In an open letter from rapper, Michael Ugochukwu Stephens,
popularly known as Ruggedman to the minister of information, Alhaji
Lai Mohammed, the minister is being confronted and told not to
bully his way into the Nigerian entertainment industry which he did
not help to build.
The entertainer and UN peace ambassador expressed his distaste
towards Federal Government’s plan to ban entertainers from shooting
movies and music videos abroad.
He said it was hypocritical for a ban to be placed on
entertainers shooting videos abroad while government officials
still go abroad for medical treatment and vacations.
He said “if you want entertainers to stop going abroad to shoot
music videos and movies, then government officials should stop
going abroad for hospitals, vacations and schools. We can use all
those billions spent in funding foreign economies to equip our
schools, hospitals and other parastatals”
He urged Lai Mohammed to shelve the talk of banning entertainers
working abroad and help in developing the structure of the
industry.
He ended the letter by asking Lai Mohammed to work hand in hand
with entertainers to grow and capitalise on the Nigerian Creative
industry that has managed to boom without any government
policy.
Read full letter below
OPEN LETTER TO THE MINISTER FOR INFORMATION
Sir,
You can not privatise what you do not own or have control
over.
Meet with real Nigerian entertainment stake holders and not
people who have milked our entertainers with their platforms. Meet
with the real stakeholders and discuss the way forward. Discuss how
the Federal government can get involved with the Nigerian creative
industry the right way.
It is wrong to try to bully your way into the Nigerian
entertainment industry you did nothing to help build.
It is absurd to say you will ban entertainers from shooting
music videos or movies abroad. Your reason being that we go there
to enrich their economy with Nigerias money.
Not while government officials have their children schooling
abroad.
Not while government officials all go abroad for medical
treatment and vacations .
Not while government officials continue to import
bullet proof cars that are not made in Nigeria.
All these amount to billions of Nigeria’s money being spent
abroad.
IF YOU WANT ENTERTAINERS TO STOP GOING ABROAD TO SHOOT MUSIC
VIDEOS AND MOVIES, THEN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SHOULD STOP GOING
ABROAD FOR HOSPITALS,VACATIONS AND SCHOOLS.
WE CAN USE ALL THOSE BILLIONS SPENT IN FUNDING FOREIGN ECONOMIES
TO EQUIP OUR SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS AND OTHER PARASTATALS.
They are our leaders and so have to lead by example
Trying to ban private owned businesses (entertainers) from doing
part of their business abroad will go against the democracy your
party preaches.
THINGS YOU NEED TO DO:
- First of all, shelve the talk of banning entertainers working
abroad. It is not what the creative industry needs from the
government and it is a terrible look for you. Nobody likes a
bully.
- .NO STRUCTURE MEANS NO ALTERNATIVE:
Since we do not have a proper structure yet, put a hold on your
$1m venture capital for the creative industry.
You say the money is seed money for young and talented Nigerians
to set up businesses in the industry. How do you know the young and
talented ones if you do not work with the registered Music and
Movie bodies?
You will only be enriching a few and wasting money our country
needs.
So you need to help the existing Music and Movie unions set up a
proper structure that can be monitored before you talk about giving
money out.
Money is needed, but a structure is needed more urgently.
- PMAN AND AGN VISITED YOU
I for one know that The President of the Performing
Musicians Employers Association of
Nigeria (PMAN ) Mr Pretty
Okafor and the President of the Actors Guild Of
Nigeria ( AGN ) Mr Emeka Ike along with a few
executives met with you in Abuja and discussed a beautiful plan to
put a proper structure in place for Nigeria’s creative
industry.
One of the plans that was discussed with you was a conference
tagged “Creative Industry Summit” and I see you were involved in a
similar event recently tagged “Creative Industry Financing
conference”.
We are surprised that nobody from the movie or music industry
was present to speak at a conference for the ‘’CREATIVE
INDUSTRY’’.
Sir, the stakeholders who spoke ath the just concluded Creative
Industry Financing conference are not Nigerian veteran musicians or
Nigerian record label owners. Neither are they from the Nigerian
movie industry.
- DISCUSS WITH ENTERTAINMENT STAKEHOLDERS 1ST,
BEFORE BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS.
We did not see the likes of Kenny Ogungbe “Kennis Music” , Tade
Ogidan, Obi Asika “Storm Records”, Tunde Kilani, or Eldee “Trybe
Records”.
These are some of the people who suffered and played great parts
in building our Nigerian music and movie industry.
But the men at the Creative Industry Financing conferenceare you
were part of are individuals who schooled “abroad” and own
platforms that have made and are still making money using Nigerian
entertainment.
But most of the artists whose works they deal in do not have
half the money these men have made with our interlectual
properties.
Sir, these intelligent businessmen can be in an advisory board
to help build a structure to enrich both the owners of the
intellectual properties and the Nigerian economy.
