Zeb Ejiro Blames Nollywood's Distress on Politicians

chibumga izuzu

September 2, 2014 12:20 PM

"Politicians are giving them so much money, the politicians are buying them" - Zeb Ejiro

In a recent interview with Yes! magazine, one of Nollywood's foremost prolific movie producers, Zeb Ejiro spoke on Nollywood and politics. The filmmaker linked the destruction of Nollywood to politics.

"I think the banes of the movie industry are the Nigerian politicians" - he said.

Read excerpt below.

"There are a lot of people who never dreamt of being what they are today. Suddenly, they found themselves there. People are running after them. I need to see you and all that. They start seeing themselves above god. That’s where they get it wrong.

The movie industry did not start with the stars that are there today. It started with others. When we were talking, we mentioned a name – somebody you saw some days ago in Ikeja trekking or something. If somebody had told that person that at one time, this is how it’s gonna be, the person will not believe."

"Where they get it wrong is that they see themselves above god, they see themselves above the industry. People who suffered to make them who they are, they dump those people, they don’t respect them.

You are doing something today, maybe a child’s naming ceremony, marriage or whatever, they don’t attend. They don’t come, they don’t need you anymore! Because the politicians are giving them so much money, the politicians are buying them cars; female politicians are buying the male stars cars, homes and what have you. The male politicians are buying the female ones whatever they want. So, suddenly, they don’t need the producer anymore.

They can even make bigger movies than you now because one politician will give them N100 million and you are looking for N15 million to do a blockbuster. So, suddenly, they find out that they are bigger than you. Not just you; they are bigger than the industry.

They start to equate themselves with god and forget that these politicians will only use you while you are the reigning star. They will flock around you for that period of time. Immediately somebody else springs up, they will dump you and go to that person.

I know a lot of these stars that are now calling me to say Zeb, I heard you are doing something, you are not calling us. Why? Because they are not getting jobs anymore; they are not relevant anymore; the politicians are not giving them money anymore, because the politicians have now seen younger people that they are frolicking with. I think the banes of the movie industry are the Nigerian politicians. That’s the truth!

chibumga izuzu