The President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Emeka Rollas, has lifted the suspension on Adanma Luke, the producer of the ill-fated movie The Other Side of Life, which featured the late Nollywood actor John Paul Odonwodo, also known as Junior Pope.
EKO HOT BLOG recalls on April 10, Junior Pope and four other crew members tragically drowned when their boat capsized in the River Niger near Cable Point, Asaba, Delta State, while returning from the set of The Other Side of Life.
In response to the incident, the AGN indefinitely suspended Ms. Luke for violating safety protocols and barred its members from working with her until further notice. The guild also prohibited filming in riverine areas and boat rides to safeguard actors and crew members, aiming to prevent similar incidents in the future.
In a statement released on Saturday, AGN National Secretary Abubakar Yakubu announced that the decisions to lift the suspension on the producer and to remove the ban on shooting in riverine areas were made during the guild’s National Executive Council meeting.
The statement reads, “The National President of the Guild, Dr. Ejezie Emeka Rollas, MON, uses this opportunity to announce the lifting of the suspension placed on Adanma Luke, producer of the movie The Other Side of Life, where star actor Junior Pope and four other crew members lost their lives in Anam river.”
“The President also lifted the ban on filming in riverine areas but cautioned members to apply all safety standard measures recommended in the AGN Bylaws.”