The guild since 2018, has been in court over what has been described as anomalies in the process leading to their election in 2018.

Speaking to Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM‘s Showbiz A-Z, Abeiku Sagoe who is one of the complainants, said the issue will soon be over.

“I wished the Ghana Actors Guild all the best. Like I said I am one of the founders and I cannot see or wish it collapses as I live.

We went to court basically to stop what we thought was an irregular action. And I can assure you that by the end of the year where we have reached with the court matter, I think we should be done with it. Because they have taken all the pleadings except that a name was mentioned who was not part of the original witnesses so the court subpoenaed that he should come over and also after him, the next thing will be for the lawyers from the two sides to give their addresses,” he noted.

Abeiku further started that “I am sure that by the end of this year, it will end. I pray that whatever the result will be, we move into another level to bring all the actors together. As you said there were many prospects that this impasse has gone passed us. But I believe that within the end of the year, we would resolve this matter and move.”

After the death of Reverend Eddie Coffie in 2016, Samuel Fiscian was elected President on 27th April 2017 for one year after which another election was held on October 27, 2018 to get substantive leaders for the group.

Samuel Fiscian retained his position as the President of the Ghana Actors Guild, Van Vicker became the Vice-President, while Ziggy Netteyson assumed the position of the Secretary. Kalsoume Sinare emerged the Welfare Officer.

However, the outcome of the election was contested in court. Abeiku Sagoe, together with other actors such as Henry Harding (Osofagus) and Mercy Asiedu sued the Ghana Actors Guild in 2018 at the High Court of Justice for not following the due processes in conducting their election.

He said the election lacked transparency.

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In an interview with Andy Dosty on Daybreak Hitz, the veteran filmmaker said that he had to use his car as collateral so he could access funds to enable him to bring his stage productions to life.

According to him, that is how far he can go to execute his stage plays.

“In 2020, I was preparing for my next play at the National Theatre when the COVID-19 hit. Just before that, I had used my car to go and take a loan to prepare for the drama and I have not been able to recover it since then. It’s been two years.”

Mr Sagoe, who is best known for his passion for theatre arts bemoaned the neglect the sector faces from authorities.

According to him, getting sponsors to help with the stage productions is even more difficult.

“These are some of the things we go through. It is not easy to get sponsorship for theatre because all sponsors want to leverage it. How many people do we even attract to the National Theater?” 

Abeiku Sagoe said these were some of the reasons he had not been able to put up another play.

He stressed that the financial backing to do another stage play has been a major problem.

He, however, pleaded with authorities in higher places to support theatre productions.

The veteran actor in an interview with Graphic Showbiz described theatre as an orphan in the creative industry considering that no attention and support is given to it compared to music and movies.

According to him, it was because the process was broadened to cover every stakeholder including children.

The National Film Authority (NFA) on Wednesday, December 8 announced ‘Black Star Films’ as the new name of the film industry, following a year-long process.

The change of name for the film industry, according to the Authority, is premised on the fact that having an identity as an industry is very important.

However, the new name has been greeted with several disapprovals from many stakeholders who didn’t take part in the voting process.

According to them, the name ‘Black Star Films’ bears a striking similarity to an award and film festival, ‘Black Star International Film Festival’ (BSIFF) founded by the National Film Authority’s Executive Secretary, Juliet Asante citing “conflict of interest.”

A group of stakeholders led by showbiz personality, George Quaye petitioned the Ministry of Tourism, Art & Culture over the new name.

It turned out that a 12-year-old poet, Nakeeyat Dramani, was one of the committee members who voted in the naming process.

Some persons have raised concerns about the decision to add a minor to the process.
But reacting on Hitz FM on Monday, Mr Sagoe, who is himself a committee member for the voting process, said he finds nothing wrong with the youngster taking part.

“We wanted ideas from all over, children, young people,” he noted.

When he was asked why young actors like Rahim Banda, Yaa Jackson etc were rather not part of the process, he said “Rahim is in the university, he is not a child.”

“Your problem is with the fact that a child is part of the process and I am saying that…your argument that it was wrong to have included a 12-year-old, that is what I am talking about,” he said.