Entertainers express disappointment over election postponement

Some stakeholders in the entertainment industry on Saturday expressed their disappointment over the postponement of the general  elections because of its cost implication on the masses.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission announced  the postponement of  the Presidential and National Assembly Elections scheduled for today till Saturday, February 23.
Also, it postponed the Governorship and State Assembly Elections to March 9.
Fred Amata, President, Directors Guild of Nigeria, said that the development was a sad statement to Nigeria democracy.
Amata said that Nigerians should not lose hope despite the postponement.
He urged them to continue to strive to be patriotic and ensure that the country gets it right on the new dates.
Comedian Idowu Noel, popularly known as “Koffi”, said that he was to have a video shoot that was rescheduled because of the elections.
Noel said that with the new development, and the look of things, he would have to rescheduled it again.
Koffi said: “This is resources wasted twice and I believe that my colleagues in the industry will also be going through this kind of challenge.
“I feel sorry for the members of the National Youth Service Corps who went through rigorous trainings day and night preparing for the elections just to be told it had been postponed.
“I wish us well and pray that God will deliver this country in the time of our children because as it is now, it cannot be in my own time again.”
Sunny Nneji, a veteran musician, said that INEC should have seen it coming and nipped it in the bud considering  the emotional, psychological and cost implications on the masses.
Nneji said: “Some people stocked their houses with groceries while some closed their shops and businesses to travel with the little resources they had just to ensure that their vote counts.
“A lot of important business deals were rescheduled because of the election.
“Some marriages that were postponed would have to be rescheduled again.
“We cannot continue to go round in cycles ; INEC should have seen this coming weeks before now and found a solution to it instead of waiting till the eve of election.
“It is really unacceptable.”
Meanwhile, Frank Ikegwuonu, President, Nollywood Executives and Leadership Awards, said he would not attach any emotional sentiments to the elections except the cost implications of having to reschedule already planned out activities.
He said: “I just wish this country well and hope that whatever the INEC wishes to achieve with this arrangement gets achieved.”