Nollywood is demonizing the Nigerian culture

Azuka Onwuka
Twitter: @BrandAzuka

Azuka Onwuka

~Punch Nigeria. Tuesday, October 31, 2017

The Nigerian film industry, popularly called Nollywood, has been a big source of pride since it officially took off in 1992 with the production of Living in Bondage. It has provided wealth, fame and prestige to Nigeria and thousands of Nigerians.

Ironically, right from Living in Bondage, producers of Nigerian movies have tended to cast the Nigerian traditional life as evil, as well as portraying Nigerians as people who make their money through the power of the occult and human sacrifice.

The reason Chinua Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God was to present a balanced view of the African life before the advent of the European colonialists, thereby puncturing the negative portrayal of Africa by Europe as barbarians. Achebe did not seek to glorify Africa; rather, he chose to present a society that was not irrational or lawless, even though it had its flaws.

Sadly, many Nollywood writers and producers have adopted the neo-colonial mindset in their films which focus on Nigerian traditional ways of life. For the sake of specificity, I will focus on Igbo culture in this discourse.

Anytime a Nigerian film focuses on an Igbo village as well as the city, there are some constant narratives: 1. The village is the home of poverty, while the city is the place of wealth and good life. 2. The village is the home of witches and wizards while the city is the home of good men and women. 3. The traditional religion in the village is evil but the Christian religion in the city is the good that always overcomes the darkness in the village. 4. The village is a lawless society where one man can seize the property of anybody, especially widows, with nobody stopping him except by divine intervention, while the city is the land of order.

It has become a joke passed around that once you see an actor like Pete Edochie or Chinwetalu Agu in a film set in a traditional Igbo community, a widow will be dealt with mercilessly. Her goats and chickens will be confiscated in broad daylight. She will be barred from farming on her husband’s lands. Sometimes, the terror is a king in an Igbo community that acts as he wishes, confiscating people’s property as well as daughters and wives, arresting people and even killing some.

One is forced to ask: In which fairy Igbo village do these things happen? If they were old events, in which fairy Igbo society did these things happen?

In the distant Igbo past, a girl could be pushed into a marriage with threats by her parents, but no girl could be forced into a marriage if she chose not to marry a particular man. During the marriage introduction, a girl was expected to visit the bridegroom’s home and spend at least four market days with the mother of the bridegroom, without any sexual relations with the bridegroom. This was the opportunity for her to be studied by the prospective groom’s family and for her to study the man’s family. If she returned and said she did not like the family or the man, the marriage would not proceed.

Trump’s musings about Nigeria

Written by Lasisi Olagunju
~Nigerian Tribune. Monday, August 8, 2016

When I said the November 8 election would be rigged, Obama said my statement was ridiculous. He is dumb. What does he know about election rigging. Has he heard of Nigeria before? I mean, that is one country that has a robust history of election infractions and I have taken my time to study how they do it. I had to, especially when I know they are Obama’s second cousins. You know Nigerians and Kenyans look alike. Look at them again. They are capable of anything. So, I read them and use them as template in assessing what guys may be planning here.

Obama said it was ridiculous, that he didn’t understand what I meant. I said so, he is dumb. If he doesn’t understand anything, why can’t he read? At least I spoke with Washington Post’s Rucker last week. Brilliant fellow — although all journalists are the same — they don’t like Trump — just look at the CNN — I call that one Clinton News Network. They hate Trump. They are haters. Every minute, it is Clinton positive and Trump negative. If I have my way, I would import a Nigerian military law that says jail for journalists who embarrass public figures. Or I simply close down their television stations and newspapers. Anyway, they are even dying. Twitter is killing them every minute. And I am the master there. I tweet away their lies. But they don’t know. What really do they know? They are too inebriated in their anti- Trump project to notice that it is getting dark in their world.

Yes. Obama should have read my Post interview. I exposed their rigging plans. Or, maybe, he is pretending. Anyway, whatever – I explained to the Post that the voter ID situation has turned out to be a very unfair development. I said we may have people vote 10 times. Listen to what I said: It’s inconceivable that you don’t have to show identification in order to vote or that that the identification doesn’t have to be somewhat foolproof. I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised if the election is rigged. There’s a lot of dirty pool played at the election, meaning the election is rigged. they’re fighting as hard as you can fight so that that they don’t have to show voter ID. So, what’s the purpose of that? How many times is a person going to vote during the day? If you don’t have voter ID .?.?. Multiple times. How about like 10 times. Why not? If you don’t have voter ID, you can just keep voting and voting and voting.

