By Bolaji O. Akinyemi.
The change of leadership in the Country and its consequences on our social values is already being felt. A new direction for our entertainment and culture was rolled out at the Nigerian Bar Association in grand style.
The age-long song, “Bata re a dun ko ko ka….” sang with thrill by most of the lawyers in their primary school days in hope of becoming lawyers had lost its meaning!
Named, Habeeb Olalomi Ogungbile, a. k. a Portable, goes commonly with the name Habeeb Olawunmi, is not limited in controversy to many names and aliases!
The dramatic personality is no stranger to any what’s up Nigerians, what’s down guys need not bother about him. I sincerely wouldn’t have but for the NBA. Portable was one of Tinubu’s admired youth ambassadors who helped out during his electioneering campaign. Though he was no match for Davido in Osun State as the Governorship election will clearly show. And the clean sweep in Osun State Senatorial contest from 1 seat, to taking all available seats, speaks volumes!
Election is over, but based on the counsel of the President, the aggrieved parties are in court and as the trend suggests, all eyes are on the judiciary!
As for the psycological preparation of the public for what to expect from the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, wait till you read:
*”Mary Odili vs Mary* *Odili Before* *The Court* *Of The* *Public.””*
While waiting on the judiciary to do as their Lordships will please and agree to pronounce, we need to take a look at the restructuring project of Tinubu led Administration of our values and culture and its consequences of the future of our children!
A Yoruba adage says:
“lowe lowe ni a nlu ilu agidigbo, ologbon ni njo, awon omoran ni si mo idi re!”
The Agidigbo of this administration’s first sound, was made by RTD Gen Buba Marwa at the NDLEA Office when Azeez Fashola, a.k.a Naira Marley, was decorated as NDLEA Ambassador!
Marley will lead the Agency’s campaign at encouraging Nigerian youths and the general public to shun Drug Abuse and say a capital NO to the use of hemp, cannabis and all manner of illicit drugs! Not too much of noise greeted the choice of Marley. As the Yoruba will say, “a sese nmu eiye bo lapo, e ni dudu ni abi funfun”. Meaning, we are just bringing the bird out of the sack, you are asking whether it is black or white. Suggesting the need to be patient and wait for it. While we were waiting for it. The President announced his Advisory portfolios, one of which was Creative and Entertainment Economy.
Whao! I went to town heralding the dawn of a new era to our most potent field of potentials that has remained untapped. I didn’t stop at that. I got engaged with minds in the entertainment industry on how to add value to the new direction and we came up with something on Talent Economy, with the hope of partnering with the government on talent discovery, development and management. This has become the nation building project on our Outreach to North East Nigeria!
The recent inauguration of ministers and the vision of Mr President to see a new stream of economy that can capture the energetic Nigerian youths for jobs and reposition the entertainment sector for something really big got elevated and got a full ministry. Though there had been controversy about the after thought consideration of NYSC service of the Minister of this new innovation. What it means to a country that has taken the world over in entertainment was too big to allow public controversy to drown! Controversy or no controversy, the concept was worth giving a trial!
Nigerian Arts, call it Afro Music, is the fever the world is catching, the cruise on which music lovers are sailing from coast to coast!
Arenas around the world are being packed out, often forced to overflow. President Bola Tinubu’s eyes are not big for nothing; they saw the need to capture the industry for better management!
Our Art and Music have come a long way through the sheer push of the individual performer, practitioner manager and management company in the space with literally no structures of Government in place to help make policies and give directions to the industry!
With this innovative move of the new government, we can only imagine the tsunami the world is about to witness of our Arts and the contribution this is going to make to our National Revenue Generation!
A critic of Tinubu was of the opinion that the interest of the President in the Creative Industry is Entertainment Tax and how to have a slice of equitable earnings of the hard working Nigerians who are making Nigeria proud!
Come to think of it, she said, if we are to tax Davido’s new £500,000 diamond necklace, how much do you think our government will take off that? With Richard Mofe Damijo earning 6 million per film according to Google, Kanayo O. Kanayo 4 million, Genevieve Nnaji 4 million, Mercy Johnson and Funke Akindele 3.5 million on the average. Our boys; Wizkid, Davido and Burna boy are up on the scale of $200,000 for every International show, Tiwa Savage lead the girls with a rake in of $150,000 on the average! With Iyabo Ojo’s tax rating fixed on the average of 9 million per annum by the Lagos State Government, while she earns 200,000 naira per feature on the average. None consideration for how many films she does and her other earnings was the cause of her brouhaha with Sanwo-Olu led Administration.
I refused to consider the criticism. Truth is, our Talent Economy is showing prospects better than what our Oil Economy is looking like!
Should a President who never hid his intention to drag many people into the tax net, be blamed for fulfilling his promise?
Our President is an Accountant, Chattered or not, an Accountant is an Accountant, and they have one thing in common, they can see money even when you hide it. An Economist helps create wealth and makes money!
Bravo!, I said to our Accountant President and I wouldn’t let the newly elected President of Creative Designer Guild of Nigeria, CDGN-Nollywood rest. Concept was falling upon concept, followed by endless engagement with industry people.
Now that a video surfaced online of a lady the poster claimed was our new minister of Creative, Entertainment Economy and Culture.
My ordinary mind is confused by the make up, I don’t think she’s the face covered with a tick puff of smoke. You will agree with me that women hardly maintain their facial looks these days!
Their look is often at the mercy of their make-up artists. My church mind is finding it difficult to believe the puff of smoke was coming from the mouth of Cultural Ambassador and the national manager of our entertainment industry. The ability to control the smoke and make it form a covering upon her face was indeed creative but is that who we are? And is that what we want patterned for our youths, modelled and promoted for earnings?
I am still lost to what I should do next, go on to engage with her and her ministry in our design for the talent economy. With my adult mind struggling to accept her role model of positivity under the revealed circumstance.
She hasn’t even deemed it fit to come out to deny or admit the video in question!
Please, is there a restructuring of our culture in progress?
*Back to the philosopher of school na scam, Portable, the star boy and entertainment ambassador of the NBA? The long adorned pride of the Yoruba people of South West Nigeria is being edged out by the evolving street culture of school na scam street slogan and lifestyle of Lagos!
That’s the statement read from the body language of the NBA unbarred night, with ‘Portable’ without value for education as the cynosure of all eyes!
Portable appearance at NBA Conference could be a lesson to non-brand experts as I am still lost to the sense it makes. Anyway, it separated the real learned professionals from the crowd of the “learned”. Their walk out was the dignity of education and enlightenment combined!
The NBA spokesperson has said the artiste was invited by their key sponsor. Who, the sponsor is, should be our interest. I hope it is not the person you are thinking of?
A certificate doesn’t make a president, prophesy might suffice and they are already rolling in. “Nigeria will be better under Tinubu” another one said “Naira will soon trash Dollars under Tinubu, may be 3-1 like Asernal trashed Man-U!”
Naira Marley’s decoration as NDLEA Ambassador shows no big deal about drug anyway!
Addicts and Drug Lords can make great role models of a society once they are ready to turn logics on the head and turn coat their culture! Whether we are culturally at the precipice to fall or stand will be determined by our collective action!
Dr. Bolaji O Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder, Convener Apostolic Round Table, ART. Also the BOT Chairman Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA PVC-Naija.
bolajiakinyemi66@gmail.com
08033041236.
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