Don’t politicize Nollywood —Zik Zulu

Although, Kunle Afolayan has since apologized for accusing Igbos of being behind piracy in Nollywood, notable film maker and President of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) Zik Zulu Okafor, has taken a swipe at the statement, warning that nobody should import what is happening in the nation’s political terrain into the movie industry.

Zik Zulu’s outburst came just as popular director, Ifeanyi Ikpoenyi, a.k.a Mr Hollywood, took to his Facebook page to blast Kunle over his tweets. As far as Ifeanyi is concerned, Kunle is an overrated film maker.

The award-winning film maker during the week took to his twitter account to accuse Igbos of being behind piracy in Nollywood. He said, most of the people he has met selling pirated CDs are Igbos.

Fans blasted him for his tribalistic tweets, after which he apologized, blaming his outburst on frustration. But reacting to the tweets, Zik Zulu cautioned Kunle to watch his utterances, worried that a notable film maker should import what’s happening in the political circle into the industry.

In his words, “ Kunle Afolayan has become a very strong professional as a film maker. So, when he makes such a strong statement, it reduces his personality. Nollywood is a bunch of professionals devoid of ethnic sentiments. We enjoy what we are doing and the relative peace in the industry. We don’t want anybody to import what is happening in the Nigerian political terrain into Nollywood.

That’s what Kunle is doing. Sometime ago, Kunle declared that he is not a filmmaker in Nollywood. But every award he has won is traceable to Nollywood. He should be able to appreciate the gesture as a film maker and learn how to handle issues. Let Kunle begin to see himself as a detribalized Nigerian.

Credit: Vanguard