That is what I said in the Washington Post interview and a lot of haters think I don’t know what I am saying. Look, I said I have studied all scenarios. You want to know if I sent investigators to Nigeria as I claimed I did with Hawaii in April 2011? You remember that episode? They were jittery then because I was going to burst their birther lie. And why didn’t I? That is not a story for today. Was I in Nigeria? The Nigerians are fantastic people. In that country, if you have enough money, you can hijack any of their political parties and buy or shoot your way to power. It does not matter whether you gave or have any clue or not. Money and bullets do it in that country. Yes, I took the Republican Party from the bosses. But I didn’t shoot anyone. I didn’t steal it. I mean, I just took it. They were dumb. They are still dumb. I gave them enough notice.

Back to my Washington Post interview. I chose my words in that interview from the Nigerian political lexicon. Rigging; Multiple voting; Voter ID – they actually call that one PVC — Permanent Voter Card. Even Nigerians, crooked as Hillary, now give what they call PVC to voters and they pretend showing it at their elections. And, has that helped them? They still vote and vote and vote. And there is no standard – children vote there and no one complains — including the unfair media- since they do pre-election agreement with everyone on who should be made winner. Ridiculous. That is what I won’t take here. Imagine what I saw at the beginning of this business – in Louisiana and Colorado. The more votes I won in those states, the fewer the delegates. Crooks! I stopped them. As I told the Post, I am now accustomed to the world of politics and I will continue to run them off the stage. They ain’t seen nothing yet.

Sonny Okosuns' last interview unearthed!

Written by Frank Chike

~The SUN, Nigeria. Friday, June 3, 2016

Ozzidi exponent, Evangelist Francis Sonny Okosuns died on May 24, 2008 at the age of 64, but with a pain in his heart. It was the agony of a man betrayed and despised by those he considered to be his 'African brothers' and as a result had committed most of his time and musical works to their liberation.

Doing all he can to conceal the pains he was battling with that morning, as his health had begun to deteriorate, Okosuns still managed to reveal to this reporter, who was then gathering material for his biography, that the South Africans did not show any iota of appreciation to him after the end of apartheid in 1994 despite his huge contribution to their liberation struggle.

The Edo-born reggae turned-gospel musician was still waiting for an official invitation from the South African government when the cold hands of death snatched him away. It was vintage Okosuns in this exclusive but interesting encounter. Enjoy it.

Not long ago, while you were out of the country, the issue of United States of Africa under one leadership or president resurfaced at the African Union meeting. The Libyan strongman, Col. Muammar Gaddafi was the advocate. As a Pan Africanist, what is your opinion on this issue?

I think I started it after President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, I must say glory be to God for giving me the foresight. Remember many years back, I recorded a song on that which I titled 'Now or Never' and in the video I displayed a placard with a message, 'The United States of Africa' where I wore a military camouflage. I raised my hands like Col. Gaddafi always does, and everybody knew I was mimicking him, and the song was a hit. I think Col. Gaddafi watched the video and that's where he must have gotten the idea for the United States of Africa. It's very right to nurse the idea of United States of Africa, but it must be well planned and well organised so that one country would not dominate the other. I'm saying this because I have travelled all over Africa and I know how Nigerians are badly treated by people of other countries in the continent. They are very much afraid of us, may be because we are well ahead of them on our level of understanding and business consciousness, and I know many of these countries once they see our citizens at their airports or borders, they would begin to panic and do all sort of things to harass you.

Have you ever been treated shabbily in any Africa country?

Yes, of course. I remember during Namibia's independence in the '80s, I went there to perform and I saw a poster in their airport warning people to beware of Nigerians. When I saw it, I was disappointed because their president then and their freedom fighters lived here in Nigeria (Lagos) for many years when we were helping them to liberate their country. I mean Mr. Sam Nujoma, the same thing with South African President Thabo Mbeki. They were all here in Nigeria those days and I remember on one occasion when I performed before them here in Lagos, Mr. Sam Nujoma wept. Then he was not yet a president. In short, that poster at Namibia Airport till date is still a source of worry to me; because I don't know why the people we struggled to liberate could do such a thing to us.

