The number of rape allegations being leveled against singers, actors and filmmakers over the past few days has been nothing short of overwhelming.
Veteran Nollywood actress Patience Ozokwor aka Mama G has expressed her displeasure on the issue of rape allegations currently dominating conversations across the entertainment industry.
Mama G says that actors who are found guilty of rape or any sexually related offenses should be banned from the movie industry.
The actress made this known during a recent chat with ‘Sunday Scoop’ on punch newspaper where she called on the industry disciplinary committee to look into the matter and take due action.
She said:
“Yes (they should be banned) because they cannot represent us as an industry. The guilds in the industry have disciplinary committees and they won’t allow such people to stay. There is a standard punishment that is to be meted out to anyone found guilty of such act.
“It is heartbreaking whenever I hear that things like that happen in the entertainment industry because they (entertainers) have access to whatever they want. There is no girl they desire and approach that would not follow them, even when they (girls) know that some of them are married. Forcing a girl into (the act) is just stupid. My heart is breaking as you are telling me that it happens in the industry because I don’t go on social media anymore.”
Speaking further, Mama G also addressed the issue of indecent dressing among young ladies that many believe to be the root cause of rape incidents in society. She advised girls to ‘stop dressing provocatively’ and aspiring actresses in the industry to ‘take it easy’.
“Girls should stop dressing provocatively. It seems like they can’t do without skimpy wear. That was one of the reasons I shut down my boutique because if one doesn’t sell skimpy clothes, people would not buy. However, people with good background would not do that because they know it would bring shame to their families. Some actresses think that when they dress that way, they would get roles but it is not true. Talent comes first. It is on set that one would be given the kind of dress one is to wear, so that one can properly portray the character one is playing. Many girls come in (the industry) and they want to make it by all means, so they fall into the wrong hands. Even some of the people they think are directors may not be professional directors. Real directors don’t have time to mess around like that.
“Ladies should take it easy. Becoming a star is not the ultimate. When I started my career, I didn’t know that there was anything like stardom. I was just doing what I enjoyed and it has turned out to be what it is today.
“Some parents even dress their children in skimpy clothes, saying they want to prepare them to be stars. Whenever they meet any one that promises to turn their children to stars, they would quickly hand them over to the person.”
#whyididntreportit hastag has been one of the top trending topics on Twitter over the past few days in wake of the rape and murder of a university female named Uwa Omozuwa.
Women has been using the hastag to tell their sad stories of sexual abuse and why they didn’t report their abusers immediately after the punishable act was perpetrated against them
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