The Honourable Commissioner representing Lagos State in the Federal Character Commision, Honourable AbdulWasiu Kayode Bawa-Allah has described the portrayal of the Eyo Masquerade in the newly released movie, Gangs of Lagos, as a distortion of the ethos, norms and values of the Eyo Masquerade.
Bawa-Allah, who himself is a descendant of the Orisa Adimu christened (Babanla mila) condemned the movie for not only distorting the rich and enviable culture of Lagos indigenes but also portraying the Eyo Masquerades as criminally and violently inclined.
In a statement signed by the Federal Commissioner, he explained that ‘there are many rites, rituals, protocols and other activities necessary before the Eyo Masquerade is presented to the public during specific festivities. These did not reflect in the movie but rather, the Eyo Masquerades were represented as terrorists, killers, and assailants. This is not what the Eyo stands for.
While not discouraging the use of movies to project and promote our culture, the APC chieftain stated further that ‘if the producers of the movie must use the Eyo at all, they should have researched adequately and effectively into the history, norms, etiquette, ethos, hierarchy and underlying significance and differences between the various clans of the Eyo (those with Masquerades and that without Masquerade), thereby replicating same in the movie’.
He therefore joined many other individuals and groups calling for the placement of a ban on the movie while urging movie producers to engage in positive thinking and mindsets when conceiving ideas for movies, adding that most developed countries (an example of the United States of America ) use the movie industry to project their beliefs, people and government to the international community.
