Transparency has been our watchword – Emeka Rollas
President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Emeka Rollas Ejezie has stated that transparency is one word they do not toil with at the guild of actors.
Rollas stated this on Tuesday afternoon at the News Express 6th Anniversary Lecture and Economic Stakeholders’ Forum theme: Transparency – Bedrock of Sustainable Development which took place at the upscale Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Ikeja, Lagos.
Rollas, who was one of the keynote speakers spoke on; Transparency and Sustainable Development of the Movie Industry in Nigeria.
He said “Transparency has been our watchword, as can be gleaned from most of our programmes, projects, composition of the executive, and team work. This explains why as the president, I co-opt my predecessors in most of our engagements”.
The AGN president use the opportunity to appeal for more financial support from high net-worth Nigerians for AGN Foundation which Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki has thrown his weight behind.
AGN Foundation, set up to take care of health needs of veteran celebrities, especially at old age, and also a form of corporate social responsibility for the downtrodden in the society.
Organised by News Express, an online News publication outfit, the annual lecture is to celebrate the anniversary of the publication in an atmosphere of learning, by bringing influential people from different works of life to discuss issues that affect the Nigerian society.
This year’s event, which is the sixth, was chaired by President Emeritus of Aka Ikenga, a think tank group, Chief (Barrister) Goddy Uwazurike.
Speaking on the travails of media in an election period, Goddy Uwazurike said a new threat called Anti-Fake News campaign has crept up and the media is once more under the threat it faces in 1984/1985.
“I encourage all the media men and women not to take any assault lying low but to fight back through the press and the law court”.
Executive Director of Media Law Centre, Richard Akinnola spoke on what he titled: Nigeria: The way forward, said transparency must be entrenched in our national life.
“Nigeria must use whatever resources God has blessed her with to fight poverty. Without transparency, Nigeria cannot aggregate enough resources to fund development. Lack of transparency makes an economy a high risk terrain. High risk economies find it difficult to attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI); they always have a preponderance of portfolio investment. Transparency is required to attract FDI to fund infrastructure in Nigeria”.
The Guest Speaker, Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman, represented by the AGM Servicom, Chief Patrick Ihekuna, developed the theme from the perspectives of NPA.
One of the highlights of the event was the unveiling of News Express Magazine, jointly performed by Commissioner Bamigbetan and international music icon and business tycoon, Dr Tee Mac Omatshola Iseli (MFR), supported by other dignitaries.
