The boat accident involving some Nollywood cast and crew members on the Anam river in Anambra state, Nigeria has got everybody wondering what is really happening behind the scenes of Nigeria’s film industry. With two actors and three crew members confirmed dead, it seems there’s no ending to the series of tragedies bedeviling Nollywood. This incident is made even more regrettable owing to all the reported human errors involved. First of all, fifteen people were reported to have been travelling on a speed boat that was meant to carry a maximum of six passengers. Secondly, only the director of the film and his director of photography were said to be wearing life jackets. According to the captain of the boat, the production people should have provided life jackets for everybody but had not done so probably in a bid to cut down costs. And then, as a result of the speed and other distractions from passengers taking social media content type shots all over the boat, the speed boat rammed into a fishing boat. To make matters worse, instead of trying to administer CPR to survivors, they erroneously tried reaching a ritualist instead of a doctor to try and resuscitate the dying victims of the boat mishap. They even took them to a morgue before eventually taking them to a hospital where they were pronounced dead. Such a chronicle of irresponsibility.
Moreover, one actor on the boat was said to have been ringing a bell on the boat, an action which on such a river according to some superstitious belief was liable to attracting river gods and hence the accident. Meanwhile, another Nollywood actor has made a claim to having been in a discussion the night before the accident with the drowned actor known as Junior Pope, where the actor had informed him of his desire to announce to his social media friends of the impending disaster. He claims to have talked the late actor out of doing so. If this story can be believed, it casts a shadow on the film industry in Nigeria. Did the late actor know what was going to happen to him? There is even a post he made on social media where he was complaining of the excessive speed of the boat and the need to stay alive and raise his three kids. A video made on their way to the location of the set. So many people believe that there is a lot of satanic maneuvers behind the scenes in Nollywood. Little wonder you have had so many sicknesses and deaths of several actors and movie people in the country, especially in recent times. This might be another case of price paid for someone’s fame and fortune. What goes around comes around, they say.
So many mysteries in entertainment, just like we have them in politics and in religion too. Examples are the ongoing pedophilia and rape case involving one Abuja based pastor and step brother to Nigeria’s social critic and social media activist, Reno Omokri. The pastor has reportedly been in a rape relationship with a teenager who he had threatened with family disasters if she ever revealed their secret liaison to anybody. Now the pastor is reportedly trying to get the case against him thrown out of court, or worse still, hidden under a carpet and may have compromised the police. Not to mention the series of lies spewed by popular pastor Adeboye. His latest being that God had prevented an accident he was about to be involved in by expanding the width of the road they were travelling on just before a possible collision. The same religious leader had lied about sharing his tea with God and having the Almighty turn winter into summertime in Connecticut, United states of America, while he was visiting there, because he had asked God to do so owing to his dislike for cold weather. I wonder when our people will learn to call out such a blatant liar to his face. And when the authorities will deem it necessary to start checking the excesses of certain so- called men and women of God. It is criminal to make statements or take actions which we all know are geared solely for self aggrandizement and enrichment. Someone should please step up to check this lawlessness in overdrive.
Ristusblog 