A two-time Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and former High Commisioner to the Republic of Ghana, Senator Musiliu Olatunde Obanikoro has condemned the portrayal of the popular Eyo Masquerade in the movie, ‘Gangs of Lagos’, asking the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) to immediately ban the movie from all platforms.
In a statement released in Lagos, Obanikoro berated the producers of the movie for desecrating the highly -respected Eyo Masquerade which, stands out as a symbol of culture, value and tradition of Lagosians.
The statement reads in part ” … portraying the Eyo masquerades, in more than one scene in the movie, as a violent, gun-wielding and toting killer, is unacceptable, even on the platter of entertainment. More disdaining is the fact that the actors were kitted in the full regalia of the Eyo with their Aga depicting some conclaves’.
“As a true son of the soil, I make bold to say, without any gainsaying, that the Eyo Masquerade is very popular, the world over, for the right reasons. Therefore, if the type of image depicted in the movie is allowed to continue, it would not only lead to the violation of our culture and tradition, distort our history as a people but also depict Lagosians as being violent”.
The former Ambassador to the Republic of Ghana has therefore, in separate letters to the Minister for Information and Culture, and the Executive Director/ CEO of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) called on the board, to immediately, ban the viewing of the movie from the public, across all platforms.
Obanikoro concluded that as a people, Nigerians must value our cultures and portray them in the best lights possible.
