To foster a robust relationship between civilians and
the military, the Nigerian Army has opened a window for collaborations
with Nollywood filmmakers on movies that will endear the military to the
people including a possible story about insurgency war against Islamist
extremist group, Boko Haram.
While making this appeal, Major General Rogers Ibe
Nicholas, Chief of Civil/ Military Affairs, Nigerian Army Headquarters,
noted that this is part of the new focus of the military in the new
dispensation under the leadership of Major General Tukur Yusuf Buratai,
Chief of Army Staff.
The army chief spoke at the unveiling of a movie entitled 76, which is set against the backdrop of war and nation building.
Starring Rita Dominic, Chidi Mokeme and Ramsey Nouah,
the Adonis and Tonye Princewill production is inspired by events which
led up to and followed the botched 1976 coup d’état, and features real
life, archived, actual footage that contributes to the movie’s overall
authenticity.
The executive producer, Tonye Princewill confirmed that the execution of the movie was also done with approval and support from the Nigerian Army. He revealed that the army made available the facilities at Mokola Barracks, Ibadan where the Izu Ojukwu directed movie was shot for six months.
Maj Gen Nicholas said: “With every regime come
different concepts and ideas. So with the coming of Maj Gen T.Y Buratai
as Chief of Army Staff, he has a vision which is to have a
professionally responsive Nigerian army in discharge of its
constitutional mandate.
And part of that is to develop a military/ civil relationship that will
close the gap between the military and the civilians. That is what we
are trying to do.
The issues of people not have channels to complain
are now a thing of the past. Right now we have a human rights desk in
our office.
We are collaborating with the National Human Rights Commission and the Nigerian Bar Association.
“We welcome and encourage any filmmaker who wants to
do a movie on the insurgency war as long as it is within the confines of
the law. Interested participants can come up and we will look into it
and collaborate.”
Asked about funding, the army chief said: “When we
are collaborating with a filmmaker, it means that there is counterpart
funding for it. This means that it is a two-way traffic, not that the
Nigerian Army alone will fund such movies. If you come up with a
proposal and you think that it will be beneficial to the Nigerian Army
and indeed, Nigerians as a whole, then we will be ready to look into
it.”
Adonis Productions is already considering the
challenge thrown by the Nigerian military. Princewill, who is also the
patron of the Nigerian Association of Movie Producers, expressed his
willingness for collaboration with the Nigerian military.
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