Ban BBNaija now to save Nigerian youths, culture, lawmaker, Nigerians tell NBC
Even before a Lagos lawmaker, Mr. Segun Olulade on Thursday called on the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on the negative implications of Big Brother Naija on the nation’s culture and youths, more Nigerians have already anger on the level of obscure scenes from the visuals.
Big Brother Naija is a Reality TV Show sponsored by PayPorte, an online shopping platform, and aired by Africa Magic on DStv.
But having observed the concerns of many Nigerians on the show, Olulade, Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Health Services, in a statement, said that the content of the programme was completely foreign to the indigenous culture which forbade immorality.
He said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration which has tried to promote culture and indigenous values should not be seen to be encouraging the spread of obscenity on TV.
“We have culture and tradition in this country that we must not allow to die.
“The Federal Government, through the Minister of Information and Culture, needs to reconsider the implications of Big Brother Naija on our culture and youths.
He argued that “The content of Big Brother Naija reality show is alien to our culture. This show is contrary to the rich cultural values we are trying to promote and bring to the front burner.
“It is sad that our young children including adults are made to watch such content. This kind of programme promotes obscenity and immorality.
“We must not encourage such if our hallowed cultural heritage would be preserved. We cannot prevent our inquisitive young ones from watching the obscene displays that permeate the show.
“I think the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) should, without delay, stop this programme if this government means business in the promotion of our cultural values.
“The show does not add any value to our education, social and economic life. It is a big mockery of Nigerian culture and tradition,’’ Olulade said and called on the the government to swing into action through NBC to put an end to the airing of the programme before it causes serious damage to our culture.
Continuing, Olulade, who is the immediate past Chairman, House Committee on Information, Publicity, Security and Strategy, said that the inmates in the show, being Nigerians, should have portrayed the Nigerian cultural heritage instead of bastardising it.
He said that a programme of the calibre of Big Brother Naija was capable of causing distractions to the Nigerian youths and affecting many families.
“I will want to urge all parents and guardians to be on their guard and guide their children and wards aright on what they watch on TV. The implication of allowing the children to keep watching this show can be negative on this.
“Our children should not be allowed to be corrupt because this may affect their future aspiration,” the APC-Epe II representative at the Assembly said.
Moreover, a random interview with Nigerians of different walks of life showed that they hate the show due to its momentary display of acts that are not Nigerian, thus portraying Nigeria as an extension of Sodom and Gomorrah.
On the business angle, analysts say considering the fact that it is produced and hosted in far away South Africa but aired in Nigeria means that there is no revenue gain for the ailing economy even as Nigeria and Nigerians are falsely presented as jobless and momentarily promiscuous.
Business Hilights recalls that some years back when it was called Big Brother Africa (BBA), a Nigerian lady from Edo State was openly abused which really caused serious image crisis for the country in the face of international communities, thus forcing many other African nations to pullout since then.
However, in a telephone interview with a senior staff of NBC who pleaded anonymity, the official said “In the first instance, BBNaija remains a Pay TV programme which can only be shown to a subscriber who has subscribed and not a free to air programme”.
“NBC made clear to DStv that it can only be aired to subscribers who had the courage to pay for viewing and not a general purpose programme. This makes the show more of a special access scheme that can only be watched after a subscriber had paid and tune in to it, otherwise, it is an adult programme with clear inscription showing the age limit for people that can watch it.
The official therefore called on parents to guide their wards from having access to avoid possible view of what is not due for minors.
The senior officer noted that NBC currently does not have enough reason to ban the show because it is not free to air but prepaid for matured adults.
