According to the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, the majority of Nigerian movies perpetuate the themes of money ritual and kidnapping.
While addressing the audience at the 4th annual public lecture/symposium organized by the United Action for Change, Fashola emphasized the need for filmmakers to alter their storytelling to prevent further endangerment of innocent lives.
Fashola dismissed the notion of human body parts being transmuted into money as a myth and urged against its reinforcement in films.
He expressed, “Some people believe that if you get a man’s head or a woman’s body parts, they could be turned into money. It’s not true! And when you ask people who believe in it if they have seen it happen before, they tell you someone said they had seen it. However, it has become a reinforced belief through entertainment, social media and Nollywood.”
He continued by underlining the influence of these beliefs, especially in cases of kidnappings, and urged for a paradigm shift in the narrative portrayed in movies. Fashola stressed the need to counteract the existing beliefs and to propagate the truth that money is a creation of man and not a result of any ritualistic practices.
Fashola also dismissed the fallacious claims of women’s panties being used for money rituals and highlighted the illogical connection between paper and cotton.
He added, “It is not true, or how does that happen? What is the connection between paper (money) and cotton (pants) or has anybody seen cotton money before? Those of us who have influence and authority must take positions to see to the reversal of this kind of beliefs.”