Between the Kano Censorship Board and Kannywood
Mallam Abubakar Rabo Abdulkareem, Director-General, Kano State Censorship Board, is many thing to many people. He will be regarded as the most hated man in the Northern Nigerian Movie Industry, popularly known as Kannywood. Recently, in what is viewed as the immoral attitude of some film makers in the Kano film industry, since the release of a video clip, sometimes in 2007 showing one actress in an orgy, the Kano State introduced tougher measures to stop this unruly behaviour of these Indianised Hausas.
Kano State Government is very late, because the damage has already been done and that is even the reason why the film makers and their supporters are bold enough to challenge the legality of what the Censorship Board is doing. To my surprise even respected writers are of the opinion that these people should be allowed to continue the destruction of our inherent religious and cultural values. So many things were written and said about Mallam Rabo that I thought by now something evil might have strike this gentleman, but firm and determined he marched on and to my pleasure he did not flinch a bit.
Their argument was that Mallam Rabo is a person who does not respect literature and he is killing creativity through his actions. I wonder what creativity was there in the kinds of pamphlets we see that flood market in Northern Nigeria, written in poor Hausa that myself, who learned Hausa in primary school is offended by the kind of language used. For goodness sake can you compare these so-called literatures with books like Magana Jari ce, Kitsen Rogo, Shehu Umar or love novels like Soyayya Gamon Jini, So Aljannar Duniya, Inda So Da Kauna? What literature are we talking about? Continue the good work Mallam Rabo, we are behind you. If I have the opportunity, all these so-called film makers and writers will be behind bars for the rest of their lives.
Some writers have even gone further, with active connivance from some journalists, within and outside Nigeria to attack the personality of the Kano State Governor and some respected ulema from the state. They likened the arrest of Dan Ibro, Iyan Tama and other film actors as trampling on fundamental human rights, freedom and liberty of ordinary citizens. Dan Ibro and all those arrested for that matter are not ordinary citizens, they are role models, there actions or inactions affect the very people that gave Mallam Shekarau the mandate to protect their lives, property, social, moral and religious values. I don’t condone any form of immorality no matter small, and blackmail, intimidation and outright lies cannot deter Mallam Shekarau or Rabo from performing what they believe is good for the society. And Mallam Rabo himself said this in an interview with journalists recently. From his words I believe Mallam Rabo is sincere and doing what he is doing for the good of his society.
Do the film makers and their fans ever pause to think of the damage these so-called movies and literature have done to our already disorganised and morally bankrupt society? How can a learned Bahaushe support the publication of these literatures and or promote the kinds of film produced by these people? I wonder. The Kano State government is very right to put a stop to this. The law that prohibits indecency, immorality, close dancing between men and women is very clear, thus, ‘Any person who... publicly exhibits any indecent stage show or performance, play or any show or performance tending to corrupt public morals, is guilty of an offence and is liable to imprisonment for 3 months or to a fine or to both such imprisonment and fine.’ The Hausa film makers, directors and producers are very much aware of this prohibition, but the other day I heard one of them talking on Supreme FM that they have to do some of these things because according to them that is the only way they can attract market and their viewers like it.
In essence what these people are telling us is that, since they can earn money through the destruction of our moral and religious values to hell with anybody who feels the future of his offspring is threatened. This is not fair and the government of Kano State and its energetic Kano State Censorship Board DG intervention is commendable, may Allah reward them abundantly.
But we have to admit that this upsurge of film making business is a failure of our governments at all levels to provide the citizenry with a decent means of livelihood. Nigerians are left on their own to fend for themselves. That is what our brand of capitalism brought to us; our people are daily invited to partake in lotto, ‘who want to be a millionaire’ ‘treasure hunt’ ‘free recharge cards’ etc. our graduates are left roaming the streets, beggars and street children/almajiris in every motor park and streets of our major cities, the airtime in our television and radio are filled with messages aimed at luring youth to partake in dancing or music competition. Are we sure with this kind of attitude Nigeria can be one of the leading industrious countries of the world by 2020?
What the Hausa film did and is still doing is to divert the attention of our younger ones from their real problems. Go to any city or village in Northern Nigeria and ask them what are they aspiring to become in the future, they would all tell you Ali Nuhu or Sani Danja. To them that are the highest one can attain in life, that is, to become a movie star. On the other hand, ladies are the worst affected because instead of directing their energies to what will benefit them, you find them engrossed by these films. Believing in every scene they watched – the actors speak their language, what the Hollywood and Bollywood failed to achieve in over thirty years has been easily achieved in few days.
Kabiru Danladi,
Lawanti Village,
KM25 Along Gombe-Bauchi Road,
Akko LGA, Gombe State
kblondon2003@yahoo.com
080854546764,08035150369