The legislators have started what Nollywood must finish – Top filmmaker, Tarila Thompson
I have just read from Daylight news, a reputable on-line daily publication, about the castigation of one of Africa’s leading creative industries, Nollywood, wrongly credited as the influencer or curators of ritual killings.
Well let’s just say they have started what we should finish. There’s apparently been a legislative lacuna on the Nigerian social industry since independence. The nation may have seemingly been liberated from colonialism but 100% of the social and entertainment industry practitioners have been subjected to legislations of ignominy.
Former president, chief Olusegun Obasanjo while as a military head of state, in the late seventies, said wittily in a public function that musicians and actors are glorified beggars who whilst on performance gets coins thrown at just like beggars.
And till date, the average politician is still reasons on the same mind set.
How unfortunate, because the Nigerian creative industry has since from the 1950ies till date stamped it’s authority as a thriving industry
Without the benefits of good legislative or financial support from neither the government nor the corporate industry , and till date the Nigerian banks have classified Nollywood as a high risk industry therefore would have any practitioner benefit loan fascility succinctly. The entertainment industry have since surpassed many spoon-fed and well funded institutions and agencies. Starting from our iconic film makers of the fifties, Hubert Ogunde, Baba Sala, Chief Eddy Ugbomah, Fela Kuti, Rex Lawson, Sunny Ade Osadebe Osita to present day evolution.. Our artists are now global celebrities from Grammy award winner Burna boy Wizkid , Davido, Ramseyy Noah, Genevieve, Omotola etal.
Our film industry now baptized as Nollywood has singlehandedly sustained Nigerians by providing employment and entertainment at the same time, while stimulating the nation’s GDP.
Former president Good luck Ebele Jonathan while hosting a delegation from the entertainment industry told them some time in 2014 narrated how on a recent trip to a southern African nation his host were asking after Nigerian film stars, mama G, Pete Edochie, Ramsey and Omotola. This experience according to him justified the biblical saying that, “a prophet is with no honour in his own land” .
Now it’s gotten to the point where bunch of uninformed, inexperienced and half baked legislators will take advantage of our docile intellectualism ,
That’s why I captioned this piece, ” Legislators starting what Nollywood must finish”
The entertainment industry has done nothing but project our cultural values and traditions to the world. And it still remains the most effective means of instilling moral values to the society. Agreed some polluted minds regardless of age will take a certain parts of our interpretations to suit their warped intentions, this has absolutely nothing to do with Nollywood. These stories always end with plots of punishment for evil, or crime not paying. And these ritual stories are just a minor fraction of others, such decimates as love and family values,
Millions have been positively impacted by this industry but how would those particular legislators know of it. That’s why entertainment practitioners as a body must send representatives armed with well articulated documents to protect and promote the industry’s economic values and intellectual
capacity.
Tarila Thompson. DGN
