The senator representing Bayelsa East senatorial district in the National Assembly, Sen. Ben Murray-Bruce has blamed the ruling All Progressives Congress for destroying the entertainment industry which he said thrived under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Murray-Bruce made this known in a late Tuesday evening tweet via his verified personal Twitter handle while reacting to the controversy generated by the declaration of a US-based former Nollywood actor, Femi Ogedengbe.
Ogedengbe, who relocated to the US in 2016, said in a recent Youtube video that he had achieved more working as a security guard in the US than what he achieved in more than 20 years as a Nollywood actor and director in Nigeria.
He said: “Oh yes! I am now a security guard in the USA, and so what? Well, I have only been doing this for a little more than one year now and I can boldly say without any shame that what I have achieved in my father’s land being an actor/director/producer for over (20+) twenty-something years.”
Ogedengbe’s declaration had generated various reactions among commentators on social media, with many blaming the Nigerian system for failing to create an environment that stifles creativity.
But Murray-Bruce believes the Jonathan administration did more to create a conducive environment for entertainers to thrive than the APC government.
He said: “Suddenly things are so bad in Nigeria that actors are quitting Nollywood to become security guards abroad. This is an industry that contributed 1.4% of Nigeria’s GDP in 2014 and created more millionaires than many industries. What happened between 2014 and today? Change happened!”
The senator is presently championing a course to gain franchise for Nigerians based abroad to vote during the country’s elections and to encourage them to invest in their motherland.