ON THE PETITION AGAINST BB-NAIJA
I saw a petition going round on social media asking the Nigerian National Assembly to ban the airing of the TV reality show, Big Brother Naija (BB Naija) and I differ in opinion with the proponents of the petition. I will explain why.
First, let me clarify that I do not watch the series, I do not think I will spare my time whether now or in the future to watch it, yet I will not ask for a legislation for its ban. Why? Simple. A TV show is both entertainment and business. Business thrives only when there is sustained patronage and a TV series lasts only when the viewership is sustained.
This means that what needs to change is not essentially the programme but the interest shown by Nigerians in the programme. If the programme is starved of viewership, it would die a natural death.
So, I say again, beyond the sanctimonious heckling, have we asked ourselves about what went wrong with us as a people? Not too long ago, families would gather around their TV sets to watch episodes of popular soap operas: Cock Crow At Dawn, Checkmate, Ripples, Fuji House of Commotion, Behind the Cloud, New Masquerade, Samanja, Jagua, Village Headmaster etc These were enjoyable by all family members and there were sensible themes therein. If the viewership choices are shifting in degenerative manner, then it is not a piece of legislation that is required but value reorientation of the people.
There is a question I want to ask the proponents of the petition and I will like their honest response: if you want to buy a product and you see the face of Oladapo Ashiru or Ben Okri and another with the face of Tuface Idibia or Olamide which will you buy? The answer is obvious as most do not even know who Ashiru and Okri are let alone how they look like, yet Ashiru is a renowned Nigerian obstetrician and Okri a renowned writer/poet. Both very educated (Ashiru is even a professor).
So, before you send out some holier-than-thou petition, first ask: do I have good values myself? Do truly valuable things catch and retain my attention? If yes, then by all means send out the petition; if no, take a deep breath and calmly say "change begins with me" (that is, beyond the political sloganeering).
Value system is very important. Some people value sports and others don't; yet sports rake in trillions of dollars in revenue worldwide. In the strictest sense of the word, football can be a complete waste of time and money: for instance, you stay awake to watch a game of football that lasts for about two hours and at the end of the game, both teams end up with a barren draw. Yet, because football - like other entertainments - thrives on followership, the patronage sustains the vanity.
In closing, let me narrate what happened in Katsina State House of Assembly in 1992/93. A bill for the prohibition of sales, usage and advertisement of alcoholic beverages was brought before the Assembly. The bill was debated and on the day it was to be passed, most members of the Assembly hung around the Assembly complex but did not enter the chambers for plenary. So, while they did not want to appear before their constituencies as people who drink, they knew deep down in their hearts that it was a piece of legislation that would affect them personally. So, as this petition is being sent to the National Assembly, remember the Katsina scenario and what the reaction of the National Assembly members may be.
David
I saw a petition going round on social media asking the Nigerian National Assembly to ban the airing of the TV reality show, Big Brother Naija (BB Naija) and I differ in opinion with the proponents of the petition. I will explain why.
First, let me clarify that I do not watch the series, I do not think I will spare my time whether now or in the future to watch it, yet I will not ask for a legislation for its ban. Why? Simple. A TV show is both entertainment and business. Business thrives only when there is sustained patronage and a TV series lasts only when the viewership is sustained.
This means that what needs to change is not essentially the programme but the interest shown by Nigerians in the programme. If the programme is starved of viewership, it would die a natural death.
So, I say again, beyond the sanctimonious heckling, have we asked ourselves about what went wrong with us as a people? Not too long ago, families would gather around their TV sets to watch episodes of popular soap operas: Cock Crow At Dawn, Checkmate, Ripples, Fuji House of Commotion, Behind the Cloud, New Masquerade, Samanja, Jagua, Village Headmaster etc These were enjoyable by all family members and there were sensible themes therein. If the viewership choices are shifting in degenerative manner, then it is not a piece of legislation that is required but value reorientation of the people.
There is a question I want to ask the proponents of the petition and I will like their honest response: if you want to buy a product and you see the face of Oladapo Ashiru or Ben Okri and another with the face of Tuface Idibia or Olamide which will you buy? The answer is obvious as most do not even know who Ashiru and Okri are let alone how they look like, yet Ashiru is a renowned Nigerian obstetrician and Okri a renowned writer/poet. Both very educated (Ashiru is even a professor).
So, before you send out some holier-than-thou petition, first ask: do I have good values myself? Do truly valuable things catch and retain my attention? If yes, then by all means send out the petition; if no, take a deep breath and calmly say "change begins with me" (that is, beyond the political sloganeering).
Value system is very important. Some people value sports and others don't; yet sports rake in trillions of dollars in revenue worldwide. In the strictest sense of the word, football can be a complete waste of time and money: for instance, you stay awake to watch a game of football that lasts for about two hours and at the end of the game, both teams end up with a barren draw. Yet, because football - like other entertainments - thrives on followership, the patronage sustains the vanity.
In closing, let me narrate what happened in Katsina State House of Assembly in 1992/93. A bill for the prohibition of sales, usage and advertisement of alcoholic beverages was brought before the Assembly. The bill was debated and on the day it was to be passed, most members of the Assembly hung around the Assembly complex but did not enter the chambers for plenary. So, while they did not want to appear before their constituencies as people who drink, they knew deep down in their hearts that it was a piece of legislation that would affect them personally. So, as this petition is being sent to the National Assembly, remember the Katsina scenario and what the reaction of the National Assembly members may be.
David
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