AGN Addresses Misinformation, False Reports, On Senate President

By Akinwale Kasali

The suspension of Nollywood Actress,  Halima Abubakar, by the Actors Guild Of Nigeria, AGN, has generated controversy, with speculations brewing that the actress is allegedly having a relationship with the Senate President, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio.

It was gathered that following the rumour about Abubakar’s affairs with the former Akwa Ibom State Governor led to her making defamatory statements about some of her colleagues leading to her suspension by the leadership of the AGN.

Making clarifications on this development, AGN President, Ejezie Emeka Rollas, has however issued a strong statement clarifying the organization’s internal memo dated October 17, 2024, which has been grossly misinterpreted by certain bloggers.

Rollas in the statement personally signed by him, noted that the memo, which was never intended for public dissemination, addressed the suspension of a member who had spread false information about other members, including alleged relationships with the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

According to Dr. Rollas, “The sole aim of the reference to the Senate President was to establish that we are also trying to unearth the purveyors of the falsehood similar to the one that resulted in the suspension of one of our members.”

However, bloggers notorious for publishing fake stories twisted this information to report that the AGN had placed Senator Akpabio’s alleged side chicks on a watchlist.

Rollas emphasized that this was a “deliberate distortion of the facts” aimed at embarrassing and bringing into disrepute the person of the President of the Senate, whom the AGN holds in high esteem. He stressed that the memo focused on the suspension of a member who had tarnished the reputation of esteemed members, not on Senator Akpabio or alleged relationships involving him.

The AGN President identified The Whistler and Opera News Bloggers as the primary sources of this false story and has categorically stated that there is no truth to their reports.

He clarified that the individuals on their watchlist are those spreading damaging rumors, not alleged “side chicks.”

Rollas further urged these bloggers to retract their misleading reports immediately and issue an apology for misappropriating and misrepresenting the AGN’s internal communication.

He also warned other news media against spreading this false story, advising them to desist from doing so in their own interest.

He concluded by reaffirming the AGN’s commitment to protecting the reputation of its members and promoting a culture of truth and accountability within the organization.