Guardian Nigeria
Veteran actor, writer and theatre director Bimbo Manuel has lent his voice to the debate on the new regulation by the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) seeking to prohibit the promotion and glamourisation of tobacco, narcotics, money rituals, and ritual killing in movies, skits and musical video.
Executive Director of the NFVCB, Dr. Shaibu Husseini, had announced the approval of a regulation on the control of the promotion of tobacco and other vices in movies, skits and music videos at a stakeholder’s engagement in Enugu.
Shaibu had noted that content creators with necessary smoking scenes that are required for historical accuracy, educational purposes and for correction of negative life style must place the required health warning at the beginning of the movie, during the course of the meeting and at the end of the movie adding that such a movie, skit and musical videos will be given appropriate classification.
The news of the existence of the regulation was greeted with uproar. While some content creators felt that the regulation could impact on creativity, others felt that the regulation was necessary to protect children and young people from harmful content. Veteran actor Bimbo Manuel is one motion picture practitioner who is in support of the regulation.
In widely circulated post on Whatsapp Manuel cautioned those against the regulation not to ‘create an unanticipated tornado. Manuel’s post which was circulated in form of a letter read in part: ‘firstly, I think careful, maybe even casual investigation may prove that this policy has always been on the book and is not a monstrous creation of Shaibu.
His announcement, in my view, was just to remind everyone. Secondly, to those who are daring government and her agencies, using uncouth language to describe the situation and those they perceive to be behind it, threatening fire and brimstone for its repeal, I dare say, they are either acting in mischief or sorry ignorance.”
He also wrote: “For many years now, activism from the UN, percolating down to the streets, societies across the world have frowned at smoking even at the peril of offending the powerful tobacco lobbies. It is the reason that irrespective of whatever personal rights you feel have been offended, you cannot smoke in an airport, you cannot smoke in a restaurant and other public places. Such has been the move against smoking worldwide. It is especially worrisome that we in such a mass media as film, television and radio will, protest the enforcement of the same laws, in total disregard for our main social responsibility to educate, inform and morally protect our society. The point of this long-winded monolog is to be clear that the smoking ban is NOT a Nigerian government or NFVCB decision. It is global.”
In surmising Bimbo wrote: “There are even laws totally banning the advertising of cigarettes and its adjunct products – on billboards, radio, TV, etc. When was the last time you saw one? Or has someone been deceived into thinking British-America Tobacco cannot afford the cost of ads? The action word in my view is: Glamourising the act! Interpret that, and you may find that there is actually nothing new that has been announced because even before now, the NFVCB and other agencies have always frowned at it in our movies. Let us not start a fight that will make us all seem uninformed, unconcerned about our primary audience and society at large. Ire o!”
