By Osagie Alonge
Over the weekend, it was reported that a number of Nollywood marketers had placed a ban on Nigerian actress Mercy Johnson-Okojie from acting in any Nollywood movie. According to several reports, the reason for the boycott is because the marketers feel the actress’ acting fee is too exorbitant.
The ban will supposedly take effect from January 2014. The actress will have the remainder of 2013 to work as she has already signed up for a number of movie roles.
It is believed that Mercy Johnson currently charges up to N2m for a movie role. Marketers are allegedly not happy about her fees so have sort of ganged up on her.
It should be recalled that a similar move was made back in 2005, when the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria (AGN) placed eight actors (Pete Edochie Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Nkem Owoh, Ramsey Noah, Stella Damasus Aboderin, Chinwe Okeke and Richard Mofe-Damijo, popularly called the G8) on a one-year ban from filming after they were said to have been collecting huge fees from producers due to their A-list celebrity status.
Through the years, marketers have heavily influenced movie-making in Nigeria as they most times bank roll the projects. They had always gotten to choose who would act as the movie’s lead characters, name the movie titles and at times alter the story lines.
Eight years later, do marketers still have that sort of influence?
President of the Association of Movie Distributors Gabriel Onyiyechi Okoye popularly called Gabosky says marketers had better face their job which is to make sure the movies are sold as they try to tackle the issue of distribution.
‘They haven’t perfected their job, they are interfering with actors. It’s none of their business’, Gabosky tells NET.
Mercy Johnson who’s not usually outspoken with her career also responded, venting on Twitter, by saying ‘Wats wrong when u keep quiet till u no wats up?no petition,no complain just fees those who can’t afford heineken should stick with ‘Kai kai”.
Gabosky adds that Mercy Johnson cannot be blacklisted by marketers because they do NOT have the legal authority to do so. ‘When did they become the authority?’, he asks.
Wats wrong when u keep quiet till u no wats up?no petition,no complain just fees those who can’t afford heineken should stick with ‘Kai kai’
— Mama Purity (@realmercyj) November 2, 2013