END-OF-YEAR CONTROVERIES: Nollywood, NFC in cold war over film commission bill

A cold war may well be on between the Nigerian
Film Corporation,NFC, and practitioners in the film
industry following a bill currently in the House of
Representatives seeking to transform the former
into the Nigerian Film Commission.
This is coming shortly after several indigenous
film makers and marketers converged on Lagos,
to condemn a current trend whereby Chinese and
Indian films are being re-voiced in Yoruba
language. The film makers posited that the act, if
not quickly curtailed, is not only capable of
eroding Nigeria’s indigenous culture but also, it
would constitute a threat to employment
generation which the film industry is noted for.
Meanwhile, on the face-off between the Nigerian
Film Corporation, and players in the movie
industry, the latter is kicking against the film
commission bill, on the ground that the regulatory
body did not carry the industry along.
It would be recalled that weeks back, HVP
exclusively reported that the NFC has sent a bill
to the House of Representatives, canvassing for
the establisment of a new Nigerian Film
Commission which will empower it to oversee the
activities in the movie industry.
According to the regulatory body, if the bill scale
through, it would swing into action to sanitize the
industry by ensuring that professionalism
becomes the top priority of the regulatory body.
However, a public hearing on the bill titled ‘An
Act to repeal the Nigerian Film Corporation Act,
CAP. N109, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria,
2004, and Re-Enact the Nigerian Film
Commission Act, 2016, to regulate the Film
Industry in Nigeria, and for other Related Matters,
2015 (HB.150’ was held at the National Assembly
Complex on December 6.
Dissatisfied with this move, heads of guilds in the
film industry held a press conference last week at
the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos,lamenting
the clandestine manner the NFC went about the
matter and called for a total review of clauses in
the draft bill.
According to the guilds, no industry player knew
about the existence of the bill which had already
been read twice because the NFC did not inform
them. They contended that the bill would have
been passed into law if some of their colleagues
had not stumbled on a notice of the public
hearing and mobilised to attend it.
President, Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN) Fred
Amata, who coordinated the event explained that
aside not being informed about the bill, its
clauses “are inimical to the growth and
development of the film industry in Nigeria. The
clauses of the bill are duplicating existing rules
and regulations of the film industry domiciled in
agencies like the Nigerian Broadcasting
Commission and the National Film and Video
Censors Board.”
Amata added that some of the clauses have been
adequately addressed in the Motion Picture
Council of Nigeria (MOPICON) draft bill which a
committee constituted by the Minister of
Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed
has comprehensively reviewed.
Ms. Peace Anyiam Osigwe, who chaired the
MOPICON draft review committee which
submitted the report to the Information Minister
three weeks ago, said that industry players are
not against the establishment of a film
commission but wondered how it would be
established and function without input from
practitioners who know where the shoe pinches.
“NFC boss, Dadu should have come to us with his
agenda; he would have ensured that it was in
unison with the direction the industry wanted to
go. We spent seven months reviewing the
MOPICON document, he hasn’t asked for a copy
of the review yet he’s regulating our industry. It’s
disrespectful to all associations and guilds not to
be informed about the bill. If you have not been
able to handle the NFC, how will you handle the
film commission,” she said.
Also, speaking in the same vein, veteran film
maker, Mahmood Ali-Balogun commended the
House Committee for given them the opportunity
to make input before passing the bill. He,
however, called on all players in the industry to
endeavour to be involved in reviewing of the bill.
According to Mr. Andy Amenechi, former president
of DGN, the establishment of Nigerian film
commission should due process. “It’s
unfortunate that a developmental agency like the
Nigerian Film Corporation has done nothing till
date to support the development of the industry
since Dadu assumed office as its Director-
General. The establishment of Nigerian film
commission should follow due process. I don’t
think anybody has problem with MOPICON bill
because it followed due process from inception.
But if things are done properly because we need
the support that will actually steer the industry to
a great height. We thanked the House Committee
for bringing the bill to the public domain. NFC
metamorphosing into a film commission without
taking contribution from the industry will not be
not possible as far as Nollywood is
concerned,” he said.
President, Association of Movie Producer,AMP,
Ralph Nwadike frowned at the inability of the NFC
boss to carry them along. “We made Nollywood,
not the Federal Government. I think it’s an insult;
an affront to the entire industry. You can’t come
to reap where you did not sow. I feel very
insulted and to think it has passed second
reading.”
For Norbert Ajaegbu of the Film and Video
Producers and Marketers Association, allowing
the NFC to have its way will be allowing
government take control of the film industry
through the back door. “There is no need for the
National Assembly to pass the bill; attention
should be given to the MOPICON Bill.”
Others who condemned the NFC’s action, at the
event were a representative of the Screen Writers
Guild of Nigeria, Chidi Nwokabia; Emeka Samuel
Aduah of the Marketers Association of Nigeria;
Fidelis Awata of the Association of Motion
Pictures and Entertainment Editors of Nigeria;
President, Association of Nollywood Core
Producers, Daisy Madu Chikwendu; founding
president of the DGN and the immediate past
president, Mathias Obahiagbon.