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.
