Only Unwise Actors Flaunt Wealth On Social Media

Idowu Philips

Veteran actress, Idowu Philips, aka Iya Rainbow, on Saturday, appealed for government’s support for Nollywood.

She opined that the only way to prevent the Nigerian film industry from extinction is for the government to support actors and actresses with financial aid.

Philips who said that the advent of social media and other modern technology had negatively affected practitioners in the industry, maintained that it was worrisome that most producers and filmmakers ran at a loss after producing movies.

The actress spoke with journalists in Ibadan shortly after the inauguration of her 77th birthday ceremonies organised by Gulf Platform and tagged, Unveiling Mama Rainbow at 77 in Dubai, expected to take place in October and November.

Philips said, “I want the government to support us and give us loans. It is the marketers that lend us money and we don’t usually make our money back. There have been several cases where someone spent N2m on shooting a film and got N600,000 in return because the movie had been on the Internet before it was even out for sale.

“I appeal to the government to support us to prevent this profession from going into extinction. I don’t want it to go into extinction. We are begging the government, we are urging them to look at our side.”

Iya Rainbow also advised young actors not to keep flaunting money and material possessions on social media. She said, “It is those who are not wise that are showing their wealth on social media. How can you be showing that you have N15m when you don’t even have N5m. As for those exposing their bodies, we are still talking to them because I don’t like it. I don’t want them to go astray. God said that we should cover our bodies, so why do you have to expose yourself?

“Lack of role models and masters is another issue. In the past, we had masters who trained people and many up and coming actors were usually under their tutelage, but now, someone with money would just come without enough training. That is one of those things killing the industry.”

At the event were the Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Oyo State chapter, Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, who chaired the occasion, and Nollywood actors such as Saidi Balogun, Peju Omobolanle-Ogunmola, Toyin Adegbola, and Razak Olayiwola, among others.