Lagos State Government has expressed displeasure with the promoters of the “Gangs of Lagos” film/series over cultural misrepresentation and for portraying the culture of Lagos State in a derogatory manner.
A release signed by the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and
Culture, Pharm. (Mrs.) Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf said the Ministry, being the
regulatory body and custodian of the culture of Lagos State, views the
film/series as a mockery of the Heritage of Lagos.
The Commissioner expressed her disappointment with the
promoters of the film, Jade Osiberu and Kemi Akindoju, for portraying the Eyo
Masquerade as a gun-wielding villain while adorning the full traditional
regalia.
She said: “We are of the opinion that the production of the
film ‘The Gang of Lagos’ is very unprofessional and misleading while its
content is derogatory of our culture, with the intention to desecrate the
revered heritage of the people of Lagos.
It is an unjust profiling of a people and culture as being barbaric and
nefarious. It depicts a gang of murderers rampaging across the State”.
Akinbile-Yussuf maintained that the Adamu Orisha, popularly
known as the Eyo Festival, is rarely observed and only comes up as a
traditional rite of passage for Obas, revered Chiefs and eminent Lagosians.
She added that the Eyo Masquerade is equally used as a
symbol of honour for remarkable historical events. It signifies a sweeping
renewal, a purification ritual to usher in a new beginning, a beckoning of new
light, acknowledging the blessings of the ancestors of Lagosians.
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