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    City Blog "Ex-convict Ibinabo not fit to lead AGN" - Clarion Chukwura

    The beef between these two women is obviously
    not ending anytime soon. About a week after
    Actors' Guild of Nigeria president Ibinabo
    Fiberesima issued a statement addressing the
    constant attack from actress Clarion Chukwura,
    saying she was only trying to destabilize AGN,
    Clarion is not relenting and has fired back. In an
    interview with Punch today, Clarion said Ibinabo
    is an ex-convict and therefore not fit to lead
    AGN.
    "I am not on the same level with Ibinabo
    professionally, educationally or in any other
    form. I find that she is deliberately
    misleading the public and wanting to push
    the issues at stake under the table with her
    so-called open letter. I will not allow her to
    do that.
    "Item 'U' of the electoral guideline of AGN
    disqualified her. No convicted person can
    stand for election in any post. She was
    convicted for manslaughter and she was
    given a jail sentence which she served.
    There is a court injunction stopping Ibinabo
    from parading herself as the AGN president.
    This is the copy of the judgment. I have it.
    Manslaughter has no option of fine. Her
    sentence was reduced from seven years to
    five years and we all know she went to jail.
    The judgment reads in part, 'there is proof
    that she drove recklessly and caused the
    death of Dr. Sura Giwa contrary to the road
    traffic laws of Lagos State.' She was drunk.
    How could this person be the face of AGN?"
    Continue..
    "The court injunction of 2011 and 2013 was
    forwarded to the presidency. The criminal
    conviction of manslaughter was sent to the
    presidency. The president is supposed to be a
    symbol of the supremacy of the rule of law. He
    disregarded the law in recognising Ibinabo as
    president of AGN. The president is now saying
    there is no law in this country. So the AGN has
    become an ethnic grouping. This is a
    professional body of actors. It is not a Niger Delta
    solidarity platform," she said.
    The actress said she wouldn't have joined
    Ibinabo's party to Aso Rock even if she had
    invited her, saying,
    "Some actors have even explained to me
    why they followed her. They said they were
    taken there on a fraudulent arrangement
    for her to use and get what she wanted.
    Would she really have approached me for a
    thing like that?"
    Clarion alleged that Ibinabo had been going from
    one state government house to another to "beg"
    for money.
    "I have the data of every government house
    she has been to. No single chapter has seen
    a dime for running the guild. She went to
    Ondo State and she was given N500, 000.
    What chapter did she inaugurate in Ondo
    State? The guild wasn't set up to go
    begging from one state government to
    another."
    Clarion said Ibinabo couldn't have clocked 40
    years as she claimed in her letter because,
    "In 1989 when she was running Pyramid
    Club in Lagos, she was 22. How can she say
    25 years later that she is just turning 40? I
    have known her a long time. I know what I
    am saying when I say she is not a
    professional actor."
    When reminded that Ibinabo had featured in
    some movies, Clarion said,
    "That is not what makes you a professional
    actor. You have market women in the East
    who have acted in one or two movies; that
    doesn't make them professional actors. I
    will be 35 years in this industry soon. This is
    the industry that has made me everything
    that I am. I will not stand by and watch it
    destroyed. People have placed their trust in
    me. I am an activist. People believe that I
    will bring justice to bear on this issue
    because I am afraid of nobody."
    Concerning Ibinabo's allegation that Clarion just
    registered as a member of the guild few weeks
    ago, the veteran actor said,
    "I joined the AGN in 2002. I was part of the
    process that brought in Zach Orji as the
    president of the guild and thereafter Ejike
    Asiegbu. When it was time for Ejike to leave,
    the whole thing degenerated. A caretaker
    committee was formed with KOK as the
    chairman and I as the vice Chairman. These
    are my identity cards. I even have a
    membership certificate which was signed
    by Segun Arinze who was the national
    president and Ifeanyi Dike as the BOT
    chairperson.
    "I went to pay N5000 into the guild's
    account as my dues for this year. She
    should provide any proof showing that I just
    got registered."
    Clarion also used the opportunity to fire back at
    Ifeanyi Dike, the Chairman of the Board of
    Trustees of the guild who she claimed had
    maligned her in some publications recently.
    "The BOT led by Ifeanyi Dike has been the
    same board since the incorporation in
    1999. According to the constitution, they
    were to serve 10 years and leave for a new
    board to replace them. People had become
    aware that the BOT members are not men
    of integrity and the guild wasn't moving
    forward.
    "They refused to leave and a court
    injunction was obtained in 2011. I have a
    copy of the injunction as you can see. The
    court injunction prevented them from
    holding any election. But they ignored the
    injunction and allowed themselves to be
    financially induced by Ibinabo to run for the
    election."
    Clarion said she wasn't attacking Ibinabo
    just because she (Clarion) wants to contest
    for the AGN presidency.
    "The first step is the dissolution of the BOT.
    When the time for election comes, there are
    several credible people who are prepared to
    run for the post. I will give my support to
    any credible candidate who wants the
    viability of every chapter. I will pass my
    plans and ideas to that person. It is not
    about me wanting to be president. I will
    gladly work and support the new person in
    an advisory role."


    Culled from Punch

    Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN

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    Item Reviewed: "Ex-convict Ibinabo not fit to lead AGN" - Clarion Chukwura Rating: 5 Reviewed By: City Blog