Ghana marketers meet Nigerian movie marketers to express their dissatisfaction over the alleged ban of their movies from the Nigerian market. - why won't it be banned when almost all their films are full of nudity and sex scenes, how would that bring value and improve the society...onpe ko to ban e..mmmssscheeww on to the next post joor

 

Members of the Film Distributors Association of Ghana on Thursday paid Nigerian movie marketers a  visit at their Surulere, Lagos office, to express their dissatisfaction over the alleged ban of their movies from the Nigerian market.

The Ghanaian delegates led by the Chief Executive Officer of A.A productions Limited, Ghana, Mr. Mustapha Adams, said their mission was to confirm what they termed a ‘rumour’. Adams added that they also came to seek ways of fostering a better relationship for the distribution of works from Nollywood and Ghollywood.

About a few months back, the media and the movie scene were agog with the news that Nigerian movie marketers had banned Ghanaian films.

The marketers under the auspices of Film, Video Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria, also allegedly threatened to storm Ghana, to confront local television stations that are showing Nigerian films without obtaining permission from the rights owners.

Responding to their guests, the Chairman of FVPMAN’s Lagos chapter, Mr. Norbert Ajaegbu, said the ‘rumours’ were true as the decision to ban Ghanaian movies was without prejudice, but rather, an effort to streamline the distribution of movies in Nigeria.

Ajaegbu added that the move became necessary when it was discovered that Nigeria was becoming a dumping ground for second-rate movies with nude content.

He said, “What informed this decision is that what our people refer to as ‘Ghanaian film’ has become more like a nuisance to our system here. The trait is like people moving to Ghana, bringing a film that has been sold and forgotten in Ghana and distributing it in other parts of the world where it is possible, including United States before dumping it in Nigeria.

“They buy these films for as cheap as N250, 000 and when they get here they cut the picture of a star that will make it sell. At a point, we realised that if 30 movies are coming out in a month in Nigeria, 24 of them will be Ghanaian films and without proper approval. We have the National Film and Video Censors Board here that should approve any film going into the market but some marketers smuggle these films in. We have endured this to this point.”

Ajaegbu said the decision to ban Ghana movies also became necessary because the films constitute “a total abuse of the market”. He noted that the marketers have constantly had issues with government agencies over nudity in such movies, almost leading to a “collapse of the distribution channel.”

Movie marketer, Rob Eze, popularly known as Remmy Jes, said the two movie industries have always had a peaceful coexistence but the morally bankrupt movies that were flooding the Nigerian market were impacting negatively on the industry.

The Ghanaian marketers, who also took their turns to express their feelings over the development, stated that no serious filmmaker would want to make a mess of his job and implored the Nigerian marketers to screen the content of every movie before letting it out to the public.

Among the decisions reached at the meeting were: Nigeria will no longer accept influx of Ghana films not approved by the NFVCB; any foreign film being released in the country must follow proper channels, compete under the market forces and in total regard of all existing municipal laws.

It was also resolved that possible areas of collaboration should be worked out for further talks between the two sides.