Kannywood stars Rahama Sadau, Ali Nuhu, Umar Gombe and others have boycotted the 2022 Zuma Film Festival.
The movie stars under the leadership Motion Picture Practitioners’ Association of Nigeria (MOPPAN); and the Arewa Filmmakers Association of Nigeria (AFMAN), pointed out that the film festival was fixed on Sallah Day which is a festive period for all Muslims across the world as well as a public holiday in Nigeria.
In an open letter to the minister of information, Lai Mohammed, which was signed by the two heads of the coalition, Dr Ahmad Muhammad Sarari (National President MOPPAN) and Alhaji Sani Sule Katsina (National President Arewa Filmmakers Association of Nigeria – AFMAN) and posted on Instagram by Ali Nuhu on Wednesday, the associations said in parts, “The event was deliberately fixed on ‘Sallah’ day, which, apart from being a festive day for all Muslims in the world, it is also a public holiday meant to honour and celebrate the end of the holy month of ‘Ramadan.’
“This singular act precludes all Muslims from participating and benefitting from the festival. So, they doubt if any government agency can organise such national event on Christmas or New-year festive days.”
The organisations also claimed to have been side-lined by the organisers of the film festival despite being a part of the Local Organising Committee.
