Yuceelanda.com
The meeting began with exchange of
pleasantries; hugs and handshakes, friendly
gestures and smiles. As the folks settled down,
the Honourable Minister for Information gave a
brief remark on what the agenda for the meeting
was, seeking their buy in for what he called the
new change mantra “it begins with me” He also
informed that campaign which is like the War
against Indiscipline will be launched on the 15th
of March, 2016 by President Muhammadu
Buhari.
Lai Mohammed said the ‘Change Begins with Me’
campaign and the South African consulting firm
handling the project had produced a theme song
for the campaign already but he had changed his
mind based on the advise he got from Mo Abudu,
the CEO of Ebony Life TV who facilitated the
meeting on the need to get the Nigerian top
entertainment industry acts to ‘Jazz it up’
referring to the theme song.
Some of the artistes present who had sensed
that the campaign is a National project of great
importance which they have to key into
immediately requested for the theme song.
However the theme song was not presented by
neither the Minister, the South African consulting
company nor the Facilitator. The Artistes started
saying that there was truly no theme song
indirectly accusing the Minister of telling a lie.
Mo Abudu, the facilitator quickly intervened and
said ‘theme song or no theme song, the essence
of the meeting was to come up with a theme
song that will be befitting’.
Lai Mohammed then asked the artistes to come
up with a theme song before the launch of the
Campaign and Mavin Records owner and award
winning producer Don jazzy was mandated to
lead the assignment.
DonJazzy however told the Minister that due to
the time frame which is 45 days from the day of
the meeting, that he will not be able to handle
that and suggested the that the project was
assigned to legendary producer Cobhams.
The Minister, Lai Mohammed insisted that he
cannot push the launch date further and it was
either the Artistes agree to do it or forget it.
This comment was said to have infuriated rap
artiste Jude Abaga aka MI, who told the minister
that he was being very disrespectful and
grandstanding saying that the mere fact that he
brought a South African company to boss a
strategic project to Nigeria was a slap on the
face of the Industry.
Several other artistes backed MI’s position and
the Minister of Information Lai Mohammed did
not give a damn. Contrary to the pictures, the
event was a waste of time as no deal concerning
the theme song was struck between the
Entertainers and the Minister of Information. As
a matter of fact everyone in the meeting left
with the slogan ‘Jazz it Up’ making mockery of
the phrase Lai Mohammed had earlier used.
Present at the meeting were; Kwam 1, KSA, Don
Jazzy, MI, Supreme Mavin Dynasty, Chocolate
City, Tiwa Savage, P-Square, Jude Okoye,staff of
the Ministry of Information and consultants were
present at the meeting.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s Minister of
Information and Culture held on the 24th of
January an interaction with Nigerian Entertainers
and stakeholders at the Southern Sun Hotel in
Lagos. Contrary to the photos in the media, the
meeting was an embarrassment and a waste of
time. Read the account of what happened from an
Insider:
