Displeased with the way a N200million grant by the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was handled, veteran thespian, Lari Williams has called for a probe.
Williams told NAN on Tuesday that he and others needed to know what had been disbursed and what had yet to be disbursed.
According to him, a proper management of the sectors’ resources would help to keep it dynamic with the provision of requisite infrastructure and training schools for stage and movie performance.
“There was a cash grant for the development of arts in Nigeria disbursed to the sector by the immediate past president but the practitioners do not know how the grant is being disbursed.
“We need to know how the funds given to the sector is being disbursed because the growth of Nigeria’s entertainment industry will be enhanced by such money if well utilised.
“Let’s restructure the industry to give a better foundation for the entertainment sector to grow the way it should,” he said.
NAN reports that President Jonathan on November 7, 2010 during the 30th anniversary of Silverbird Organisation, gave a grant of 200 million dollars to the nation’s entertainment industry.
The then president said that his administration was determined to pursue a policy that would assist and grow the nation’s entertainment sector from continental to global brand.
He charged entertainment practitioners to use the loan to produce quality music and movies that would create more jobs for people and make the country proud.
The funds were eventually domiciled with the Bank of Industry (BoI) for eventual disbursement to those artists who were able to come up with viable business plan.