Popular comic actor, Mr John Okafor popularly known as Mr Ibu has condemned the rising spate of homosexuality in the Nigerian movie industry.
In an interview with Leadership published on Saturday, Ibu said the practice has been killing the industry gradually.
The actor, while answering a question on the challenges facing the industry since he acted his first gig in 1978, said, “For one , piracy came in and crept into the very fabric of the movie industry.
“A lot of other things came in too and shrank the growth and speedy rise of the industry.
Read Also: Incumbent Melaye Misses Out On PDP Automatic Ticket For Kogi West
“Homosexuality came in , lesbianism came in and a whole lot of people in the industry became members of these devilish acts to bring the spirit down .
“I came out and told them that this kind of spirit kills the spirit of the movie industry because all it does is to come close to somebody that actually devotes time for the industry, to make the industry grow through their respective offices and companies , making these persons they come close to start second – guessing what they are offering .
“I said to them , if you are indulging in this kind of devilish group , it won ’t work and because of that some slacked.
“Nollywood is my main constituency , so when things are happening on my watch that speaks contrary to what the industry is trying to portray then somebody has to speak up .
“But we still have a lot of people that take the industry very seriously, delving into the business and projecting a better name for the industry.”
However, he commended the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Emeka Rollas for working assiduously to curb the trend.
Ibu added, “I must commend the National President (of AGN), Emeka Rollas. He has been doing a lot because for a very long time , good administration eluded us until he came in .
“He has been so wonderful in his administration . But he is only one man , he can’t do it alone but I also must tell you from the very careful selection of the National Task Force body , I know that we are going to succeed in making sure that we curb this thing .”
Ibu, while also lamenting the prevalence of piracy, called for the establishment of an anti-piracy body for the entertainment industry.
He said, “And again , since we have NAFDAC that are in charge of food and drugs in Nigeria , we have EFCC against corruption , then let’s have anti- piracy board for the entertainment industry, including the music and film industries .
“Those people will take care of us . And we would be very happy because anybody who is a writer will write more when the film is being sold , when actors act more, when directors direct more and when marketers market more.
“But , if this virus called piracy is going to continually plague the sector then that means we are labouring for nothing .
Piracy is still in existence but if only the government can just help us and setup an anti – piracy board in Nigeria, I would be the happiest person.