Timing of MOPICON bill is wrong, says comedian

ayodele johnson

April 22, 2016 9:39 AM

The comedian criticized the government for not doing enough to groom talents in the Nigerian entertainment industry.

Ace comedian, Bovi, has joined his entertainment colleague, Falz The Bahd Guy, in criticizing the proposed bill to set up the Motion Picture Practitioner Council of Nigeria (MOPICON).

Bovi shared his disinterest in the bill while speaking at the Nigerian Entertainment Conference held on April 20, 2016, at Landmark Event Centre, Oniru, Lagos.

He said "When we talk about growing this industry or rebuilding this industry, what stares us in the face more is the problems rather than the solutions."

"We have talked about the role of government in all of these. The MOPICON bill, that’s major. Is it a step in the right direction? Only time will tell. But is the timing right? It’s absolutely wrong,"

Bovi also criticized the government for its inability to help solve problems related to the entertainment industry, most especially when it comes to grooming of talents.

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"I have said over and over again that there are certain things that need to be done and we just need to break it down."

"There are 774 local government areas in Nigeria, how do we help all these talents? The way entertainment has grown in Nigeria, when you check, it’s more than 90 percent of the private sector."

"What has been the role of the government, is it just to regulate us, or regulate the body? The answer is no."

"We have local governments, we have 36 states, what’s the government doing? We have the Ministry of Arts & Culture, what are they doing?"

"The last big festival we held was FESTAC 77, how many of us were born then? These are the facts that are staring us in the face."

Like Bovi, many celebrities such as Banky W, D'banj and Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele, were among the dignitaries who spoke about the state of entertainment in the country and the way forward.

See more about the comedian in the video below.

ayodele johnson