- Revisit the plans the new PMAN president Pretty Okafor
discussed with you when he and some executives met with you in
Abuja some months back. Plans which involve setting up a proper
structure to encode and barcode all intellectual materials by
Nigerians.
WE NEED POLICIES TO
- GET RADIO AND TV STATIONS TO PAY ARTISTS
ROYALTY:
For eons, Nigerian radio and television stations have amassed
billions of Nigeria from using Nigerian artists hard work without
paying the artists. This is where you can come in and set up a
policy that will make sure they start paying artists whose work
they use.
They already make a lot of money from adverts placed by
companies.
Sir, this move will be a ground breaking one in the Nigerian
entertainment industry and it will be to your credit.
- STOP TELECOM COMPANIES TAKING 70% OF ARTISTS
MONEY:
Sit quietly with REAL Nigerian entertainment stakeholders and
discuss the way forward. Not with individuals who have milked
entertainers through their platforms for their personal gains.
Especially the TELCOS.
TELCOS sell our songs/ringtones and take 70% while the owner of
the work gets to share 30% with a content provider. IF
YOU ARE TO BAN ANYBODY, IT IS THE TELCOS WHO DO THIS.
7. CURB
PIRACY:
Follow the guidelines to curb piracy that the PMAN President
Pretty Okafor introduced to you. Which included, setting up a task
force empowered to deal with people found dealing in pirated
entertainment materials.
PMAN is the recognised parent body for Nigerian Music, just as
The AGN is to the Nigerian movie industry.
Both Presidents are veterans in their fields and are also
businessmen. So sir, they undertand both worlds.
I am an entertainer and I know a lot of what we lack and what we
need. Placing a ban on Nigerian entertainers going abroad to shoot
music videos and movies is the last thing we need from our
government.
Helping our creative industry to build a much needed structure,
thereby creating a conducive environment for both local and foreign
investors to do business is what is needed.
Lets work together to further grow and capitalize on a Nigerian
creative industry that has managed to boom without any government
policy..
Let the government make policies that will protect and expand
our creative industry to benefit the entertainers and the Nigerian
economy.
But it can not be achieved by brute force.
Or sir, you do not want them to come to Nigeria to shoot parts
of Furious 9?
Sincerely yours
Ruggedman
CHAIRMAN MEDIA PMAN
{ PERFORMING MUSICIANS EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA}
In an open letter from rapper, Michael Ugochukwu Stephens,
popularly known as Ruggedman to the minister of information, Alhaji
Lai Mohammed, the minister is being confronted and told not to
bully his way into the Nigerian entertainment industry which he did
not help to build.
The entertainer and UN peace ambassador expressed his distaste
towards Federal Government’s plan to ban entertainers from shooting
movies and music videos abroad.
He said it was hypocritical for a ban to be placed on
entertainers shooting videos abroad while government officials
still go abroad for medical treatment and vacations.
He said “if you want entertainers to stop going abroad to shoot
music videos and movies, then government officials should stop
going abroad for hospitals, vacations and schools. We can use all
those billions spent in funding foreign economies to equip our
schools, hospitals and other parastatals”
He urged Lai Mohammed to shelve the talk of banning entertainers
working abroad and help in developing the structure of the
industry.
He ended the letter by asking Lai Mohammed to work hand in hand
with entertainers to grow and capitalise on the Nigerian Creative
industry that has managed to boom without any government
policy.
Read full letter below
OPEN LETTER TO THE MINISTER FOR INFORMATION
Sir,
You can not privatise what you do not own or have control
over.
Meet with real Nigerian entertainment stake holders and not
people who have milked our entertainers with their platforms. Meet
with the real stakeholders and discuss the way forward. Discuss how
the Federal government can get involved with the Nigerian creative
industry the right way.
It is wrong to try to bully your way into the Nigerian
entertainment industry you did nothing to help build.
It is absurd to say you will ban entertainers from shooting
music videos or movies abroad. Your reason being that we go there
to enrich their economy with Nigerias money.
Not while government officials have their children schooling
abroad.
Not while government officials all go abroad for medical
treatment and vacations .
Not while government officials continue to import
bullet proof cars that are not made in Nigeria.
All these amount to billions of Nigeria’s money being spent
abroad.
IF YOU WANT ENTERTAINERS TO STOP GOING ABROAD TO SHOOT MUSIC
VIDEOS AND MOVIES, THEN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SHOULD STOP GOING
ABROAD FOR HOSPITALS,VACATIONS AND SCHOOLS.
WE CAN USE ALL THOSE BILLIONS SPENT IN FUNDING FOREIGN ECONOMIES
TO EQUIP OUR SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS AND OTHER PARASTATALS.
They are our leaders and so have to lead by example
Trying to ban private owned businesses (entertainers) from doing
part of their business abroad will go against the democracy your
party preaches.
