Nollywood diva Monalisa Chinda harps on actors’ welfare

Veteran Nollywood actress, producer and TV personality, Monalisa Chinda, has called for improved welfare and better working environment for Nigerian actors.

She made the call in an interview with our reporter on Monday in Abuja.

According to the thespian, Nollywood has contributed tremendously to Nigeria’s economy and placed the nation in an enviable position on the global stage, adding that its key players need support and enabling environment to strive.

She stressed the need for a comprehensive health insurance cover for actors and the provision of welfare package for them.

Chinda added that piracy should be effectively curbed by relevant authorities for industry players to reap the reward of their works.

The actress disclosed that she was set to run for the position of Public Relations Officer of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) at the guild’s 2019 election slated for Oct. 31 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.

She explained further that her decision to seek election into the AGN leadership team was for her to champion the call for an enabling environment and welfare for actors.

“I want to see how I can work hand-in-hand with the president to get a better health Insurance scheme for actors.

“This issue of coming on social media and begging for money, it works me up, and I am not the type of person that likes to just sit down and keep quiet.

“We expose our respectable actors that they need N5,000 to treat cough is quite embarrassing, and we need to do something.

“I will use my voice in a subtle way not to attack anybody but to sound my displeasure on some of these things,” she said.

The actress who was once embroiled in alleged tax evasion saga, said as a law-abiding citizen, it was her civic obligation to pay tax and had resolved everything.

She, however, called on industry stakeholders to always fulfill their civic responsibilities to government even as they call for support and enabling environment.

“There are no excuses when it comes to your obligation to the state, anywhere you live and work there are the laws that are binding on you in the state, we must pay our taxes.”

It was reported that Monalisa, known for the 1996 acclaimed movie ‘Pregnant Virgin’, became very popular in the industry in 2007 when she started appearing in the television soap “Heaven’s Gate”.

She debuted in 2011 as Executive Producer in the Royal Arts Academy movie, ‘Kiss & Tell’, which Emem Isong co-produced with her and was directed by Desmond Elliot.

In 2012, she became one of the first of four Nollywood actors to be featured on the cover of Hollywood Weekly Magazine and began the acclaimed “You & I with Monalisa” TV show in 2014.