Lives of African Actors at A Big Risk – Nollywood Actor Burst Skull Open Whilst Shooting a Movie

For 4 years now I’ve been advocating for Ghanaian filmmakers to consider paying Social Security and National Insurance Trust popularly known as SSNIT (the informal SSNIT Scheme) for actors and also insure the actors they contract or cast for their movies.

Whilst some of the filmmakers pooh-poohed me for suggesting something that is not feasible, others rather threw a challenge at me; “wait if you become a filmmaker, then you can do what you are suggesting,” “it comes with cost so we can’t do it,” “what you are advocating for is not even done in Hollywood, how much more Ghana.” Those were some comments I sampled from some filmmakers I spoke to years back.

I even went further to investigate if our actors gets proper oral or dental screening before they are casted to kiss in movies and actors Van Vicker, Roselyn Ngissah, Ebi Bright, and others revealed to me that they are not medically screened before casted for roles that involve kissing.

Read below a sad story I recently read about Nollywood – Nigeria’s movie industry, of how an actor nearly ended his life in the name of acting:

“Nollywood actor, Emma Ehumadu, was involved in a ghastly accident while filming a robbery scene with Jim Iyke and other actors at a movie location in Asaba, Delta State on Wednesday March 12th.

Jim was driving the vehicle during a ‘high speed chase’ while Emma was shooting a gun from a half open door from the vehicle. Unfortunately there was an issue with the brake and the vehicle hit a location bus. Emma hit his head on the door of a bus and his skull opened. He was rushed to the hospital where he’s responding to treatment.” (Source: LindaIkeji)

Look at the sanguineous picture of Emma Ehumadu below: viewer discretion advised anyway.

How pathetic the story is. This young man could have died just like that and all the filmmaker would do, is to make donations to the bereaved family and continue with his production; whilst the family loses their asset forever.

In an interview with the present President of the Film Producers Association of Ghana FIPAG-Mr. Steven Asare Hackman, GhanaCelebrities.Com asked him if he has any plans of designing an insurance scheme or package for their members and he confirmed they have done so with one reputable insurance company.

In our next publication on this topic, GhanaCelebrities.Com shall be bringing the side of the Ghana Actors Guild and what they might have done or yet to do for the welfare of Ghanaian actors in this respect. Until then…..MOTWUM!!