December 04, (THEWILL) – Veteran Nollywood actor, Yemi Solade, has accused the organisers of an unnamed award ceremony of attempting to extort money from him in exchange for his award plaque.
Solade, 64, disclosed that he was contacted by the organisers, who requested payment as a “sponsorship” to cover production costs for the plaque.
He said the organisers stated that while he could attend the event, he would not receive the plaque unless the payment was made.
A message reportedly sent to the actor by the organisers read, “Good morning sir, trust you had a good night rest. I did revert your response regarding sponsorship to the management. However, I think it doesn’t sit well with them as they also disclosed how much the plaques cost. Hence, you can please attend, but the award plaque may not be presented to save cost. Thank you for your kind understanding, sir.”
In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for the event refuted claims that Solade’s name had been removed from the list of awardees.
The spokesperson clarified that all nominees would receive their plaques regardless of donations.
The spokesperson stated, “It is not true. His name has not been removed. What we do is when we nominate people, our contract staff reach out to them to confirm their attendance.
“Whoever is in charge of that may request logistical support, but it is not compulsory. If the nominee decides to be generous, the donation is accepted, and the company may receive a commission.”
The spokesperson further assured that all plaques had been printed and reiterated that receiving the award was not contingent upon any financial contributions.
“All the plaques have been printed. I can confirm that he is part of the awardees. You will receive the award whether or not you make any kind of donation,” the spokesperson added.
Ivory Ukonu is a versatile journalist with many years of experience, with entertainment and society reporting as her area of core competence.
