Foremost activist and Nigerian musician, Charly Boy Oputa has reacted to comments by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed stating that a ban on shooting of music video abroad will soon be put in place.
Charly Boy Oputa
Nigerian activist and musician, Charly Boy Oputa
has lambasted the Federal Government questioning the rational behind
the new call for Nigerian artists to be banned from shooting videos
abroad.
In an article titled "Sleeping Warriors In A Dying Nation" Charly Boy aired his frustration.
He wrote:
"The MC of goofs, gaffs and a lotta mumbo-jumbo Alhaji Lai Mohammed
in one of his numerous jokes, probably scripted this time by Tony
Okoroji, announced that the federal government is set to stop production
of Nigerian movies and music videos abroad. This revelation was made
recently on Saturday, July 15, 2017, at the headquarters of the
copyright society of Nigeria (COSON).
This is one of the many laughable utterances of our minister,
who is fast becoming a full blown comic considering his track records.
Imagine our Culture and Information Minister admitting the
superiority of Senegalese’s Jollof over Naija jollof rice; even Ghana
that is considered our archenemy on that front did not come close – You
could tell how stunned Richard Quest was from the look on his face that
night.
Remember when he suggested that one masquerade could create a
thousand jobs per week for Nigerian men, masquerades ooo. His advice to
graduates was to venture into the enterprise of dressing masquerades?
Kai.
Fact is, most Nigerians don’t count our ministers’
pronouncements as serious these days. Many see him as a clueless and
overly excited Minister who makes a lot of funny declarations without
due consultations. You won’t be wrong if you call him irrational, or if
you like, a bigmouth; you may also want to consider him a fabulist, or
if you are trying to be modest like me, just call him the King of
spoofs. Haha…a joke called minister.
Anyway, let’s leave the jokes to LIAR Mohammed and go back to the real issue here.
Shey una know say entertainment in Nigeria was not always this glamorous?
Once upon a time, hardly was any Nigerian song played in our
night clubs. Then, Nigerian songs rarely enjoyed quality air play – Some
persons laboured to change the status quo.
Once upon a time, Corporate Bodies budgeted fat cheques for
foreign artists while they rewarded indigenous artists with popcorn.
Foreign artists were treated as demigods while Nigerian entertainers no
matter how hardworking, no matter how successful were treated as
juveniles. Some people fought to eradicate this kinda disrespect to our
celebrities.
Even Nollywood has had its fair share. Remember when
multichoice came to Nigeria; NTA were leaking/selling indigenous
contents to multichoice without paying a dime to the producers –
somebody resisted that evil, and today the story is all shades of
colourful. Things have no doubt evolved, thanks to the creativity and
hardwork of a few good men.
Just recently, I learned that Nigerian entertainers are going
to be taxed and sanctioned for evasion. Well, in as much as I believe
paying taxes is our civic responsibility, the bunch of criminals in
government devising daily means to further strengthen their criminality
remains a great worry for me.
And I find it really petty for a serious government battling
with serious issues of national interest to begin to dictate where to
shoot videos and where to make movies. Our movies and music videos
should be a potpourri of dynamism, tourism, african and international
beauty, cultural heritage, aesthetic sensation, and ultimately, an
embodiment of seamless artistic expression. To achieve these details and
peculiarities, one cannot limit the production of what should be a
classic and enchanting artistic expression to a grossly looted and
underdeveloped state like Nigeria.
Abegii, let our government be reasonable joor. However, if they
want to tread that path, they should first withdraw their kids from
schools abroad, declare that no politician should go for medical
treatment abroad, bring our president back to Aso Rock, after all,
billions of Naira has been spent on the Abuja clinic – another national
fraud by the pack of criminals occupying positions of power. Ohh… They
should also make sure they provide uninterrupted power supply, fix our
bad roads and build monuments that would attract tourists across the
world. Because, patronizing made in Nigeria products must be a head to
bottom policy.
Nonetheless, our entertainers must see themselves as role
models. They wield the sword of public opinion. They must help in
reshaping the Nigerian society – just like hip-hop was used as a tool in
fighting the government in Senegal. Nigerians won’t forget the role of
Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Sonny Okosun, etc., in advocating for a better life
for the common man.
Entertainers must unanimously speak up. Not just now but
always. They’ve come for us, we must cut these charlatans to size, we
must not just defend our art, we must begin to use our platforms to
condemn all forms of insanity in our political corridors.
This is a call to service, we must rescue our nation from these
abusers, every entertainer must see himself as either chosen or called
to be evangelists of the much needed social reform. Entertainers must
begin to address societal ills especially through music, movies and arts
in general.
The revolution must begin from entertainers and we must kick
start the healing process by creating our ideal society through our
works. Our imaginations must revolve around the utopian possibilities.
This is to activate the indifferent, misguided and unconcerned
youth in our entertainment industry, let’s all stand up to wrestle our
nation back from these criminals. The time to act is now.
The labour of our heroes past shall not be in vain.
OUR MUMU DON DO."
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