On Tuesday, the Delta State government mourned the victims of the ill-fated boat mishap that claimed the lives of popular Nollywood actor Junior Pope and other crew members of Adanma Luke’s ‘Another Side of Life’ movie last Wednesday.
News About Nigeria recalls that Junior Pope and four others died in a boat accident that happened at the Anam River in Anambra State when they were returning from the movie shoot.
Following their tragic demise, the Delta State government has banned actors from travelling on its water bodies without putting on life jackets and ensuring other safety measures.
The ban is contained in a condolence message by the State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Nnamdi Ijeh.
The decision, according to the statement, is because the state government takes lives seriously and does not want a repetition of such tragedies in the future.
The statement partly reads, “On behalf of the State Government, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the entire creative family in the state, I sympathise with the families of those who lost their lives in the process of expressing their creative talent on their way from the location of shooting a movie on April 10, 2024, and the entire Nollywood family.
“It is with a heavy heart that I want you to know that we share in your pain. At the time the news got to us, we arrived at the scene and discovered that the few ones who were saved from the boat mishap were on life jackets. It is therefore very expedient that, at this time of grief, to say that henceforth, such journeys should not be embarked upon without life jackets, expert divers, and other safety precautions.”
The state further prayed for the repose of the souls of the dead, adding that God grants their families the fortitude to bear the loss.
