Nigeria: Movie Producer Challenges Ozokwor On Nollywood Allegation

A movie producer, Desmond Utomwen, has challenged popular Nollywood actress, Patience Ozokwor, to name the producers accused of demanding sex from young female actresses before giving them roles in movies.
Utomwen, who spoke to newsmen in Abuja, maintained that it was pertinent for anyone with verifiable information on the sex allegations in Nollywood to make the information public and help ensure sanity in the Nigerian movie industry.
Ozokwor had in an interview accused movie producers of sexually abusing young girls.
"Things are not working the way they ought to because producers are messing up. Some go as far as sleeping with young girls before giving them roles," the veteran actress had said.
However, Utomwen, who recently added the much celebrated short film, "Shared", to the list of his works, maintained that such an allegation put the integrity of all producers in the country to question.
"If it is true that the respected actress made such a statement, I think the least she can do now is to substantiate same. I don't subscribe to wild allegations. While I am not defending the supposed 'unscrupulous producers' should there be any, I believe the allegations by Ozokwor, if substantiated will help the sanitisation process of the Nigerian movie industry," he said.