Movie Ambassador Latest, How Saidi Balogun Duped Member Producer Of N300k Alex Ekubo Artist Fee

facebook.com/inifinitymusicworldYesterday, we broke the story of the ongoing controversy trailing ‘The Golden Movie Ambassadors of Nigeria’, how the president of the association Saidi Balogun snatched his members girlfriend, the resignation of most of the office holders and the mass exodus of most its pioneer members.

More shocking revelations are been uncovered about the president’s (Saidi Balogun) shady dealings and the account of how he conned one of his producer member of N300k.

According to a source close to the association who pleaded anonymity, he narrates how former members of the Golden Movie Ambassadors of Nigeria, Tolulope and his sister Nike Erinle were discouraged to exit the association and also convinced their allies to follow suit.

Tolu is an alumnus of the prestigious New York Film Academy, on his return to Nigeria he thought of joining the Golden Movie Ambassadors of Nigeria. It was gathered that Tolulope even convinced some his allies to join the association too.

Then when one of his sisters Nike Erinle wanted to shoot her flick ‘Diary of a Lagos Girl’, they needed O. C. Ukeje and Alex Ekubo to be part of the casts. Nike and Tolu went on to contact their president (Saidi Balogun) to help them negotiate with the actors to get them on the production. Saidi Balogun agreed and discussed with them. Having negotiated, Saidi Balogun told them the actors have agreed to star in the flick for N300k each.

Nike Erinle agreed and gave Saidi Balogun N500k initial cash deposit; Saidi Balogun said he had paid O.C. Ukeje and that Alex’ balance remained N100k. It was gathered that before the commencement of the shoot, Nike gave Saidi Balogun the remaining Balance.

On a wiser thought, Nike Erinle felt it would not be reasonable to get Saidi Balogun to negotiate with the other actors without casting him to be a part of the production, so they casted him for a minor role and paid him N120k artist fee.

When the shoot commenced proper, it was gathered that Saidi Balogun ensured they rolled his bits early so he left the set. While the shoot continued up to about Day 3, Alex Ekubo then approached the Producer that he couldn’t continue to shoot without collecting a dime. Everyone was taken aback as it turns out that Saidi Balogun only paid O.C. Ukeje but hoodwinked Alex Ekubo to go on with the shoot and get his pay before the end of the shoot.

All efforts to reach Saidi Balogun during that period proved abortive as he was neither at home nor in the office. It turned out he had relocated to Ibadan and lodged in one Dino Hotel. All this happened before the general elections in the country.

Recently, when Funmi Awelewa was shooting her latest flick in Ibadan, Saidi Balogun was part of the production. It was there that Tolulope met their president (Saidi Balogun)and asked him why he acted the way he did, Saidi Balogun unrepentantly defended his actions saying it was disrespectful for them to have paid Alex and O.C. N300k each and now pay him just that little.

That was just the discouraging factor for the young film maker and his allies. In their opinion if the president of their association who is self acclaimed to be a front-liner in sanitizing the industry could behave this way, then the Golden Movie Ambassadors Of Nigeria is not worth the while.