Six months in office: Ibinabo renders stewardship

“My plan is to revamp the guild and bring back love and peace to the guild. We have had enough of these fights. We need to build up our corporate image so that people will see us and identify with us. We need to have a programme for our veterans and see to their welfare. We need to look at the issue of insurance as well as several others things. I understand that my opponent did not take the defeat in good faith but with time, I know that he will come to terms and we will work together as a team. I keep telling them that nobody can fight God, I am not God but I am a child of God.” The above was the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) president, Fiberesima Ibinabo’s statements to the media, shortly after her swearing in on November, 2012, after a successful but controversial national election in September, 2012. Six months down the line, has she been able to revamp the guild? What achievements have been recorded by her administration? “Much as we were faced with great challenges, I have never been deterred from moving the guild forward within the last five months in office. Some of our major achievements include: uniting of all warring factions within the guild, acquisition of an 18 sitter bus for the guild, introduction of an inter-ethnic cultural festival (drama, dance and poetry) among the state chapters, with the aim of uniting members. We’ve also introduced a lifestyle benefits discount for members on travel, holidays, etc. “Interestingly, we are in talks with NBC and Nigerian Copyright Commission on residual payments to actors in Nigeria. We are also in the process of getting legislation to guide and protect actors. We’ve also commenced Health Management Plan and Insurance Scheme for members. We’ve commenced the first ever veteran’s meeting across all the six geo political zones. We’ve also been able to change the skewed perception about the guild to a more positive and purposeful actors guild both to the general public, government and the press, among other achievements,” elated Miss Fiberesima said in a recent chat with Entertainment Express. Speaking further on her immediate plans for the guild, the beautiful actress noted thus: “We want to commence training and retraining of members in all categories. We have plans of organizing the first ever AGN Screen Actors Award, and to provide standard contract for members with the producers. Plans are also in motion to organize the first ever African Actors Summit to discuss our problems. Our Benevolence Funds will also be launched,” she said.    According to Fiberesima, she inherited a guild bedeviled with numerous challenges. In her words, “I took over the leadership of a guild with enormous challenges and controversies. Apart from so many others, funding is still a major challenge. The guild has been surviving on members’ meagre annual dues and levies, and less than 10% of the registered members pay dues and levies. Whatever the challenges, I’m not deterred; it’s forward ever,” she assured.