4 amazing folktales told by the Igbos

Written by Ndem Nkem

~Vanguard, Nigeria: Ndem Nkem is travel/tech writer @Jovago. 

The eastern part of Nigeria largely occupied by the Ibo tribe, is rich in culture, customs and traditions and one of the tenets that has survived the rage of civilization and modernization is the art of storytelling. Interesting and educative folktales which have been passed down from generations to generations from the 'ancestors' are told to children in the bid to preserve the norms and culture of the tribe, imbibe good morals and instill the spirit of communal love amongst members of their society.

These Igbo folktales which paints colourful pictures of spiritual life and traditional aspirations are regarded as fictitious, incredible, mythical and totally removed from real life situations. However, with regards to their functionality, these folktales exhibit elements of truth that translate into realism.

Jovago.com, Africa's No.1 online hotel booking site offers 4 common traditional folktales you should seek to hear while visiting eastern Nigeria.

Obaledo

Usually accompanied with a song, this folktale tells of a young pretty girl who meets a great misfortune due to her defiance and decision to disobey her parents.

Set in a time when demons and spirits roamed around villages, the girl called "obaledo" was instructed by her parent before embarking on their trip, to remain within the confines of their home and eat just yam and snail when hungry. The parents asked that she roast the yam first before the snail, as the snail would eventually quench the fire. Unfortunately, the girl, being greedy and having a strong lust for meat, roasted the snail first and fire went off. Still hungry, she set out of her home, in disobedience to her parents, to get a matchstick from neighbors. On her way, she encounters a demon that steals her beauty and leaves her with his own ugliness.

The King's Drum

This story tells about a greedy tortoise who ends up trapping himself in his own greed. The tortoise, envious of a rich king who had a drum that would produce food and great wealth each time it was beaten, set a trap for the king's wife, and when she fell for it, he demanded the drum as his only compensation.

Ndigbo: Love notes from Arewa

Igbo Kwenu! I write to you today as an admirer of your wonderful race because, quite frankly, you guys are truly special. And when you say you are descendants of the Hebrew who are known as Jews today, I didn't have any doubts. There are certain historical similarities, both good and bad. 

I see that even one of your states, Abia, is mentioned in the bible. And like the biblical Israelites, you are found everywhere. And wherever you are, you don't ever forget "Mother Israel". Funny enough my romance with you great people started in faraway Wukari in present day Taraba state. My love for ofe unugbo, nsala, ofe owerri, abatcha, ugo soup, and all the other cuisine didn't start from the East where I hardly visited (I think I have only been to Enugu, Onitsha and Owerri). But growing up in lowly Wukari in the 70s and 80s, I developed a love for the music of Morocco Maduka, Sir Warrior and Oliver de coque. Not forgetting the legend Osadebe and Kabaka. 

It was in Wukari too that I noticed your industriousness: you were our bakers, restaurateurs, chemists, transporters, traders, fancy shops owners, photographers, mechanics, barbers and just about everything else. You were my teachers and doctors as a child in both St Mary Primary School and Marmara Government Secondary School- all in Wukari. As a catholic, you were my catechists and priests. And I grew up with you people as neighbours: the late Baba Ikwaegwu, father of Chinasa and Okechukwu, my classmate and friend Charles (who has now relocated to the East). Charles had to relocate after his clothing shop was razed down in one of the episodes of the constant ethno-religious clashes of that town. A broken hearted man, Charles left the town he had come to know as home and where he has grown up as a brother to people like Mandy and Ternenge Justin. Charles speaks unimpeachable Hausa, Jukun and Tiv. I pray that Charles would someday return to Wukari.

If proof was ever required, then this is one: Architecture is destiny

MANY years ago, we were members of a seminar class led by Dr. Uter Gide, a French professor. He was teaching us Things Fall Apart, written by Professor Chinua Achebe. Before then we had considered ourselves some kind of authorities on the works of Achebe. And now the French professor gave us a shellshock, something we escaped from in Biafra. It came in the form of a question: Why is Things Fall Apartso successful, such a global hit?

