The squabble between the Ghanaian movie industry and that of Nigeria is getting nastier by the day. The latest casualty to fall victim to the rift between Ghallywood and Nollywood is Ghanaian Actor John Dumelo who was allegedly arrested in Nigeria a few days ago.

Information available to peacefmonline.com indicates that John was apprehended on set in Nigeria whiles shooting a new movie for a female Nigerian producer. The sources disclosed that the actor was arrested for refusing to pay an amount Ghanaian actors and producer are supposed to pay before they are permitted to act in any movie. John Dumelo confirmed the incident in and exclusive interview with peacefmonline and explained that there was an attempt to arrest him but he was not really arrested.
“Yes they nearly arrested me, it wasn’t an arrest as a matter of fact but I was nearly arrested.” Asked what the reason for his attempted arrest was, John said “It is because of this Ghana-Nigeria thing that we are supposed to pay something before we are allowed to shoot in Ghana or in Nigeria”. He further explained that he went to Nigeria to shoot a movie a few days ago and while he was on set, some members of the producers association in Nigeria came with the police to arrest him for shooting in Nigeria illegally.

According to John, they claim that the producer who brought him to Nigeria did not pay some association for bringing a Ghanaian there. “It was one of the associations which brought in the police. The police didn’t come there on their own, but eventually I wasn’t arrested. I was nearly taken to the police station for whatever reason I don’t know”.

Asked how he was able to prevent the police from arresting him he said “Obviously I have a Nigerian working permit and everything so I showed them my working permit and told them to sort thing out with the producer because it is the producer who has to pay them.

“For me I don’t have to pay anybody any money, because it was the producer who brought me there. So if there is any problem it is the producer they should talk to”. On how he was able to leave the country without been harmed or manhandled John said “Oh! I managed to finish filming the next day and then I left”.

However the president of the Actor Guild of Nigeria Segun Arinze has also confirmed the incident saying John was not arrested but he was stopped from working in Nigeria without permit. Speaking on Peace FM’s “Entertainment Review” program he said even though he was not in town when the incident occurred he was told on his return that John was not arrested. “Nobody arrested John Dumelo to the best of my knowledge I know he was stopped from working but he wasn’t arrested. That will be a bit of an exaggeration”.

Segun said there is no problem at all and that everything is under control. He also added that three days after the incident, The Actor Guild of Nigeria and producers had a meeting with the Ghana Actors Guild and the Ghanaian producers to solve the problem. “We are brothers and we will forever remain brothers. I don’t see anybody been arrested. It is a free enterprise; we just need to sort a few things out”. According to Mr. Arinze plans are far advanced for both parties to have a final decisive meeting either in Lagos or in Accra.
Segun used the opportunity to apologize to Ghallywood actor John Dumelo. “To John Dumelo I will say we are deeply sorry for what happened. He was embarrassed we are sorry about it, and believe me, we will work it out there is nothing to worry about”.

When “Entertainment Review” host Kwasi Aboagye asked Segun why Ghanaians and Nigerians are demanding some payment before they are allowed to act or shoot in their respective countries, he answered “Nobody has asked anybody to pay anything. I think there has been confusion in the system, some people are doing this to profit and be mischievous about it, and we will defiantly get them and flush them out. We are all one; I go to Ghana to do movies and Ghanaians come to Nigeria to work. I don’t see why we should be losing sleep over this I think it is something we can definitely sort out”.

This whole Ghana-Nigeria rift started when Ghanaians reportedly demanded $1,000 from Nigerians and Nigerians also threatened to demand $2,000 from Ghanaians. This has resulted in some gruesome exchanges between Ghana and their Nigerian counterparts. Earlier on in the year, actors Van Vicker, Majid Michel and others also faced similar situation in Nigeria and they had to return to Ghana for their own safety.

John Dumelo’s incident seems to be a retaliation to the Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) who seized the camera of a Nigerian crew who were allegedly shooting in Ghana with the express permission few months ago. The crew, who were shooting on the Spintex Road in Accra, refused to identify who the producer was, when the FIPAG members confronted them with the police. They then decided to confiscate their camera until the producer owned up.

http://www.ghanamma.com/2010/10/26/entertainment/john-dumelo-arrested-in-nigeria/

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Wow so romantic, Op aka Mister presidente you MUST very romantic.

na waooo they better leave my man alone nonsense! But Ghana started this in the first place what sort of childish game is this

he's my best ghanian actor,they'd better release him asap. mtchew,

Is he ghanian? I thought he's a nigerian

Mygoldie:

he's my best ghanian actor,they'd better release him asap. mtchew,

HE WAS NOT ARRESTED OOOO, how many times did you read that in the story, Almost arrested not arrested which wan come be release him na, kai naso you go carry another tori o,

Cant they just take this whole thing to court and get it over with??

And shouldn't one of the ECOWAS treaties cover this??

