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.
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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