Of course, there was no shortage of suggestions. And there were nearly as many as there were attentive seminar students. But for the French professor, it was in the architecture. Achebe's genius, to quote him, was his uncanny sense of the deployment of (s)pace and movement. So, Things Fall Apart supplies you the illusion it is a pond, a series of ponds. 

Yet on stepping in you feel it is a great flowing river, leading you away to the untapped, and deepest of oceans. In a sense, it reads like a group of themed short stories and also an integral novel. Within this dichotomy, you can mine a universe he held. Genius, the professor continued, was in created differences, potential differences, pressed to yield their treasures. This is the internal secret and logic ofThings Fall Apart. This is the point at which that great work of Achebe falls together, he concluded, with a wry, an all-knowing smile, only the French can forge.

Of course, Things Fall Apart was not the only subject on the curriculum. The French professor also taught us about Feudal Societyby Professor Marc Bloch. Generally, it is held that Feudal Society is one of the half a dozen greatest historical works since Thucydides completed his masterpiece.

What is impossible to imagine is how Professor Bloch managed an unbelievable super abundance, an ocean-load of data, philosophy, literatures, insights and more into a mere volume. The miracle again, said the professor, was in architecture.

Genevieve, Psquare, Don Jazzy, others make Most Influential Igbo Personalities' list

Culled Vanguard, Nigeria

Genevieve Nnaji

TOP Nigeria's entertainers including Genevieve Nnaji, P-square and Don Jazzy have exclusively made the list of Most Influential Igbo Personalities, otherwise known as MIIP among other wave making celebrities of Igbo extraction who are in the showbiz industry.

The MIIIP book, in its 2014-2018 editions released early this year which encompasses Nigeria's leaders, entrepreneurs, academics and other public figures listed Nollywood actress, Genevieve Nnaji, music stars, P-square, Don Jazzy and Phyno on its entertainer's category.

It includes the likes of Nkem Owoh, KCee, Flavour, Jim Iyke, Okey Bakassi, Naeto C, D'Prince, Patience Ozokwor, Charles Awurum, John Okafor, Stephanie Okereke-Idahosa, Rita Dominic, Chinedu Ikedieze, Osita Iheme, Saint Obi, Frank Edwards, J Martins, Basketmouth, Uche Ogbuagu, Ugo Stevenson, Amayo Uzo Philips, Crystal Jane Cosmas (CJ Mama), Andy Ike alongside others standing side-by-side in the book.

Explaining how they made it to the book, showbiz critic and publisher of Day-Light online newspaper, Azuh Amatus described them as prominent contributors of what the showbiz industry has become since its kick-off. "The Igbo region is currently referred to as the entertainment capital of Nigeria. However, the success recorded in the Nigerian entertainment industry today was highly contributed by Igbo citizens; the industry wouldn't have been complete without their immense contributions, giant strides and commitment. This is one of the reasons this book should be commended.

"In all spheres of human endeavours, they have touched the nation and those of them in the entertainment industry should be lauded and appreciated, therefore I strongly believe that this book represents what they have done and will continue to do for Igbo tribe and Nigeria in general," he noted.

The Yorubas

Written by Patrick Dele Cole 

Dr. Cole, a former ambassador, wrote from Lagos.

THE Yoruba town of Ibadan is largest native market in Africa. The Yorubas engage in the business of planting and trading in Cocoa, Palm produce, timber, rubber, and kola nuts, apart from their normal food crops. They are good businessmen and women, some of whom dealt in timber, cocoa, kola nuts, trading from Lagos to Bathurst (now Banjul), in The Gambia, and South Congo; whist the Ijebus, Ijesha and the Oyo speaking Yorubas deal in general merchandise.

They have high entrepreneurial ability; and they are also the leaders in the professions, such as Law, Insurance, Banking, Medicine, Accountancy, Architecture, Engineering, etc. The Yorubas are in International Businesses - Ogunlesi, Doherty, Odutola, Bank - Anthony, Harry Akande, Adenuga, Otudeko etc.

