The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has praised the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the National Film and Video Censors Board for the clampdown on Falz’s ‘This Is Nigeria’.
In a statement released on Monday by Ishaq Akintola, MURIC director, the group says it hopes Nigerian artistes will learn from the ongoing saga.
“We asked Falz to withdraw the video or we would sue him,” the statement read.
“Instead of showing remorse he dared us. We knew he could delay the court case for years because he is a lawyer and he would use every trick in the books to frustrate us. That was why he was boasting.
“Therefore, instead of going to court, we decided to ambush him by sending a petition to the video board. This week, the NBC banned the video and others like it.
“He should be the one to go to court now if he likes. Let him go and show how brilliant he is in court.
“He and his fans laughed at us when we complained about his provocative and vulgar video. But there is no doubt that he who laughs last laughs best. It is hoped that Nigerian artistes will borrow a leaf from this episode.”
MURIC used Fela Kuti’s activism as a point of reference, saying the Afrobeat progenitor never attacked any religion.
“Fela Anikulapo Kuti used his songs to fight military dictatorship and other ills in the Nigerian society,” MURIC said.
“But he never attacked Muslims or Christians.
“Neither did he incite Nigerians against any ethnic group. He criticised religious groups but never in a vulgar manner and he never exposed Muslims or Christians to ridicule.”
MURIC said the video for Falz’s ‘This is Nigeria’ could have resulted in a religious crisis but they handled it “intellectually,” adding that Nigerians do not appreciate their efforts.
“‘This is Nigeria’ should remain banned until the provocative and vulgar scenes are removed. The video can still go on air with slight modifications,” the group said.
“Not every Nigerian is a criminal. As we have the Evans, so do we have the Oloyedes, the Ahmadu Alis, the Femi Falanas and the Sowores. Even Falz himself is not a criminal.
“Therefore Falz and other artistes should encourage the youth to emulate our heroes instead of pushing them to ape rogues. Finally, we commend NBC and the video censors board for acting swiftly.”
