Nollywood actor turned politician, Richard Mofe-Damijo has called on the incoming government to set up a special tribunal to handle cases of piracy in the Nigerian film industry.Speaking yesterday during the first public presentation of a new movie entitled Oloibiri at Silverbird Cinemas, Abuja, the African Movie academy award winner said the tribunal would spell out the punishment or compensation for any pirated work of art since what is obtainable now is too low and insignificant to minimize the loss.
According to him, the body of the law guiding piracy in the country is okay but the manner of the policing is nothing to be proud of.
He therefore emphasized the need for government to consider the call to ensure that offenders are prosecuted when found guilty and meant to pay for the damages.
“Existing laws are good but what is needed to add is maybe setting up special tribunal to handle cases of piracy and step up the punishment or compensation for piracy because right now it is too low and insignificant.
“The body of the law is okay, the problem is in the policing and making sure that offenders are prosecuted when they are found guilty they pay damages.
“Though, my work is not to protect the movie from being pirated, somebody has that job. The regulator should ensure that all creative works of Nollywood are protected and we earn money from it. I am not going to stand here to legislate on the kind of movie film makers will do, I am just privileged to be part of the one that is topical now; just to entertain people and make them think as a people and amount of work that could be done.”
Oloibiri was produced by Rightangle Productions. It is an action thriller showing international exploration and governmental responsibility as well as the unseen benefits of desperate hope of the aggrieved militants in the oil rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
