Ejezie Rowland, National President, Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), says storylines of Nollywood movies are not responsible for the wave of crime in the country.
Rowland, who made the remark in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja, was reacting to a report quoting works and housing minister Babatunde Fashola as saying that the industry encourages rituals and kidnapping.
The report also quoted Fashola as blaming the movies for the rising wave of armed robbery and cultism.
The minister was quoted as making the remark at the 4th Annual Public Lecture/Symposium organised by the United Action for Change, which had the topic “Insecurity: Taking Action Against Organised Crime”.
Fashola’s accusations
Fashola called Nollywood movies the foundation for some of the country’s predicament; saying that their storylines always centered on rituals, kidnapping, robbery, occultism, and cultists.
He further alleged that some of the ills they portrayed in their movies had taken root in the subconscious of the citizenry and nurtured negativity.
The AGN President said that it would be unkind for anyone to blame Nollywood movies for the current wave of crime in the country.
“Such a statement is not based on logical fact and will not, in any way, affect the industry.
“Nollywood is not the cause of the ills that have bedeviled the country; some of the crises in the country have been there before the coming of Nollywood.
He alleged:
“Before Nollywood came into existence in the 1990s, the country had grappled with crime. Some of the country’s ills predated Nollywood.’’
He said that the minister should rather appreciate Nollywood for its contribution to the country; providing jobs for unemployed graduates.
Rowland said that Nollywood helps reduce unemployment rates in the country by engaging the would-be robbers.
The AGN president stressed that the last film his crew shot employed hundreds of people. Additionally, he said that such was the situation for other films that producers shot on a daily basis.
“For instance, in Asaba, about 20 films are going on at different locations. And in those locations, we have at least 300 people working for two or three weeks.
“Do you know how many prostitutes have changed from their line of businesses to Nollywood? Do you know how many `idle minds’ have changed from their dangerous thoughts because of Nollywood?
“Nollywood has proffered solutions to some of the vices bedeviling the country,” he said.
He also explained that during end credits, warnings are scrolled on the screen about the unhealthy practices of the things they had watched in the movie in real life.