Oh Dear! Charly Boy Drags FG, Blasts Lai Mohammed As He Reacts To Foreign Video Ban

According to Area Fada:
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.