Onoshe Nwabuikwu
I don’t usually like being caught up in mass frenzy about anything but I haven’t been able to ignore the general excitement that’s in the air as most of the world awaits the movie, Black Panther, opening at the cinemas this weekend. I was introduced to the Black Panther character when I accompanied my then teenage daughter, Odiche, to watch Captain America: Civil War (2016); and we were wowed by this king from Wakanda. Our interest was further increased when it was revealed that he was going to star in his own movie, Black Panther.
Since 2016, every once in a while, my daughter would remind me about Black Panther. However, my original interest had waned especially when I discovered that King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) was not African after all but American. I could have sworn that we had one or two African actors who could have pulled this role off. I suppose this is one point we can’t overemphasise. In any case, all that has paled into irrelevance with the arrival of the Black Panther’s all-black cast! Phew!
There’s Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett and Daniel Kaluuya. South African actor, John Kani, continues his role as T’Chaka from Captain America. Where are Nigerians, you may ask. Well, let’s wait for Friday and we will confirm with our ‘two ‘korokoro’ eyes whether all those rumours are correct. This is definitely not my last word on Black Panther.
Black Panther is directed by Ryan Coogler who has also directed Creed (2015) and Fruitvale Station (2013).
COME AGAIN?
When Jimoh Moshood called Ortom a drowning man
A lot has been said about Jimoh Moshood’s appearance on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily, on Tuesday, February 6, 2018. Just in case you missed it, the Force PRO, Jimoh Moshood, called Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State a drowning man, in reaction to the governor’s call for the IG of Police’s resignation. Ortom’s call was connected to the scores of Benue citizens who have been killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen and the pronouncements of the IG ever since.
Moshood’s call only echoed similar ‘devil-may-care’ utterances by the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, and even the IGP, Ibrahim Idris, himself. Basically, the view of Nigeria’s Federal Government, which these gentlemen represent, is that so long as states insist on anti-grazing laws and reject giving out free land to the Fulani herdsmen for cattle colonies, scores of people will continue to be murdered. This equals ‘Your land or your life’!
I caught the repeat interview conducted by Maupe Ogun and Ajuri Ngelale on Tuesday night. I wouldn’t have paid any attention because I have since stopped listening to Jimoh Moshood. He has a talent for making almost everything sound like a half-cooked lie. Not to mention his obvious unsuitability as a public relations officer. He is unable to provide simple answers to simple questions, choosing instead to fight unseen enemies.
That morning, he was asked where the police was when the seven Fulani herdsmen were killed in what appears to be reprisal killings. That question was as a result of his assertion that the police had everything under control. However, instead of responding, he went on to condemn those asking for state police. He managed to insinuate that if there had been a state police in Benue State, Benue people would still have taken matters into their hands. This was until co-presenter, Maupe Ogun, pressed him further and he denied that was what he meant.
He moved on to chorus the view from his oga at the top decrying the anti-grazing law. Benue’s Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, corrected him, saying the law was against open grazing to which Moshood responded, “Whatever you call it…”
In fact, the only reason I’m writing this is Maupe’s commendable handling of the incident. I once wrote a two-part column titled ‘How Not to Conduct an Interview’ on Maupe, so I think it’s only fair that I commend her for Tuesday’s interview.
After Moshood insulted Governor Ortom, the CPS Terver Akase, who was part of the interview, asked him to withdraw the statement. But Maupe warned the CPS about interrupting Moshood, sternly telling Akase that if he kept interrupting, he’d be asked to leave the studio and they would finish the interview without him.
She then turned to Jimoh Moshood and insisted he withdrew the insult. He hemmed and hawed but Maupe held her ground until he withdrew his earlier statement. This goes to show that if journalists place professionalism above all else, even when there’s PR involved, there are bound to be fewer brainless news headlines.
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