‘Marketers cannot legally ban Mercy Johnson from Nollywood’

Over the weekend, it was reported that a number of
Nollywood marketers had placed a ban on Nigerian actress
Mercy Johnson-Okojie from acting in any Nollywood
movie. According to several reports, the reason for the
boycott is because the marketers feel the actress' acting fee
is too exorbitant.
The ban will supposedly take effect from January 2014.
The actress will have the remainder of 2013 to work as she
has already signed up for a number of movie roles.
It is believed that Mercy Johnson currently charges up to
N2m for a movie role. Marketers are allegedly not happy
about her fees so have sort of ganged up on her.
It should be recalled that a similar move was made back
in 2005, when the Actors' Guild of Nigeria (AGN) placed
eight actors (Pete Edochie Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola
Jalade-Ekeinde, Nkem Owoh, Ramsey Noah, Stella
Damasus Aboderin, Chinwe Okeke and Richard Mofe-
Damijo, popularly called the G8) on a one-year ban from
filming after they were said to have been collecting huge
fees from producers due to their A-list celebrity status.
Through the years, marketers have heavily influenced
movie-making in Nigeria as they most times bank roll the
projects. They had always gotten to choose who would act
as the movie's lead characters, name the movie titles and at
times alter the story lines.
Eight years later, do marketers still have that sort of
influence?
President of the Association of Movie Distributors Gabriel
Onyiyechi Okoye popularly called Gabosky says marketers
had better face their job which is to make sure the movies
are sold as they try to tackle the issue of distribution.
'They haven't perfected their job, they are interfering with
actors. It's none of their business', Gabosky tells NET.
Mercy Johnson who's not usually outspoken with her career
also responded, venting on Twitter, by saying 'Wats wrong
when u keep quiet till u no wats up?no petition,no complain
just fees those who can't afford heineken should stick with
'Kai kai".
Gabosky adds that Mercy Johnson cannot be blacklisted by
marketers because they do NOT have the legal authority to
do so. 'When did they become the authority?', he asks.
Wats wrong when u keep quiet till u no wats up?no
petition,no complain just fees those who can't
afford heineken should stick with 'Kai kai'
— Mama Purity (@realmercyj) November 2, 2013

Via: Thenet