The Board of Trustees of the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPPAN), and the Elders of Nigerian Motion Picture Industry have distanced self from a statement recently made by one of its member, Deji Aderemi popularly known as Olofa Ina, over Baba Ijesha’s alleged rape saga.
The umbrella body of Yoruba actors and filmmakers also fired a serious warning to actresses, Iyabo Ojo and Nkechi Blessing, regarding their rants on social media, ‘reckless accusations, abuses and embarrassment’ caused against the association and the movie industry as a whole.
In a press briefing in Lagos on Saturday, TAMPPAN noted that the statement altered by Olofa Ina regarding Baba Ijesha’s sexual assault case was not from the association.
Recall that Olofa Ina, while speaking at Baba Ijesha’s court appearance some days ago, said he’s in court because he heard “they said somebody slept with someone, stressing that it is a normal thing in the movie industry.
He added that if a colleague in the movie industry has done something wrong, they should reprimand him rather than (lay) false accusations.
TAMPPAN has, however, dissociated itself from such a statement, noting that the association does not condone immorality, neither is it the standard in their industry. They stressed that if two consenting adults decide to have things in common, it does not mean that it is the association or their industry’s standard practice.
TAMPPAN added that there is nowhere it is stated as a rule or practice that actresses must have sex with their male counterparts or seniors before they can grow in the industry. They, therefore, claimed that those holding such opinion or notion are certainly doing that in error.
“The most important ingredients for growth are talent, proper training and the ability to stay focused on what one wants to achieve,” TAMPPAN added.
It should be recalled that Blessing and another actor, Kehinde Adams, aka Lege, fought dirty on social media over the arrest of Baba Ijesha, who was accused of sexually assaulting a minor.
On her part, Iyabo Ojo had insulted some actors for keeping mute about the case.
The veteran actor who doubled as the secretary of the association, Jide Kosoko, said on behalf of the Board of Trustees that the attention of TAMPPAN and the Elders of the Motion Picture Industry has been drawn to the embarrassment being caused to the movie industry by some unruly individuals that lack any iota of discipline and who feel they are above the law.
The secretary stressed that the TAMPPAN BOT members observe particularly the continuous disrespectful statements made by Iyabo Ojo against the association and the industry as a whole. He added that as pioneers of the noble industry, it would be a shame on them if they keep mute and allow the continuous blackmail that sends negative signals across the world to go unchecked.
Speaking further, Jide Kosoko said the current situation that has impugned on the industry’s integrity will continue to grow to the detriment of humble practitioners, whose only source of livelihood is the practice of indigenous language movies, which they at the same time, promoting language to preserve culture.
He added that it is unfortunate that Nkechi Blessing has also joined in the ignoble tirades against the association and by extension, the industry, and TAMPPAN say enough is enough.
“As TAMPPAN BOT members and elders of the industry in the Yoruba genre, we daresay to Ojo, Blessing and others like them, that if they think whatever visibility they have achieved today is not through the Yoruba sector of the Nigerian motion picture industry, they should, at least, realise that the industry gave them the enabling environment for whatever they may have become today.
Read Also: Baba Ijesha Had An Illicit Affair With Princess; They Set Him Up Because He Broke up With Her – Baba Ijesha Lawyer
“An offence against one is an offence against others, and we will get other associations involved in tackling any further infringement on our rules and shared values. None of these infringements will henceforth go without repercussions,” he added.
Also in attendance at the press briefing include the association’s chairman, Adebayo Salami; the President, Bolaji Amusan; Lagos chapter’s governor, Yinka Quadri, Ebun Oloyede, and other elders of the association.
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