The Kano State Censorship Board has revoked all operational licences of actors, actresses, directors, and producers involved in the Kannywood film-making industry.
According to Abba El-Mustapha, the head of the board, this move is aimed at sanitising the industry and ensuring proper documentation.
Mr El-Mustapha said all celebrities and producers must renew their licences to operate in the state, as reported by Premium Times
“We have cancelled all licenses of all guilds in the industry for proper documentation and to have effective plans that will address some of the problems in the industry.
“We have about 13 guilds; we have revoked all their licenses, enabling us to sanitise the industry. Before a license is issued to any person, we must be satisfied with the person.
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“The decision also affects all the singers and other entertainers in the Kannywood industry;/they must renew their licenses, and we are going to fetch out the bad eggs among them, Mr El-Mustapha told Freedom Radio on Saturday.
According to Premium times, some critics have expressed concerns that the decision might be motivated by political reasons to punish celebrities who campaigned against the ruling party in the state’s recent General Elections.
During the election period, Kannywood was divided along political party lines, with Mr El-Mustapha being a member of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP), the current ruling party. Others in the industry have affiliations with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
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Earlier, some Kannywood stars, including Ali Nuhu, Adam Zango, Sadiq Sani, Rabiu Daushe, and several others, had publicly endorsed the candidacy of the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu, and the governorship candidate of the APC in the state, Nasir Gawuna.
This endorsement came after Zango initially supported the NNPP’s presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, but later switched to Mr Tinubu’s camp during APC’s campaign rally at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano.
Some of the practitioners in the industry have alleged political persecution after their studios, vehicles and houses were attacked and burnt in the state after the NNPP won the governorship election.
Reacting to retribution allegations, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Halilu Dantiye, said the board was not to fight any group but rather ensure that rules and regulations are adhered to.
“The censorship board was not established to persecute any group of people or persons. It’s meant to correct the wrongdoing in the film industry’’, Mr Dantiye said.
