Speaking in an interview with Citi FM/TV’s entertainment news website Ghanaweekend.com, the veteran actor asserted that whoever has chosen the acting profession in Ghana has chosen a very noble profession but at a sleazy location.

He expressed his discontentment with the income and revenue derived from the movie industry in Ghana, adding that though the Ghanaian movie industry has not served them well, they’re forging on for posterity’s sake so that the future leaders of the industry can possibly make a change.

“Seriously, if I should die and reincarnate, I would prefer being an actor abroad than in Ghana. The movie profession is good but not in Ghana… Ghana is really a crappy location to make acting your profession. You act for many years and the money is just peanuts,” he sadly said.

Sounding extremely disdained, the veteran actor added, “even though the Ghanaian movie industry is not booming, we are still soldiering on just to pave the way for our successors in the industry to come and possibly make a change.”

In 1996, born Abeiku Nyame, Jagger Pee was sentenced to prison alongside his friend and music star, Gee Man, following a shooting incident at the CFC Flats Dome in Accra, in which a taxi driver was killed.

He was granted amnesty after serving two years of his life sentence, half of which was on death row. He was one of the leading actors in Ghana in the 1990s and has made a tremendous contribution to the Ghanaian movie industry despite his stint in prison.

Jagger Pee starred in many hit movies and TV series like ‘Ogboo’, ‘Fatal Decision’ ‘Man Woman’ and ‘Chorkor Trotro’.

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Speaking with Graphic Showbiz recently, the actor, who shot to fame in the Jagger Pee TV series on Thursday Theatre in the 1990s, said his advice had become necessary following his experiences and recent happenings in the showbiz scene.

According to him, though he had moved on from the unpleasant incident that saw his incarceration in 1996, he has been charged to publicly warn young entertainers of the friends they keep following a number of revelations and divine encounters.

“The truth is that nobody can choose a friend for you and knowing someone for a long time doesn’t necessarily mean he or she could be a good friend. And that is why it is more important for celebrities to commit everything to God in prayer since we are not seers to tell the future or know what is in a person’s head.

“Surprisingly, people who are marijuana or cigarette smokers, womanisers, alcoholics, or drug addicts are easily perceived to be bad influences but the truth is that such people are not necessarily bad friends.

“However, there are those who are quick-tempered and cannot contain certain things in life so celebrities need to be careful. Not everyone they see as friends has their interest at heart.

“The fact that they are with you, hang around you or say they have got your back doesn’t mean they are for you. There are many who will be with you because of what they gain from the relationship but will never be there for you in low moments,” he stated.

Away from that, Jagger Pee also spoke on the “spiritual implications” of roles in an actor’s life, mentioning that the reality of the prison roles he played in some TV series dawned on him when he was imprisoned.

“I remember very well that I played the role of a prisoner in Too Late and Ayalolo. Well, at that time, it was just another role I interpreted as an actor but later, I found myself at the Nsawam Prisons,” he said.

Born Abeiku Nyame, Jagger Pee was one of the leading actors in Ghana in the 90s and made a tremendous contribution to the Ghanaian movie industry until an unfortunate situation took him to prison in 1996.

He was sentenced alongside then friend and music star, Gemann following a shooting incident at the CFC Flats, Dome in Accra, where a taxi driver was killed.

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Gemann was sentenced to death, while Jagger Pee got a life sentence but former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s amnesty in commemoration of the country’s 48th independence anniversary pardoned Jagger Pee who immediately relocated to the UK after his release.

He has featured in a number of movies such as Landlord, Too Late and TV series such as Jagger Pee Series on Thursday Theatre and Chorkor Trotro.
 
With years of experience, the veteran actor has produced his own TV series but told Graphic Showbiz the lack of sponsorship had delayed its showing on television.

“Most of the television stations that have seen it are willing to show it but without any payment. However, that doesn’t work in my interest since I’m working with a production team that needs to be paid.

“So for now, I’m holding on till I get sponsorship that can at least pay for the production cost and crew. I hope to get that by the close of the year so that the series can start showing on TV from next year,” he stated.

The actor said, he was compelled to use the fake documents, including invitation letter and bank statements, after several failed attempts to get a visa from the UK Embassy.

Speaking in an interview on the Cosmopolitan Mix on Joy FM with Amanda Jissih, Jagger Pee, born Abeiku Nyame, said even his father, who worked with the UK Immigration then, could not help get him a visa.

He said he was shocked when he was given a six-month visa to live in the UK in 2001.

“It was illegal but God permitted,” he said.

Interestingly, although he was given a six-month visa, the actor revealed further that he stayed in the UK for five years.

Before he was deported for overstaying his visit, Jagger Pee said he did several menial jobs, including working in factories to make ends meet.

He told Amanda that he had to seek greener pastures in the UK because life was simply difficult for him.

According to him, if he had gotten a job that would have at least paid him GHc50, he wouldn’t have left for the UK.

He noted that acting in Ghana did not pay because “Majority of the people don’t understand what we do.” This made life difficult for him.

Jagger Pee and Geeman:

In 1995, musician Nana Akwasi Agyemang, popularly known as Geeman, shot and killed a taxi driver at Dome in Accra – following an argument over payment of taxi fare.

The taxi driver had been hired by Nadia, a female friend of Gemann from Odorkor to Geeman’s home in Dome. According to Nadia, the fare agreed upon was 3,000 cedis (now 3 pesewas) while the taxi driver said it was 4,000 cedis (now 4 pesewas).

Gemann accused the Taxi Driver of overcharging an actress who was visiting him for a movie project. He refused to pay the driver the amount the latter charged and that led to a misunderstanding between them.

The driver came back later and collected a patch of sand from a spot where Gemann was previous standing, supposedly for black magic purposes. Gemann got offended, ran into his room and brought out a pistol and shot the taxi driver – after giving a warning shot.

Jagger Pee, a close pal to Geeman, was alleged to have hassled the taxi driver and was holding him before the shooting. After police investigations and court trial, Jaggar Pee was convicted for abetment of crime and was given a life sentence and Gemann sentenced to death for murder.

In November 1998, the Court of Appeal unanimously reduced the life imprisonment imposed on Jagger Pee to two years imprisonment but confirmed the death penalty imposed in Geeman for murder.

The court, after hearing Jagger Pee’s appeal against his conviction, substituted the charge of abetment for assault and a sentence of two years in hard labour with effect from May 15, 1996, the day of his conviction.