What A Drama Between WURRIE BAH AND FRANK RAJA ARAIZE At the Tail End Of The NFA 2021 Award Ceremony?

The NFA Ceremony 2021 edition was a good celebration even though not that great in terms of its presentation. It is the first ever award ceremony in Sierra Leone to be made wholly for the film industry. The trophies were customized

All awards were presented and received with a wow and joy except the BEST SCREEN WRITERS award which was first presented to WURRIE BAH and later reversed and given to LANSANA M. KAMARA aka SPARTER.

It did not end well. According to source, the Chairman and other members of NFA Jury 2021 edition called and apologized to Wurrie Bah backstage that it was a mistake, he was not the winner of the BEST SCREEN WRITER category, but Lansana M. Kamara alias Sparter. He agreed and he was told to give the presenter the trophy when the winner is called upon.

Actually, Wurrie Bah came three times on stage. He first came on stage when he was called as the winner of the BEST SCREEN WRITER category and went down without a trophy. Later, he was called again and given the trophy for the same category.

The chairman who was monitoring the event via the list in his phone from his sit in the special guest audience took note and immediately called the attention of the backstage team and the presenter about the mistake.

Frank Rajah Arase

Frank Rajah Arase was given the podium to talk to the audience, being that he is a foreigner and a member of the jury. ‘’I’m called upon to talk to the mistake that happened, and being that I’m a foreigner, even if somebody frowns against it, it will not affect me’’, he said. He went on by apologies to the audience on behalf of the management and jury of the National Film Awards. The winner, Lansana M. Kamara alias Sparter was called upon to collect his trophy. By then, Wurrie Bah was on stage for the third time. When Franka Rajah Arase asked that he passed him the trophy as agreed backstage, Wurrie Bah refused openly that he will present it to the winner himself. The winner came upstage and indeed received the trophy from Wurrie Bah.

Fast forward, Frank Rajah Arase was called to present the trophy for the last category. He took it as an opportunity to clear the air about what really happened. ‘’What happened was not right and I’m going to correct it now, so that such cannot be repeated’’, Frank said. ”You cannot blame the organizers. The mistake had been correct but someone passed the wrong paper from the backstage and that is cheating.”

Wurrie Bah then jumped over from the ordinary audience section barricade to the nominees’ section and took an envelope and jacked out a paper with a writing of BEST CREEN WRITER on it. He showed it out to the public while Frank was talking on stage. The place when into an uproar with members of Mercy Movies hoping on feet. On the way to the entrance gate, Musa Ojin Conteh, the director of ASHES TO ASHES smashed the BEST HORROR FILM award held in his hand to the ground and furiously walked out of the gate. Frank called the final category, BEST PICTURE, which was given to SINNAH. While most of the audience walked towards the gate, WURRIE BAH and FRANK RAJAH ARASE had almost held each other’s throat but where swiftly separated. Some filmmakers held Wurrie Bah while Frank was dragged off by some of his Nigerian brothers to their vehicle, with Wurrie saying, ‘’I go beat you na lek basted’’.

But Why Did Frank Want to Correct the Mistake for the Second Time?

According to source, Wurrie Bah went behind stage and used abusive languages on Brima A. Sheriff, and Frank Rajah Arase after they had all presented the said award to Lansana M. Kamara alias Sparter come down from the stage.

IS There Something Deeper Between the Two Than We Think?

indeed! Yes, something runs deeper between the two that goes beyond what happened at the NFA 2021 award ceremony. Wait for the next episode.