Balogun insisted that he had paid Okunnu for a movie he produced for him, and accused Austin Emmanuel of trying to ‘trend’ using his name.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Akeem Olatunji Balogun, the CEO of Olasco Films and Records International, has hit back at Nollywood actors Okunnu and Austin Emmanuel, labelling them “ingrates” following allegations levelled against him by the duo.
The veteran movie marketer expressed his frustrations during a recent interview with actor Tunde Ola-Yusuf, after the two thespians publicly called him out.
The Olasco Films boss was responding to an interview granted by Okunnu, in which the actor accused him of failing to pay for a film produced for the company 16 years ago.
Recounting the dispute, the actor stated, “I haven’t forgiven Olasco.”
This follows a separate allegation made months prior by actor Austin Emmanuel, who accused Balogun and his close associate, Toymax Films, of blacklisting him within the industry.
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Austin, who has been absent from the screen for several years, further alleged that Toymax had an affair with his girlfriend, Aisha Raji.
Reacting to these claims, Balogun dismissed both actors and clarified that he had paid Okunnu N2 million to produce the movie in question, noting that, at the time, standard production costs ranged between N700,000 and N1 million.
Regarding Austin Emmanuel, Balogun accused him of attempting to “trend” using his name, highlighting his own past contributions to the actor’s career.
“Okunnu is like a blind man who used a walking stick, but once he regained his sight, he threw away the stick that guided him. For him to say he worked for me without pay is dishonest; he collected N2 million from me 16 years ago.
“As for Austin Emmanuel, he just wants to trend. I helped advertise the very movie that made him famous, yet he acts like this. He is an ingrate,” Balogun said.
