Entertainers in the country are asking for the creation of the Ministry of Entertainment in the coming political dispensation.
The entertainers under the umbrella body of Association of Entertainment Practitioners also called on the Federal government to step up its security operations to stop the spate of attacks on the facilities of INEC.
The group’s President, Chief Agility Onwurah on Thursday stated that the association can not achieve its set objectives if there is no stable and united country.
According to him, AOEP is a coalition of all the entertainment bodies in Nigeria which includes; Actors Guild of Nigeria; Association of Movie Producers, Directors Guild of Nigeria; Deejays Association; Abuja Body of Comedians; Association of Beauty Pageant and Fashion Exhibition Organisers of Nigeria , Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria and several other organizations that are into entertainments..
Agility said also that its association is united as a front to tackle the issues facing its industry in Nigeria and environs.
“80% of our members are youths and we have a fan base of over forty million people across the nation, mostly youths who are actively engaged in the productive creative space instead of loitering in the streets”
“We are a major employer of labour and contribute highly to the GDP of Nigeria. We are therefore critical stakeholders in the decision making process in Nigeria in particular and the world in general”
He condemned the recent abduction or kidnapping of innocent Nigerians at a train station in Edo state, kidnapping and killings in all other regions of the country. As he said they are visible threats to the unity of the nation.
“A disruption of the electoral calendar could lead to chaos and anarchy.It portends danger of alarming proportions for the Nigerian state and we can not afford a war at this time in our history.
“We call on our youths to resist the temptation to be used by anarchists to cause problems in Nigeria as that could throw Nigeria into the biggest humanitarian crisis on earth”
He went further to challenge the security forces to deal decisively with anyone found in a position capable of derailing our common objective as a nation which is “unity, peace and progress”.
Onwurah said “we are calling on all Nigerians to take advantage of this PVC collection window to get theirs and actively participate in the forthcoming elections”
“We call on political parties and the electorate to actively participate in the elections in order to give it the credibility it deserves”
In his closing remarks, he said the association will get in touch with other candidates to appraise their interest in corporate progress in their industry
