Warm greetings to my people out there and thanks for your responses to the story I featured last week. I was already working on a follow up to the story and was going to look at why people get into extra-marital and the way out of it but all that changed when I got some calls from a couple of concerned mothers from 4 different states of the federation expressing concern over two of our most celebrated

Nollywood artistes and the impact of their movies on their children.

One of them said she visited a friend and they were seeing one of the movies where Aki and Pawpaw featured as lead artistes. On getting home that evening a close relative came visiting and as she knelt down to greet her everyone was shocked as her 5year old ran close to the lady, grabbed her breast and told her ‘I have enough money to spend on you o’

The mother was too shocked to utter a word and started flogging the boy until she later realized the poor boy was only practicing what he had seen in the movie he saw earlier in the day.

The other people that called also shared similar stories although one of them was a violent story and she was able to trace it to the movie where our celebrated actors featured.

I have followed with keen interest Dr. Reuben Abati’s write up on the music industry and the response of one of the persons concerned and I hope to share my take on the whole saga soonest but I hope one day we won’t wake up and look back at the damage we have done to our generation in the name of singing hit songs.

When I raised the alarm that the ages of sexual initiation in Nigeria had dropped to 7 many people didn’t agree with me but the truth right now is that so many 7year olds are already trying to get involved in sexual activities no thanks to some of our movies and songs.

Getting back to Aki and Pawpaw. I was one of their fans when they started out simply because I watch more of comedy than other serious minded stuffs. But lately I wouldn’t know what has happened that has switched their gaze from being role-models to our children to trying to engage in adult’s stuffs(I know they are not children) which is endangering our children.

I know someone out there might say the films have a 16+ rating but we all know that doesn’t work in this part of the world.

I am aware these two actors are no spring chicken but they must realize their most ardent followers are our children. At a point they even featured in an advertisement of a children friendly product.

Apart from the lack of content and how realistic some of their latest movies are I do think they don’t need to feature in adults stuffs to show our children they are adults. Nobody can take it away from them that they have turned what looked like a disadvantage to an advantage and we are proud of their achievements however their latest acts leave much to be desired.

I tried to confirm the issues some of the mothers raised last week and fortunately there was a movie that day on African magic titled ‘Colonel'( I hope I didn’t get the title wrong). It was full of violence with the two of them acting as leaders of rival cult groups in a university. They forced ladies to bed and made some of the girls to say all sorts about their dexterity in bed. I saw another one where Aki had bodyguards and would shoot to death anyone that didn’t co-operate with him.

I don’t know if this was part of their re-branding process neither do I understand if they are trying to send a message to the ladies that they are adults or something. But one thing is certain which the two of them must know and that is the fact that a whole lot of young people across the nation look up to them and would gladly do whatever they see Aki and Pawpaw do.

I think it’s time for every concerned parent to begin to fight for our movie industry to promote family friendly movies. So my appeal to Aki and Pawpaw is if you want to transit from comedy to adults stuffs there are better ways to portray yourselves as ‘Biggs boys’ than sleeping with girls and holding a pistol and shooting people.

The movie producers and people involved in the casting of these movies should realize we are not the only ones watching some of these movies. Many children under the age of 16 also see them.

Aki and Pawpaw please note that our children see what you act out in those movies and they want to practice what they see. As you have brought smiles to several families through your comedy I hope you won’t bring pains to the same families.
You are their heroes please don’t become their villain.