Ibinabo Fibresima’s open letter in reaction to Clarion Chukwurah’s allegations that she wasn’t fit to run the Actors Guild of Nigeria has sparked another controversy.
While Ibinabo had in the letter, said she didn’t want to exchange words with Clarion because, “As President, I should be seen to be uniting members of the Guild and not causing disaffection, as your unfortunate outburst set out to do,” Clarion has fired back.
Clarion in an interview said she is not on the same level with Ibinabo Fibresima 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.”
Clarion insisted that apart from not being educationally qualified, being an ex-convict disqualified Ibinabo from being the president of AGN. “Item ‘U’ of the electoral guideline of AGN disqualified her. No convicted person can stand for election in any post.
Clarion insisted that Ibinabo was convicted for manslaughter and was given a jail sentence which she served. “There is a court injunction stopping Ibinabo from parading herself as the AGN president. Manslaughter has no option of fine. Her sentence was reduced from seven years to five years and we all know she went to jail.
Clarion said she was shocked that President Goodluck Jonathan recognised and welcomed Ibinabo as president of AGN when she visited Aso Rock recently, stressing that 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.”
Concerning Ibinabo’s allegation that Clarion just registered as a member of the guild few weeks ago, the veteran actor insisted she 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. I even have a membership certificate which was signed by Segun Arinze who was the national president and Ifeanyi Dike as the BOT chairperson.
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,” she said.
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