why is he selling evrything, yesterday it was the port harcourt refinery, now the national theatre.

Eddy Ugboma to OBJ:Sell National Theatre, risk your Otta farm
By EMEKA ENYINNAYA
Sunday, May 20, 2007



Barely two weeks to the end of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s 8-year reign, controversy still dugs the purported plans by the Federal Government to sell the National Theatre, with a theatre practitioner, Chief Eddy Ugboma threatening that the President risks losing his Otta Farm should he insist on selling the national monument.

In an exclusive chat with Sunday Sun, Ugboma promised to put the president’s farm up for sale on the Internet should his government sell the National Theatre.

His words: “We are begging that they should leave the National Theatre alone because that is our only identity. But if Baba insist that the place should be sold, then I will also go on the Internet and place his farm on sale. When Baba sees people bidding for his farm he will know how painful it is.”

Fuming with rage, the erstwhile Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation said there was no where else in the world where a national identity is ever put on sale except in Nigeria.
Insisting that Nigeria would be selling her identity should the theatre be sold, he said it was “a pity that after 47-years of so-called independence we still do not have a national identity.

How can a country go so low that they want to sell their image, the National Theatre? Whosoever brought that idea should wake up from his bad dream and apologise to the nation. It is only in a country like Nigeria that they do not appreciate themselves; they do not support progress and the future.

“If they want to sell Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), it is all right because it has been dormant for so many years. Nobody sell his birthright, nobody sell his or her culture and identity. The National Theatre is our identity. This out-going administration happens to be the richest in over 30-years. Beside the introduction of GSM, there is nothing else they can lay hold of as achievement.”

Criticising the government for not doing much to improve the lot of the people, he said hard times have turned most Nigerians to vulcanizers, who do not patch tyres but their lives.
“Many Nigerians are either patching their lives or managing it due to the hard times that continue to stare them in the face. The power of every nation is 60% their arts. America brainwashes people to believe that they are invincible through their films.

That is why you can never see an American actor die in a film no matter what. I am begging both the Federal Government and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to look elsewhere and leave the National Theatre alone. Go to Ghana and see what they are doing to their cultural center, which is not as big as our own. We are begging and crying that they should leave the theatre alone. Or if the worst come to the worse, we make the place impossible for them to run. We will taboo it and no artiste would ever agree to play there place.

“If Ahmed Yerima can come from nowhere, fight to repair the place they should please give him a chance. But civil servants should be gotten rid off and professionals should be given challenges and take-off grants to run the place. But if Baba still insists that the place should be sold then I will also go no the Internet and place his farm on sale.”
Ugboma also speared his thoughts on other issues that affect the entertainment industry in the country.

Nollywood
The name Hollywood came from holly trees they met at a forest that was acquired for a film center. Also, because Indian films were shot in Bombay that is why we have Bollywood. Today, there is nothing like Bombay and filmmakers say they should not call Bollywood anymore. And now the Nigerian movie industry is called Nollywood. Nolly in the English dictionary means nothing, so they are nothingwood and I am not part of that. They should be grateful that people like us are still around to educate and guide them rather than criticizing and calling one all kinds of names. I have passion for the industry that is why I am even going ahead to float a movie academy soon that will be called Eddifosa Movie Academy. This is the only thing I believe in.

Aki and Paw Paw
The role of this little men in the movie industry is a national insult. Today, they are playing the role of kids tomorrow they are adults. Today they are licking sweet tomorrow they are dancing with older women, kissing and pressing their breast. If they want to act kids they can act kids. And if they want to act grown up, for goodness sake, let them do that. Not kids today adults tomorrow. Anyway, I do not blame them. I blame the producers.

Comedians
There are five people that make me feel ashamed as an activist. Wole Soyinka, Gani Fawehami, Femi Falana, Abubakar Umar and Itse Sagay. I laugh at these people because they are comedians. If I was so mad like these people are in politics, I will go to the Senate. Imagine the Senate with this caliber of people and Udo Udoma as the president. The executive arm will always think twice before taking any action. But because these people cannot even win election in their kitchen they become comedians, criticizing everybody and everything without making any input. They need to be inside and change things. I am disappointed with these great talents and brains. But since my temper cannot take me to the Senate I will continue using the tool that I know how to use best, movies.