Famous Nollywood actress and Director of the Association of Indigenous Filmmakers and Content Creators of Nigeria (AIFCON), Jane Thomas Rogers, has written an open letter to Emeka Rollas, the outgoing President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), concerning the ongoing dispute between actress Regina Daniels and her husband, Senator Ned Nwoko.
In the letter, Rogers criticized Rollas for his recent public defense of Senator Nwoko in the controversy involving Regina Daniels. She accused the AGN president of taking what she described as a “biased and self-serving stance,” alleging that his position was influenced by personal interests.
The letter reads; “Dear Emeka Rollas, In this era of name-calling, I, too, will address you directly and without reservation. Emeka Rollas, the outgoing president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), I read your defense regarding the Ned Nwoko and Regina Daniels situation and find it laughable.”
“First, I commend your attempt to appear wise, attempting to mislead the public into believing you were impartially weighing on the situation. However, it’s clear your position is one-sided, seemingly driven by personal gain or interest. Let me remind you that Regina and her mother, whom you now publicly discredit, were instrumental in giving you access to Ned Nwoko. It was through this connection that you appointed Rita Daniels as Vice President of the South South, as compensation, if I recall correctly.”
“If you truly aimed to be an objective advocate, you would have addressed Regina’s claims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and attempted rape. Instead, you strategically avoided these serious allegations, focusing solely on Senator Ned’s claim of drug abuse, and apportioning blame to both Regina and her mother.”
“If you were truly concerned about your members, as you claim, why did you remain silent on the alleged rape of a 10-year-old girl on a movie set last year? Despite the victim being a child actor, an act that should have been condemned, you claimed the matter fell outside your purview, thereby belonging to the Association of Movie Producers of Nigeria (AMP). Yet, now you’re online criticizing others for not publicly supporting your benefactor, your Chairman of the Board of Patrons. I wish you’d use the same energy to call out the pervasive evil within the industry. But, of course, this is a “pocket solution” for you.”
“As Regina claimed, the higher bidder wins. You’ve chosen between her and her mother, and Ned. Your mention of Rita’s electoral position seems calculated, conveniently timed now that you’ve supposedly gained what you wanted and are ready to abandon her. Telling her to focus on her child’s welfare seems a thinly veiled attempt to ruin her electoral chances in favor of your preferred candidate, as you won’t benefit from her in the future, now that she has fallen out with Ned. We all know your history of influencing AGN elections for your personal benefit.”
“Any leader with integrity would allow the people to choose their leaders. I remember years ago, during the Kaduna election, you, as president, called me for almost an hour to drum up support for Hajia Salma, your candidate, based on your personal interest. That was when I recognized your inherent selfishness as a leader.”
“Some of us speak out on industry issues not out of hate, but to influence positive change within your administration and for the good of the guild. For instance, I wrote about the AGN’s lack of a permanent office, and that prompted you to open an office in Abuja. Instead of applauding us, you label us enemies and abuse your power by oppressing, humiliating, intimidating, and victimizing us. This mirrors Ned’s strategy against the poor, the weak, and the voiceless, which makes your support for him unsurprising.”
“You openly acknowledge Regina’s alleged drug abuse – which she hasn’t denied, but rather attributed to her husband’s influence. Have you bothered to investigate that, too? You failed to mention what steps you have taken to help her. Instead, you publicly champion your beloved senator and chairman of patrons. How can you choose between a powerful old man and a young woman who is a member of your guild? To you, it’s all about influence, power, and money. It’s deeply saddening, and I weep for you and your children. I pray they never encounter the same treatment you all inflict on others.”
“Finally, to my fellow entertainers, let this be a lesson: Don’t allow yourselves to be used. It’s about their pockets and what they stand to gain. Use your head and make the best decisions for yourselves. These same people pushed Regina into that marriage for their personal gain, and now they’re trying to tear her down on social media. We all remember how they supported Rita when she was criticized for giving her child away at a young age. Now, they’re spewing trash to bring her down.”