They again equally excel in Arts and Drama. Wole Soyinka, Bobby Benson, Victor Olaiya, Hubert Ogunde, Ojo Ladipo, Titiola, Dapo Adelugba, Ola Rotimi, to mention just a few, are of the Yoruba stock. They were also front runners in the News and Entertainment Media in Nigeria. Examples abound in the Publications of the Akede Eko, Daily Times, Punch, Nigerian Tribune, Daily Sketch, etc.; whilst the Western Nigerian Television (WNTV) was the first Television Service in Africa;, which was supplemented by the Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service (WNBS), with the Radio Service.

They are, yet again, trend setters in fashion; and are well ahead in Education; having started with Free Primary Education in 1955 under Western Region Government of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, which gave them an edge as regards mass education, thereby creating a gap between Yorubas and the rest of Nigeria, that is still yet to be bridged.

The Ph.Ds of Ekitis are well known, and they far outstrip other Nigerian groups in higher education, and their rate of female education far outstrips the respective rates of the other groups, particularly at that tertiary level.

Biafra War was the reason I was born – Oscar-nominated British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor

LAGOS (AFP)

For Oscar-nominated British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, starring in a film about Nigeria’s civil war was “incredibly personal”, as the conflict both affected close relatives and determined the country where he was born.

His own grandfather had lived through the nightmare played out in “Half of a Yellow Sun”, which premiers in Nigeria on Friday, and spent long hours years later recounting the painful memories to Ejiofor.

While the actor won his Academy Award nomination for “12 Years a Slave”, 2014′s Best Picture winner, he said he felt particular “connective tissue” with the lead character in the Nigerian war film.

The movie — now showing in Britain and Australia and opening soon in the US and other countries — is based on the best-selling novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie about the 1967-1970 Biafra War, which began after the eastern region tried to secede from newly independent Nigeria.

“The Biafra War was a seminal part of my upbringing and my family history,” said Ejiofor, 36, the first black actor from Britain nominated for a Best Actor Oscar.

“In fact, I would say that the Biafra War was the reason I was born in London and not in Nigeria,” he told journalists in Lagos earlier this month.

All Igbo Music Awards

Written by CHUKS OLUIGBO

By the time the All Igbo Music Awards (a.k.a. Ekwe Awards) eventually manages to pull through on December 26 it would have become clearer how difficult it is to organise an event that celebrates Igbo arts and culture. That difficulty would further accentuate the point being made in certain quarters that the Igbo of South-eastern Nigeria, a people blessed with rich tradition and cultural heritage, do not appreciate what they have.

Barely a few years ago, based on its assessment of the state of the Igbo language, United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) had projected that the language would go extinct by 2025. This was against the backdrop that the language is hardly spoken by its owners, the Igbo, who prefer to bring up their children using English language. That was a wake-up call, and to ensure that this projection does not come true, there have been efforts in many circles to preserve and promote Igbo language. These include 'Otu Suwakwa Igbo', founded by Pita Ejiofo, former vice chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; The Odenigbo Lecture Series, instituted by Anthony J. V. Obinna, Catholic Archbishop of Owerri, among others. Ekwe Awards, if it succeeds, would join that group as it hopes to become an effective means of encouraging the Igbo people to hold on to their cultural heritage, of which language is an important part.

But it has been a long, tortuous road - from the conception, in 2009, of the idea that has eventually morphed into Ekwe Awards. That was when Ugo Stevenson, the initiator of the awards, first thought of how to celebrate the best of Igbo music. That thought birthed what he tagged BOMA (Bongo Music Award) 2010.

"We have Bongo music today, and it has gained wide acceptance all over the world, then we should go ahead and celebrate it. So, Bongo Music Award is instituted for the future. If we can say that Bob Marley is the king of reggae and Michael Jackson king of pop, then we should be able to give the world a king of Bongo music," he added.

Speaking then, Stevenson also said BOMA was a platform which he considered as a necessary tool to encourage and celebrate Igbo musicians. "Bongo music has been on for the past 60 to 70 years, but nobody had thought of giving it a brand. People just play it, make some money, and that is the end. They are not noted, mentioned or credited in any Nigerian music event. There is no Bongo category in any national music event in this country," he said.