The leadership of Nollywood actors and marketers in Delta State, under the aegis of Active Movie Producers Marketers Association of Nigeria (AMPMAN), led by Mr. Ikenna Godspower Irukannu has received a major blow as an Asaba Customary Court restrained them from performing any leadership role in the association.
The court, headed by Ugboko V. Eluemunor as Chairman, Odiachi N. Augustine as First member, and Mokolo Victoria as second member, while ruling on an application by representatives of the group in the state, issued an interim injunction restraining Ikenna Godspower Irikanna, the first defendant/respondent, Mr. Ndubuisi Aku Samuel (Don Single), second defendant/respondent and Mr. Obinna Chukwuma Obiajulu (Obaino), third defendant/respondent from parading themselves in any official capacity.
According to the court, the trio is restrained from calling any meeting, inviting any member, attending any meeting, holding any meeting anywhere on behalf of or under the umbrella of Active Movie Producers Marketers Association of Nigeria (AMPMAN), pending the hearing and determination of the motion for interlocutory injunction.
Members of the association as Mr. Sunday Omoregbe, Ifeyinwa Muokwe, and Leo Ewuzie have approached the court to restrain the defendants/respondents from holding themselves out as leaders of the association in any capacity.
In a statement of claim filed before the court, the plaintiffs noted that the first defendant, Irikanna resigned his position as the national president on the association platform, adding that he, in connection with the second and third defendants, allegedly introduced the plaintiffs to a business known as Liberia business.
According to the claim, the first plaintiff, Sunday Omoregbe paid the sum of N5.5m, while the second, Ifeyinwa Muokwe, and the third, Leo Ewuzie paid N5m and N8m, respectively, to the first defendant, Irikanna, adding that the plaintiffs were yet to receive the capital or the interest from the first defendant.
The plaintiffs claimed that they had made a series of calls and demands of the capital and interest to no avail and instead, the defendants blocked their lines and removed them from the association’s Whatsapp group.
The plaintiffs further claimed that the defendants were using the Active Movie Producers Marketers Association of Nigeria (AMPMAN) as a shield against them.
Meanwhile, the National Caretaker Committee of AMPMAN has written to inform the Chairman, Federation of Nollywood Registered Guilds and Association, Nigeria, of the development in Delta State.
In a letter, dated July 3, 2024, and signed by the Chairman, Emmanuel Umeh, AMPMAN alleged that a vote of no confidence was passed on Ikenna Irikanna (Best Movies) by the Congress based on the failure to render stewardship for three years.
Among other things, AMPMAN also accused Irikanna of abuse of power, enforcing a bye-law he made for himself to remain as life President and denying members access to PWAN land properties (Max Height Estate, Igbuzor), bought through him as an agent by members since 2021.
The letter informed the Federation of Nollywood Registered Guilds and Association, Nigeria, that a court in Asaba has restrained Irikanna, Ndubuisi, and Obinna from parading as leaders of AMPMAN in any official capacity.
