hollywood Award. The actress was nominated along with several other actresses for the Award for Best Actress in an English movie, and she won amidst some stiff competition. Also present at the occasion was veteran actor, Justus Esiri, Mercy Johnson, etc. The Afro Hollywood Award is a yearly event organised by Mike Abiola and it seeks to reward deserving actors and actresses for their contribution to the development of the film industry in Nigeria.
Highlights on Nollywood stars
This has certainly been a year of innovation and growth for Nollywood. Oprah Winfrey, the most influential woman on television, mentioned Genevieve Nnaji on her show as one of the 20 most popular people in the world, Stephanie Okereke directed and produced a film ‘Through the Glass,’ racking in millions at the box office.
Akindele wins multiple awards
As the year comes to an end in a few days, one person who will pray that all the goodies of 2009 should go with her o 2010 is Funke Akindele, the Jenifa star actress. Her 2008 box office hit, Jenifa, was indeed a breakthrough as it catapulted her to the status of the leading Yoruba actress in Nigeria and as such her schedule dictates when productions take place as many producers are desperate to have her face in their movies. Many awards have come her way this year of which the BON award for best movie of the year 2008 goes to her for her great comical performance in Jenifa. Another award to her credit is the Future Award. City People gave her the Best Movie award. She also won the best actress of the year at AMAA where she also became Africa’s best actress of the year. At the Afro Hollywood award held in the UK, she carted home the most outstanding actress of the year. She is currently one of the Glo ambassadors.
Darey the award mania gets four awards
Nigeria’s king of R n B, Darey Art Alade, is definitely one artiste who did well this year. He won two awards at this year’s Channel O awards on October 29 and four at the Nigeria Music Video Awards on November 1.
Johnson, Ademola, Nuoah, others shine at BON awards
Some weeks ago, the inaugural edition of the Best of Nollywood Award, organized by Seun Oloketuyi, was indeed a colorful one. Nineteen awards and six special recognitions were given out at the event. The best movie journalist of the year went to Samuel Olatunji. Upcoming artistes were not left out as the revelation of the year award for the male went to Kayode Akinbayo for his performance in the movie ‘Bi a ti ko’ while the female revelation award was given to Kehinde Bankole for her role in the movie ‘Elerin Eye.’
Muyiwa Ademola went home with the best supporting actor of the year for his role in the movie ‘Bamitale’ and the best supporting actress of the year was Mercy Johnson for her role in ‘Distance in Between.’ The television personality of the year went to Denrele Edun while the radio personality of the year is Tosyn Bucknor.
Emem Issong ‘Reloaded’ also got Ramsey Nuoah the best English actor of the year while Ini Edo Philip carted away the best English actress of the year, which she got from her role in the Reloaded.
Indeed, Emem Issong went home a happy woman with her film Reloaded wining the best English movie of the year. Doris Simon Ademinokan was also a happy woman at the event as her movie Omo iya kan also won the indigenous Yoruba movie of the year. Dele Odule too was not left behind as he bagged the Indigenous Actor of the Year award, which his performance in the movie Bolode Oku earned him.
Gemini, best marketer of the year
If there has been any Nigerian award that is for the movies that gives out awards to the marketers of the movies, then, they will definitely be few. The Best Of Nollywood Award, which had its inaugural edition recently was one award that is all encompassing as it tend to look beyond just the actors and actresses but went the extra mile to also celebrate the marketers, the editors and producers of the movies. The event which was the master plan of Seun Oloketuyi was indeed a good innovation and a source of motivation to the industry at large. Gemini pictures emerged as this year’s best marketer of the year. It was indeed a thing of joy and pride for the good works, sacrifices and efforts of the marketers to be acknowledged and recognised.
The Glo Ambassador contract
Globacom Nigeria, a leading telecommunications company, took the step in celebrating young artists who have distinguished themselves in the area of movie and music by making them its Ambassadors. The beneficiary of this deal this year include Jim Iyke, Rita Dominic, Monalisa Chinda, Funke Akindele and D’banj.
Artistes with crashed marriages in 2009
They started dating at the dawn of Nollywod after they hooked up on the set of a top movie producer. Their relationship was celebrated in the media after they tied the knot in a colourful ceremony. Uche Osutule was the darling of the screen while Obi Osutule was a director. However, it came crashing like a pack of dominoes and both partners called it quits. Today, they have both remarried.
Saheed and Fathia Balogun were the poster couple of the industry. Saheed always took time out to tell the world how rock solid his union with Fathia was. He spared no word in praising her to the highest heavens. That was until disaster struck after a close pal of Saheed’s was alleged to be having trysts with his wife. The actor/producer was said to have done all he could to save his marriage from going under because they already had two kids. However, it seemed that their differences were irreconcilable and the drifted apart. But last year, Fathia made attempts to be reunite with her husband unsuccessfully. She had even dedicated an award she won in the UK to him and enlisted top Yoruba actors, including the likes of Jide Kosoko, to help plead her cause. But to his day, Saheed remains adamant, insisting that their union is buried in the graveyard of history.
Her forte is acting bitchy roles in movies. The question now is, could that have affected her marriage? Was she bitchy to her husband? Full-bodied actress, Eucharia Anunobi, probably believed that she had found Mr. Right when she hooked up and married her knight in the shining amour, Mr. Ekwu. However, he soon went AWOL, dumping his matrimonial home and in the process, also abandoning his child. Unconfirmed reports claim that Mr. Ekwu chickened out of town. Today they are separated.
The marriage of top actor, Femi Adebayo to his wife, Khadijat Bukola, has crashed. The blissful marriage of the couple began to experience trouble a few months ago after it was established that the actor has been involved in a secret affair with top actress, Funke Akindele. Sequel to this, there have been several stories about how Adebayo sent Khadijat packing with the three kids. As you read this, Khadijat now lives in her parents house located at Epe Road, GRA Area, Offa, Kwara State.
New marriages in 2009
Ini Edo tied the nuptial knots with her spouse this year and is currently in faraway America.
The widow of Jaiye Aboderin, Stella Damasus, finally deemed it fit to remarry this year to her business mogul love, Emeka Nzeribe. Today they live together as man and wife in her Lekki home.
Also not left out is the popular busty Yoruba actress, Ronke, popularly called Oshodi Oke, a nickname she earned from her hit movie, Oshodi Oke. She too joined the married club this year.
One of the newest marriages in town at the moment is that of Tricia Esiegbe, the versatile actress and producer of a popular TV programme, Bold Faces. She went to the alter with her heartthrob, Kingsley, last Saturday.
Yoruba actress, Ireti Osayemi, took the bold step of tieing the knot with her lover boy of some years with whom she had two kids before. She is happily married now to her producer turned husband
