Tears Of 2017: Between TSTV And P-Square – Onoshe Nwabuikwu

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It’s the last day of 2017 and I can’t help but look back at some issues and news that ruled the airwaves. Take your pick from any of the issues that dominated the news. The year began with the Big Brother Naija competition which was held in Johannesburg. For a minute, the debate about that took all our attention. And there was the second season of The Voice Nigeria in South Africa, also.

This piece was written by Onoshe Nwabuikwu and was first published on The Punch Newspaper. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of 360Nobs.com.

I suppose with this background, it’s easy to understand the concern of the Honourable Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, when he moved to stop the production of Nigerian movies and musical videos outside Nigeria. For those movies to pass as Nigerian content, they have to be produced in the country. In the minister’s words “This government has agreed that henceforth, whatever we consume in Nigeria in terms of music and films, must be made in Nigeria. “We cannot continue to go to South Africa or any other country to produce our films and then send them back to be consumed in Nigeria. As long as we are not able to implement our own code to ensure local production of Nigerian music and movies, our young talents will not get jobs.”

At the time of this patriotic push, there was just the little matter of President Buhari being away in the UK for medical treatment for about 70 days, plus or minus. And if we borrow the minister’s very sound argument, the president going to another country and staying there for all of 103 days will not help “our young talents” (in this case, doctors), “get jobs.” To echo his sentiments: We cannot continue to go to (the UK and Germany or) any other country if we want our medical sector to improve, not so? Does this have anything to do with the current – rush of our medical doctors to leave Nigeria? Who knows?

At some point too in 2017, the NBC (National Broadcasting Commission) began its drive to curb hate speech. Needless to say, there were some underlying contradictions or should I say hypocrisy there because what was formerly justified as opposition and ‘fighting corruption’was now being given a new toga of hate speech.

Perhaps the most worrying issue was the almost dead on arrival satellite TV provider, TSTV. With the benefit of hindsight, it is easy to see where government was coming from by granting TSTV a three-year tax rebate. I mean, this is the ‘wholly Nigerian’ company that was going to challenge the monopoly of the ‘foreign’ DSTV. Now, if you didn’t see this column on that issue, Sunday Punch of Sunday October 8, 2017, is one you have to read. Even if I had the space or time, I’m not sure I can say it better.

Suffice to say that the ill-advised government backing of TSTV showed again that with just a little due diligence, as little as checking TSTV’s website, could have helped the NBC and the information ministry take better decisions. The decision in this case being to protect the Nigerian viewer from what could potentially turn ‘tears TV’. Of course, this is assuming that government really cares about Nigerian viewers losing their money. The current fuel shows tells government’s uncaring attitude better. The cynical but ultimately unintelligent PR push of ‘punishing hoarders of petrol’, notwithstanding.

• From P-Square to No Square

Just in case you haven’t heard, we should dispense with the old news that award-winning music group, P-Square, has finally broken up. Whether they can come back together is not the issue here. The Okoye twins-Peter and Paul, had tried what appears now to have been a trial separation earlier but came back after many well-meaning people stepped in. However, sometime in 2017, it became official that P-Square is no more. We now have Rude Boy (Paul Okoye) and Mr. P (Peter Okoye).

Both brothers have new material out. The curiously named Rude Boy (being the more reserved of the twins) has a couple of songs ruling the airwaves: Fire Fire (which I searched for as Halleluyah because that’s what had stuck in my mind), and Nkeji, Mr. P who I’d have pegged as Rude Boy being the more extroverted of the twins, has Cool It, and For My Head, enjoying airplay.

Peter appears to be trying out his own sound, while Paul sounds like he wants to continue with the P-Square sound. If you believe the rumours you can understand why he would do so, having considered himself the singing part of P-Square. But continuing with the familiar sound of P-Square has its own risks. On one hand, there are those who’ll find comfort in still being able to listen to a P-Square-ish sound. In this case, Half-Square is better than No-Square. But then, there are those who’ll find it all so painful and not want to be reminded of their loss each time a Rude Boy/P-Sqaure-ish sound comes on.

It’s all so sad. As a P-Square fan, I’m not happy. This break up means fans may be forced to choose between the two brothers.

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