…For abandoning movie set
Dashing Nollywood actor, Mike Ezuruonye, is ‘wanted’. The Abia born role interpreter and father of one is wanted for dashing out of location without completing his work – and after being paid. Ezuruonye, according to our investigations, was contracted by top movie maker, Teco Benson, to execute one of the lead roles in his latest movie, Centrifugal Force, and after working with the cast and crew for 14 days, two of which he absented himself, alleging ill-health, he has refused to return to location.
Thus forcing Teco to suspend work on the project for over four months now. According to what we also heard, Ezuruonye wants his contract re-negotiated and his artiste fee upped, before returning to location. And because Teco is not favourably disposed to that, especially since he considers it to be shifting the goal post in the middle of the game, he has refused to play ball. But instead has notified all the necessary guilds in the industry about what he tagged Ezuruonye’s ‘unprofessional conduct’.
We further learnt that in the event that the guilds are unable to get him to return to location and complete his assignment, the law enforcement agents may step into the matter. Scratching the issue during an exclusive interview with YES International! recently, Teco had said: “Right now, we have some hiccups in the production (Centrifugal Force), because of the unprofessional conduct by one of the guys playing a lead role. So, we are just waiting to tidy up so that we can release it…”
He refused to expatiate on the issue. But defending himself on Friday, September 28, 2012, Ezuruonye gave his reasons thus: “That’s a big, fat lie. Nothing like that happened. I was ill and had blisters on my mouth. When they are ready to shoot, they will shoot. But the truth is just that they’ve not been able to get everybody to shoot. I don’t have any problem with them. In fact, my manager has been talking to Teco. So, no problem”. Centrifugal Force, an action thriller, is a production of TFP Global Network, a movie production outfit owned by Teco Benson, MFR. Besides Ezuruonye, other known faces in the suspended work are Justus Esiri, Tonto Dikeh, Kunle Coker, Ebere Okaro and others. Teco, of course, is the producer/director.