Tubless Photographer: Abba Al-Mustapha’s Censors Board and Tyrannical Impunity in the Guise of “Revenue Generation”

By Mohammed Dahiru Lawal (MD)

On Thursday, renowned Kano-based ‘photo maestro’ Nasiru Rabiu who goes by the alias and brand name Tubless was arrested, temporarily “arraigned,” detained and released by the Kano State Censorship Board under the new leadership of popular Hausa film actor Abba Al-Mustapha.

After reviewing the facts at my disposal, I have come to the conclusion that that drama in macabre form was nothing but an executive desperation wrapped in tyrannical impunity taken too far by the leadership of the Board especially since there was totally no legal basis, no operational framework, no parley, no control mechanism and worst still, no formality – established official communication about the specific action, decision or intention around the matter in contention from the board to those affected by the actions of the Board already.

But that is not top of the list of what worries me about the whole series. What worries me more is the news reports I have seen on the issue.

No doubt, media and Journalism plays a significantly influential role in informing and shaping societies, the more reason why there are established sets of principles and ethics to guide Journalistic reportage of especially sensitive issues, key of which is presenting multiple perspectives on a story in a fair and objective manner.

The reports I have seen, which particularly emanated from a well-regarded National Media platform and copied by all other news platforms – as usual – without due verification and cross-referencing, absolutely lacked “balance” and I’d be shocked if that copy passed through the scrutiny of an editor before being floated for public consumption.

One of the reasons why fake news thrives is due to the dearth of professionalism in Journalism and this doesn’t mean capacity only, it can also be the fact that we neglect even the most minute requirement for a standard copy and this act alone has enabled even well established and regarded media to unwittingly avail themselves as a breeding ground for misinformation to thrive.

The simple conduct of not “balancing” stories in virtually all our news reports, is a cause for worry on not only the quality of information we consume but also the shape of our critical thinking abilities as one community.

Besides the fact that unbalanced stories deny readers with enough information to form their own informed opinions, it is more often than not inaccurate or false, it is unfair to the unreported party, lacks credibility and basis for trust and opens avenues for abuse, particularly of power.

So, by not highlighting the other side of the story, what the news reports in the case of Tubeless versus Kano Census Board mostly succeeded in doing was to lend credence to controversial, debatable inclination of the Board and provide for it a very fine wrapper for abuse of office and power and free passage for tyrannical impunity without recourse to law and order. This is the apparent danger of a single side story. So certainly, there are ripple effects with these things that we don’t see until they are rife enough to begin to destroy the fundamental fabrics of our existence.

Having said that, let me now address the core of Mustapha’s tyrannical impunity which is the shameful disregard for law, law, law! and of course order!

I must however establish that Tubless’s Colleagues in the photography business in Kano and printing press operators are currently being constantly harassed by the Census Board and that is because the new leadership of the Board under Abba Al-Muatapha in its new revenue generation drive is trying to forcefully conscript private photographers operating in the state into the Kannywood industry.

By implication, all fees in the form of taxes and licensing fees applicable to filmmakers in the state will be applied on these private photographers and printing press operators.

Now, the catch is here. There are estimatedly about 20,000 private photographers operating in Kano and out of this, there are about 500 the likes of Tubless who own studios and are targets of the Board. The over nineteen thousand plus operators are online.

The plan of the board was to bill Tubless and his likes the sum of NGN20,000 per annum in the name of revenue when artists in Kannywood are paying just NGN5,000.

This was obviously a new goldmine for the Mustapha-led censorship board knowing the enormous amount it can generate from charging at least 500 photographers the sum of 20,000 per annum, but the clear billing disparity between Kannywood artists – for whom the board was first established – and the private photographers – who were not even part of the Congress that formed the act in the first place, was going to make implementation difficult.

Without onboarding, without licensing or certification, without even filling forms or any form of formality whatsoever, the Board then sought the cooperation of Nasir Rabiu alias Tubless “convince” his colleagues into agreeing to pay the “tax” and the board promised Tubeless a cut of the largesse in return for his “help.” Mr Tubless humbly declined and ever since, he became targeted for humiliation by the Board.

Now, I have read a copy of the establishing act guiding establishment of the Kano State Censorship Board assented to on the 31st of January 2001 under then Government of the leader of the Kwankwasiya movement in the state, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Under the Kano State Law No. 4 of 2002, the opening clearly State’s that the board was established for the “regulation of licensing and censorship of cinematography film and for the safety of the public exhibition and for purposes connected therewith.” Revenue generation was never part of the primary charge of the Board but licensing and censorship!

Now was charging photographers NGN20,000 annually without any form of formality “licensing”? Well, I understood that the Board itself called it “revenue” but when confronted with the facts of its own act by lawyers, it switched tongues to refer to it as “licensing” fee, when asked to reference the enabling laws, it claimed it had just sent a bill for amendment of the act to the state assembly. So one wonders, why enforce, harass, detain and arraign in the absence of the legal backing to which the board itself has owned up to? Your guess is as good as mine.

The fact that a Chief executive can just decide to wake up and execute action upon people without the necessary dialogue, paperwork, legal backing or operational framework amounts to nothing shut of the perpetration of tyrannical impunity of the wildest imagined proportion.

I’m sure lawyers will agree with me that the law cannot be broken where there is no law in the first place, it’s not a rocket science and if the government and administrators do not understand these basics then upon what basis are they occupying seats of authority?

Obviously, Abba El-Muatapha didn’t read before assuming office, but whether he reads or not, he should realize that his office is not a film location, it’s real life!

His approach is not the way to do things. Formality, Innovation, dialogue and compromise are key tools.

Anything enforced without approach, framework and legal backing sums up to Impunity plus despotic tendencies and that is Democracy 101 where individuals’ fantasies and iron cast wills are not allowed a thriving space unless they align with the will of the people, for the people and by the people.

Let’s not even forget that these photographers and printing press operators are already paying one form of tax or the other to both the state and federal government, this includes agency, billboard, street, studio and CAC taxes.

As a matter of fact, I do not think people are resistant to paying taxes, they just don’t like being rubbed because monies being paid in the name of taxes and revenue are not concurrently translating to development and that is because these monies are mostly being squandered by persons in authority, there is no transparency, accountability or even evidence of work done to show for monies collected in most cases.

If subjected under a forensic audit, Kano Censorship Board for example may not be able to account for all the monies it has been generating from Kannywood Directors, Actors, Producers, Marketers as licensing fees.

There are a million ways Mustapha and the board can make money if only they are willing to be innovative and work with impressionable young minds to bring in big controversy-free ideas.

Al-Mustapha should kindly take dressing and amend his ways and approach otherwise Governor Yusuf Should understand that he cannot afford to stand aloof while such rascality is going on in his name, he must call the Censorhip Board head to order because if such impunity is allowed to thrive, anarchy will gain a new breather and that is not the principle upon which democratic and free societes stand.

Mohammed Dahiru Lawal (MD) – 28 January, 2024, Abuja – Nigeria

M.D is a Journalist, Fact-Checker, Media expert and 2023 Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni of the Presidential Precinct, Charlottesville Virginia, USA

PS: This is an opinion piece, not a news report and views expressed in this article are strictly mine and not that of any of the organization(s) I represent or have affiliations with.