The Veteran Nite organized by Actors Guild of Nigerian (AGN) Lagos State Chapter was brimful of scintillating contents. The event was hosted on Tuesday 20th of October by Lekki Beach Central Hotels located along Beachgate Road, 5th Roundabout, Lekki Expressway. The three Star hotels with frontal sprawling space for relaxation and hosting of events was formally denominated as Beachgate Hotel before the appellation was changed under a new ownership and management which has rebranded the hotel to give it cutting edge in the hospitality business.
The event recorded impressive attendance as the auditorium was crammed with sea of thespians with conflation of stars, up comers and some of the current and past leaders of the guild both at national and state level. Nollywood legends, Keppy Ekpenyong, Tony Akposhere, Tari West, Emeka Duru and host of others attended the event. The current President of the AGN, Emeka Rollas Ejezie was unavoidable absent because of his trip to Kigali on a courtesy call to the Somalia President, however, three of his Special Advisers (SAs) Chucky Egbu, Ijeoma Imoh and Edmund Onyiriogwu graced the occasion.
Before the climax of the event, which was the award, the audience was thrilled by the compere, MC Linchung aka Oliver Duke a polyglot with rib cracking jokes. Other comedians were on hand to make the night fantastic and enthralling. The miming of the evergreen music of Oriental Brothers and another music of the fifties, Celestine Okwu titled onwuwa by two septuagenarians Commander COC Nze and Mrs. Agnes Molukwu respectively and the couple dance were other items of the event that electrified and livened the night.
In the couple dance the female veterans were paired with the male counterparts and the floor was open to respond to the rhythm of the music of the old school. It was indeed a captivating sight the swaggers of the veterans in reminiscence of the good old days when Nigerian had not descended to fathomless cesspit of bankruptcies in all sectors of national lives. Some of the veterans proved that the world has not left them behind as they sauntered to contemporary dance as well to the admiration of the young generation among the audience.
The highlight of the Veteran Nite was the awards presented to the veterans in appreciations of their contributions in the growth of AGN. There were three different categories of the awards given to eleven recipients. The most coveted award was the Life Time Achievements Award bestowed to Prince Ifeanyi, former National President and the Chairman Board of Trustee of the Guild. The Outstanding Achievement Award was handed out to Emmanuel Oguguah the Vice Chairman of Board of Trustee and the National President of the Guild between 1997 and 2002; under his watch the guild was officially registered with the transmogrification of its name to Actors Guild of Nigeria. His Presidency also commenced the formation of state chapters including Lagos State Chapters.
In addition to the two distinctive awards, nine others received Merit Award in recognition of their commitments, dedications and services to the guild. The awardees include Commander COC Nze, Amaka Eze Amaka, Tony Akposhere the Zaky of New Masquerade fame, Mrs. Stella Samuguna, Evangelist Tayler, Doris Unachukwu, Christy Okonkwo, Edmund Onyiriogwu, the former National Secretary of Guild, erstwhile Chief Press Secretary the National President Segun Arinze and the Special Adviser on Research and Documentation to the current National President Emeka Rollas Ejezie to mention just a few.
Furthermore, the scintillating night witnessed the Chapter patron ship induction of two prominent personalities. The first inductee is an astute business mogul Mr. Udochi Nwaodu the Chairman/CEO of Lekki Beach Central Hotels, former Chief Internal Auditor, UBA Group World Wide. The second one is a charismatic lady Dr. Mrs. Oby Olebara Uzoukwu who has taken the motion picture business by storm with outstanding creative engineering encapsulated by her business concerns, Obylicious Empire , Obylicious Merchandise and Afrigold Television which has revolutionized the industry through online TV, movie productions and film/movie academy.
The choice of the two inductees was greeted with resounding ovation from the audience which underscored implicit trust on and confidence. The trust was reinforced as the duo was gracious in acquiescing to the Chairman passionate appeal to fund a year rent of a room apartment for Mrs. Agnes Molukwuconfronted with accommodation crisis. She is one of the oldest and most devoted female veteran admired by her punctuality in the meetings and any of the guild outing. Don Pedro promised that the guild would take up further payment of the one rent after the expiration of a year rent paid by these philanthropists.
The Veteran Nite ended in a high note as award recipients expressed profound elation on their nomination and subsequent decoration. They extolled Don Pedro Aganbi, the Lagos State Chapter Chairman and his team for their momentous strides to take the guild to the next level and for the institution of the awards in their honour. Indeed, the Veteran Night at Lekki Central Hotels was a splendid event in its conceptualization and execution which both the awardees and other participants will not forget in long while.
Edmund Onyiriogwu (former National Secretary Actors Guild of Nigerian and Special Adviser on Research and Documentation to the current President Actors Guild of Nigeria Emeka Rollas Ejezie