<<Print>>

A traditional priest of the Sabaliki shrine in Sandema in the Northern Region, Nana Sabaliki, has threatened to kill actor, Abraham Kofi Davis aka Salinko for taking on his character and mimicking him in a yet-to-be-released movie, Diawuo. According to the priest, not only does the actor Salinko bear his name in the movie but the character also dances �azonto� which dance he sees as inappropriate and tarnishes the image of his god. Also on the �hit list� of Nana Sabaliki are Michael Duah aka Munche, executive producer of the movie as well as actors Emelia Brobbey, Kwaku Manu, Akrobeto and Wayosi. In a telephone conversation with Showbiz last Tuesday, Nana Sabaliki said he will kill all the cast in the movie as well as the executive producer if the film hits the market. �I have ordered the executive producer of the movie, Munche, to see me but if he refuses and goes ahead to release the movie, then I would have no choice than to kill all of them� he said. The threats from the priest seems to have unnerved some of the actors who play roles in the movie. Salinko, for example, told Showbiz that when he suggested the name, Sabaliki, to be used for his character in the movie, he had no idea it was the name of an existing god. �It was familiar to me as the name of a great warrior in my village Tafo Pankrono in the Ashanti Region. I never knew there was a deity by name Sabaliki otherwise I wouldn�t have used it�, he said. Salinko said it would save all the actors involved if the movie was not released on the market. �The producer shouldn�t be worried about losing the money he spent in making the movie but he should be more worried about our lives. If the priest is really angry then Munche should consider withdrawing the movie from the market before any actor dies�, he added. Emelia Brobbey shared the same sentiments with Salinko. She said ever since she heard about the priest�s intentions to kill them, she has known no peace. �It is death we are talking about here, I have had sleepless night ever since I heard about it,� Emelia said. Wayoosi, on the contrary, is not bothered by the threats of Nana Sabaliki. �I know I serve a great and living God who is powerful than Nana Sabaliki. There is nothing he can do�, Wayoosi told Showbiz over the phone last Tuesday. Meanwhile, Munche is unfazed by Nana Sabaliki�s threats. He told Showbiz that �I can�t withdraw a movie I have spent close to GH�90,000 on just because one traditional priest says so�. According to him, if Nana Sabaliki is willing to pay him the money he spent on making the movie, then he would consider withdrawing it from the market. Munche�s immediate problem however has to do with some of the members of cast of the movie who constantly call him to ask him to withdraw the movie because of the priest�s threats to kill them.