Ithink it will be better to read the whole thread to understand what it says. He said "he was about to be arrested but was not arrested" To be frank it was this so called Ghallywood, Ghollywood or whateverwood they called themselves started it first. The truth is some time when you do good for somebody and he keep on paying you back with evil it is better you do him bad for him to feel the impart so he will know you are not silly or stupid you just be nice.

Very unfortunate it happened but it never worrys me a bit because people all over African take Nigeria for granted a lot so if they threw him back or whoever among them that came so be it, they should go back and talk to their whateeverwood to remove that clause of $1,000 on Nigeria actors orelse more of this will still happen please nobody is a fool so we can't be paying and harrasse of their in Ghana and they are coming here walking like king and merry just like that please no one is a fool. No offense please.

Mygoldie:

he's my best ghanian actor,they'd better release him asap. mtchew,

I wonder why some people just feel compelled to comment without actually reading. mtchew

Infact, the rate should even be increased, wetin Ghanian actors and actress dey feel like? shey because we don open their eyes now, boy boy wan come turn oga, sorry oh. Infact the fee is now#5,000 per movie. Any body that cannot pay should sit in his or her country and act their mugu film

Nigerians are not findin it fully in ghana as well
as they were made to pay heavier levies in thier various business.
if there are existing laws that say they should pay b4 they shoot film
or appear in movies let them observe it,
but if the law existed suudenly as a result of the progress they are makin
in the industry in Nig. Then there is problem.

I meant funny, and suddenly.
If Ghanians are makin the entertainment industry difficult 4 Nigerians
they should not expect anythin less.

i tot is iboo man//////

fae one waiting for face two

funny!!!!!!!!!!. nigeria and workin permit

anticipate a long arsshh thread, jenny kadry I greet u
Dumelo ma brotha  isshh happens dude, btw check this movie out,  "6 hours to christmas" starring Ghanaian actor Chris Attoh and  Nigerian Damilola Adegbiteh

Shirley Frimpong Manso Movie

Markenny:

funny!!!!!!!!!!. Nigeria and working permit

It sounds funny in Nigeria abi.

Markenny:

funny!!!!!!!!!!. nigeria and workin permit

while they r @ it they should check the permits of those Niger okada operators posing as Hausa guys

The ghanian authority are very stupid and greedy if i may ask why this dondi is apologising for? The other day i read a story on how nigerian business men are treated by the ghanian authority. Honestly adont like the way arinze is handling the issue i wonder if he have the interest of nigeria at heart. Ghanian actor should do their business in their country and leave us alone.

The ghanian authority are very stupid and greedy if i may ask why this dondi is apologising for? The other day i read a story on how nigerian business men are treated by the ghanian authority. Honestly adont like the way arinze is handling the issue i wonder if he have the interest of nigeria at heart. Ghanian actor should do their business in their country and leave us alone.

Segun arinze should stop apologising

Emmysteve:

The ghanian authority are very silly and greedy if i may ask why this dondi is apologising for? The other day i read a story on how nigerian business men are treated by the ghanian authority. Honestly adont like the way arinze is handling the issue i wonder if he have the interest of nigeria at heart. Ghanian actor should do their business in their country and leave us alone.

u can't be a good leader if u act otherwise.

This money they are demanding were is it going to government pulse or some association?

na them sabi.ghanaians too re heartless.

Fan2:

This money they are demanding were is it going to government pulse or some association?

prolly private pockets

I only sympathise wit d Nigerians in Ghana dat are surferin d highly increased levy to continue their biz in ova dere.

But Ghana started it, now they are panicking and want it resolved. Why must they start what they can't finish, greedy people.

fuik ghana,they are foolsss

This is lesson No.1, the next one to follow will be the West African Gas Pipeline, Nigeria Annual aid to Ghana! Stupid Ghanaian govt! She forgot Nigeria can strangle their economy in less than 12months and they will be paying visit to both T.B. Joshua and Aso rock for economic aid!

Nigeria has exercised enough patience with the present arrogant ghanaian govt. They have done everything they could imagine to frustarate any ECOWAS trade agreement that would truly bring free trade to the zone. This is country whose GDP is even half of ETHIOPIA! and she thinks muscle flexing is the way to go.

Yes I agree that country should be able to protect their own against foreign agression but for any govt to delibrately institutionalize Xenophobia, then I think such a govt should be treated the way Nazis were treated.

The sad part of it s that Ghana do not have any high profile business outfit like Glo, Zenith, GT etc. as such the middle income and bottom income earners would be the ones to suffer.

What the heck.Some of you guys are incredibly pathetic!

I keep hearing about how Nigerian helps or helped Ghana, bla bla.Can anyone tell me what this 'help' is all about? I am not talking about beer parlour gist-which is what most of you engage in here on this forum. I am talking about officially confirmed 'help' that Nigeria has extended to Ghana-except you want to count the mass deportation of Ghanaians and other West Africans on two ocassions in the 80s or the selective targeting of Ghanaians living in Nigeria.


I am simply curious to know,