THINGS YOU NEED TO DO:
- First of all, shelve the talk of banning entertainers working
abroad. It is not what the creative industry needs from the
government and it is a terrible look for you. Nobody likes a
bully.
- .NO STRUCTURE MEANS NO ALTERNATIVE:
Since we do not have a proper structure yet, put a hold on your
$1m venture capital for the creative industry.
You say the money is seed money for young and talented Nigerians
to set up businesses in the industry. How do you know the young and
talented ones if you do not work with the registered Music and
Movie bodies?
You will only be enriching a few and wasting money our country
needs.
So you need to help the existing Music and Movie unions set up a
proper structure that can be monitored before you talk about giving
money out.
Money is needed, but a structure is needed more urgently.
- PMAN AND AGN VISITED YOU
I for one know that The President of the Performing
Musicians Employers Association of
Nigeria (PMAN ) Mr Pretty
Okafor and the President of the Actors Guild Of
Nigeria ( AGN ) Mr Emeka Ike along with a few
executives met with you in Abuja and discussed a beautiful plan to
put a proper structure in place for Nigeria’s creative
industry.
One of the plans that was discussed with you was a conference
tagged “Creative Industry Summit” and I see you were involved in a
similar event recently tagged “Creative Industry Financing
conference”.
We are surprised that nobody from the movie or music industry
was present to speak at a conference for the ‘’CREATIVE
INDUSTRY’’.
Sir, the stakeholders who spoke ath the just concluded Creative
Industry Financing conference are not Nigerian veteran musicians or
Nigerian record label owners. Neither are they from the Nigerian
movie industry.
- DISCUSS WITH ENTERTAINMENT STAKEHOLDERS 1ST,
BEFORE BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS.
We did not see the likes of Kenny Ogungbe “Kennis Music” , Tade
Ogidan, Obi Asika “Storm Records”, Tunde Kilani, or Eldee “Trybe
Records”.
These are some of the people who suffered and played great parts
in building our Nigerian music and movie industry.
But the men at the Creative Industry Financing conferenceare you
were part of are individuals who schooled “abroad” and own
platforms that have made and are still making money using Nigerian
entertainment.
But most of the artists whose works they deal in do not have
half the money these men have made with our interlectual
properties.
Sir, these intelligent businessmen can be in an advisory board
to help build a structure to enrich both the owners of the
intellectual properties and the Nigerian economy.
- Revisit the plans the new PMAN president Pretty Okafor
discussed with you when he and some executives met with you in
Abuja some months back. Plans which involve setting up a proper
structure to encode and barcode all intellectual materials by
Nigerians.
WE NEED POLICIES TO
- GET RADIO AND TV STATIONS TO PAY ARTISTS
ROYALTY:
For eons, Nigerian radio and television stations have amassed
billions of Nigeria from using Nigerian artists hard work without
paying the artists. This is where you can come in and set up a
policy that will make sure they start paying artists whose work
they use.
They already make a lot of money from adverts placed by
companies.
Sir, this move will be a ground breaking one in the Nigerian
entertainment industry and it will be to your credit.
- STOP TELECOM COMPANIES TAKING 70% OF ARTISTS
MONEY:
Sit quietly with REAL Nigerian entertainment stakeholders and
discuss the way forward. Not with individuals who have milked
entertainers through their platforms for their personal gains.
Especially the TELCOS.
TELCOS sell our songs/ringtones and take 70% while the owner of
the work gets to share 30% with a content provider. IF
YOU ARE TO BAN ANYBODY, IT IS THE TELCOS WHO DO THIS.
7. CURB
PIRACY:
Follow the guidelines to curb piracy that the PMAN President
Pretty Okafor introduced to you. Which included, setting up a task
force empowered to deal with people found dealing in pirated
entertainment materials.
PMAN is the recognised parent body for Nigerian Music, just as
The AGN is to the Nigerian movie industry.
Both Presidents are veterans in their fields and are also
businessmen. So sir, they undertand both worlds.
I am an entertainer and I know a lot of what we lack and what we
need. Placing a ban on Nigerian entertainers going abroad to shoot
music videos and movies is the last thing we need from our
government.
Helping our creative industry to build a much needed structure,
thereby creating a conducive environment for both local and foreign
investors to do business is what is needed.
Lets work together to further grow and capitalize on a Nigerian
creative industry that has managed to boom without any government
policy..
Let the government make policies that will protect and expand
our creative industry to benefit the entertainers and the Nigerian
economy.
But it can not be achieved by brute force.
Or sir, you do not want them to come to Nigeria to shoot parts
of Furious 9?
Sincerely yours
Ruggedman
CHAIRMAN MEDIA PMAN
{ PERFORMING MUSICIANS EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA}
Read more https://nairalaw.com/ruggedman-writes-lai-mohammed-says-nobody-likes-a-bully/