Pete Edichie, KOK And The Negative Impact Of Their Stereotype Of Entertainment Industry On Igbo Culture & Tradition
One thing we cannot ignore, is the negative impact and stereotype our entertainment industry has given our indigenous cultures and traditions.
By Omu Onyebuchie Okonkwo
One thing we cannot ignore, is the negative impact and stereotype our entertainment industry has given our indigenous cultures and traditions. No matter how much we try to deny this truth, it stares us in the face. This is why I do not appreciate the likes of KOK, PETE EDOCHIE and a lot of them. Before you tell me it's just acting and they were being paid for their roles, let me remind you that other tribes are shaping their own culture and traditions through the same entertainment industry. Why should ours be different?
It is the likes of KOK and Pete that popularised money rituals. They and the producers succeeded in creating a permanent impression in the minds of our youths. Then the online billionaires like the Oba born gentleman and the one from Uli, they have created a very bad niche where money by all means is all that matters. We now worship money and don't ask questions over questionable wealth. In fact, we attack those who dare question these men and we call them saboteurs and haters, all because they ask important questions.
The media is a powerful tool and perception is key to mental subjugation or development. Take for example the Yorùbá entertainment industry. See how they project their culture, language and traditions in their movies and music. They don't dare misinterpret the Ifá oracles or the Oba stool in their movies. Their masquerades are respected in their movies and we all saw how till date, Gangs of Lagos, a movie I enjoyed, is yet to win any awards simply because the Yorùbá community cancelled it due to the way their culture was portrayed in the movie. You won't even see Yorùbá pastors "casting and binding" the Ifá oracles or priests.
In American movies, the US project themselves as the saviour of the world and the US army as the best in the world. You'd rarely see them show you the kidnappings and murders that go on in the US or the countless homeless people that abound there. Today we all believe that the US is the strongest force in the world simply because of what we've seen in the movies.
It is only in our Igbo movies that you see our shrines being destroyed by "holy ghost fire" or our kings bowing to the church and saying there's no power in Odinani. It's in our movies that you find female actresses wear masquerades and insult our culture. We have every opportunity to market our uniqueness but instead we bastardise it. We have turned Igbo spirituality into a laughing stock and this is the main reason why our people do not want to publicly be seen identifying with Odinani because our movies have portrayed Odinani to be ritual killers and wicked people.
Almost every kidnapper caught today or any criminal, is assumed to be onye Odinani but most if not all of them are Christians by day and only patronise Odinani for gains. But you'd never see the church talk about it. They'll say they're not " real Christians." Every bad thing must be Odinani.
The man who was caught trying to kidnap a girl in Enugwu for rituals is a Christian but you won't hear the church talk about it. They're busy pointing fingers at ndị Odinani. If the man had successfully carried out the sacrifice, he'd have gone to church for thanksgiving and it would have been hailed as evidence of the power of God and they would have used it to mock Odinani as being powerless. When it favours them, we say it is miraculous and grace but when it doesn't, they say it's the evil ones hiding under the church.
This mindset was established in us by the Europeans who till date control the Nigerian entertainment industry. Rather than shoot educating movies and documentaries on subjects that are important to us, we're busy throwing mud on our culture and traditions. Tomorrow we wonder why we're not respected by others. Look at what Kunle Afọlayan is doing with Yorùbá culture in his movies. He's selling his culture to the world. Look at Lancelot Imasuen, see how he sells Bini culture to the global audience. We are still busy shooting movies where the Igwe is fighting his brother over a woman.
I'd want to see our young filmmakers produce beautiful educational stuff for the world to watch and appreciate the Igbo culture. Enough of ogwu ego movies. We must refine our entertainment industry and control the narrative.
HRH Onyebuchie Okonkwo is the Omu of Obio
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