Money behind celebs’ endorsement of politicians — Chiwetalu Agu

Veteran actor, Chiwetalu Agu, has said money plays a big role in the endorsement of politicians vying for elective offices by Nigerian celebrities.

The actor expressed displeasure over what he described as the lack of integrity and morality by some entertainers whom he said allow money to sway their opinions.

In an interview with Sunday Scoop, Agu said, “I am not in that family (of actors). It (endorsement) depends on personal interest because politics is no longer the profession of sanitised citizens.

“These days, a lot of things have to do with money. Money can sway people. People are not patient again. What they count is what money does for them today, not tomorrow.

“Nobody is patient because things are hard. Integrity, morality, and conscience have disappeared. What we are doing in Nigeria today puts me off.”

Agu also lamented that corruption had continued to thrive in the country, despite the promise made by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to tackle the challenge head-on if he was elected. He said, “Buhari said that he would come and fight corruption to the finish, to put corruption in a very dire situation. But when he came, money began to exchange hands.

“Everything has gone gaga. Integrity no longer counts. I have lost hope in the (current) regime. As a matter of fact, what Buhari is doing is not leadership; it is ‘rulership’.”