March 1, 2015 – Wife of Nigerian President, Dame Patience Jonathan has called on practitioners in the entertainment industry to canvass and vote for President Goodluck Jonathan, stressing that a vote for the President means a vote for Nollywood to overtake Hollywood.
Mrs. Jonathan who was speaking at dinner in honour of the creative industry, comprising members of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria(PMAN), Nollywood, comprising Actors Guild of Nigeria(AGN), Directors Guild of Nigeria(DGN), Film and Video Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria(FIVIPMAN), Kaniwood(Hausa) , stand-up comedians, and indeed the who is who in Nigeria’s entertainment in Abuja said the impact of the entertainment industry on the economy cannot be overemphasized.
According to her, the industry generates about $300 million per annum with more prospect for growth. She alluded to a time when Nigerians preferred foreign films and would even hire foreign artistes to act in their films adding that the reverse is the case today.
“There was a time when people preferred foreign films and preferred to import artiste for their films, but the story has changed. Our people now believe in Nollywood”, she said adding that this is made possible through the support of President Goodluck Jonathan.
She said that Nollywood has gained both local and international recognition and now competing favourably with Hollywood and Bollywood and that the industry is today adjudged as the most creative industry in the world.
She said that about 2,000 titles are produced per year in three major languages, English, Yoruba and Hausa.
For her, no other president has given Nigerian artistes such opportunity to attain to greater height. “Unlike before, people now struggle to identify with Nollywood, parents want their children to be artistes all due to what Jonathan has done”, she said, adding, “you have met with him, this dinner affords you the opportunity that your father, brother , one of your own who has so much faith is you is re-contesting for the presidency.
“If you want sustenance of this uplift-ment that the industry enjoys this is your opportunity to reciprocate the gesture of President Goodluck Jonathan who has promised to do more if he is reelected”, the first lady said.
“I will therefore encourage you to use your talents to campaign for his reelection by going from door to door, neighbour to neighbour, you need to inform the people what President Goodluck Jonathan has done”, she said.
She said the president has in the past set up the $200 million Film Intervention Fund(FIF) and the N3billion grant for capacity building and film production,
She also enumerated some of the things the President has done such as the revival of the comatose railways throughout the federation, the Benin-Ore road, 25,000 kilometres of roads delivered, job creation adding that investment in agriculture has attracted foreign investment of $4 billion. She said the eradication of corruption in agriculture has saved N50 billion for the economy.
She also touched on the president’s accomplishment in Almajari schools in the north, 12 federal universities in addition to 9 private universities recently approved by the Federal Executive Council.
She also alluded to 35 percent affirmative action for women, achievements in healthcare, recent acquisition of naval ships for the navy for the first time in over 30 years among others. She called on the artistes to use their talents to canvas for the reelection of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Earlier, President (AGN), Mrs. Ibinabo Fiberesima said the creative industry have gone out across the 36 states including Abuja canvassing votes telling Nigerians all the good things that the President has done.
“Go out to your brothers, I hope we all have PPVC, you must have your PVC”, she said.She also spoke in glowing terms about what the President has done for the industry.
“He is our father, he has made a lot of us who we are. We are here to give him our support , we have gone to 36 states, we went and we prayed, some people were never informed, we informed them, Nobody paid us to do it, we did it because we love him because for the first time we have a President that has Nigeria at heart, we will continue to support Jonathan until 1919, and this is how God wants it, there is no vacancy any artistes that says he has not benefited from Goodluck Jonathan is a lie because we all have.
“We went for capacity building, he gave us grants to do that. We now have millions of Naira in our accounts because of his efforts, very soon some of us are going to shoot films very soon , he made it possible, we have our PVC, we are coming out March 28 to vote him”, the soft spoken Fiberesima said.
It was a fun filled dinner that had the likes of Onyeka Onwenu, Zeb Ejiro, Chinedu Ikedieze, Patience Ozokwor, Ini Edo, Kate Henshaw, Fidelis Duker, Lancelot Imasuen, Stella Monye, Daddy Showkey, Raski Mono, Chico Ejiro, Hilda Murakpor Dokubo, Zack Orji, Emem Isong and a host of others.
