Posted by By Charles Ozoemena on
President Olusegun Obasanjo has opened talks with members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) on the construction of a film village in Cross River State challenging them to espouse the positive values of the country in their acting profession.
ABUJA - President Olusegun Obasanjo has opened talks with members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) on the construction of a film village in Cross River State challenging them to espouse the positive values of the country in their acting profession.
The president who met theexecutive members of the guild yesterday at the State House Abuja asked them to be patriotic when doing their jobs and always potray the fact that good indeed triumphs over evil.
'In your acting, film production and all that, let Nigeria be reflected. I have said it before, maybe, just the Nigerian flag at the corner of the table somewhere so that people will know that it is Nigeria.
'Of course, something reminiscent of Nigeria. You know how to do it. Your acting has a way of remaining consciously or unconsciously in the mind of the people. And I want to beg of you that we should do this thing in a way that there are lessons to learn and the lesson about our value or values.
'Somebody asked why do all Nigerian films end in quarrel, vodoo and all that . That is not the issue. The issue is that there is a lesson to it. That is the triumph of good against evil. That must be included. That there is power of good in our society, in our community, in our culture and in our way of life. Make this an issue. The triumph of patriotism and nationalism." he added.
He said that government was interested in locating the Film Village in the state government's TINAPA Village in Cross River state arguing that having a Film Village would ensure that films produced in Nigeria are of the highest quality.
Obviously elated by the meteoric growth of Nigeria's film industry occupying the third largest and best in the World the president expressed confidence that Nigeria's Nolywood was capable of rising to the 2nd position.
According to him 'what we are trying to do is that we are thinking of a Film Village. The Governor of Cross Rivers State has this project called Tinapa which is a fantastic idea. I think that you should be involved in the planning. We have been talking about this issue, so when we get to the stage where we want you , we can invite you,. We have not conceptualised it yet. Very soon, we shall be inviting you purely for that purpose. Let me tell you that I appreciate you and the work that you are doing. I saw the other day that East Africa wanted to start making films. We must not allow anybody to beat us to this exercise here in Africa. Although we are in the Third position now, we should move to the second position and that is really my purpose of saying that we should have a Film Village".
Following plans by the Guild to organize a 'Unity Concert" in Abuja in September President Obasanjo advised the actors to liaise with the relevant authorities towards hosting the concert from September 26 to 28 in Abuja to mark Nigeria's independence at the Presidential Banquet Hall.
In his remarks, the National President of the Guild of Actors, Ejike Asiegbu, praised President Obasanjo on the reform agenda of his administration and the debt relief he secured from the Paris Club of Creditors.