Between crime and unemployment

The rate of unemployment in the country today is at an all-time high. Many school leavers and university graduates roam the streets with no visible source of livelihood while others have taken to crime. A careful analysis of the age of arrested armed robbers will reveal that the majority of them are between the ages of 18 and 35.

While nothing can justify their involvement in crime, we must realise that unemployment is a major contributory factor .

Hence, government should try as much as possible to provide employment opportunities for the people particularly the youth.

Mare Mosunmola,
Bowen University,
Iwo,
Osun State.
mosunmolamare@yahoo.com

Of Yoruba film marketers and pirates

Recently, the chairman of Yoruba Video Film Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (YOVIFPMAN), Alhaji Saheed Ishola Ayedun, addressed the press on the newest method pirates use in producing unauthorised copies of their movies. He lamented that pirates produce their newly released movies on DVD. Movie audience now prefer pirated copies because they sell at almost the same price with a movie on the CD gauge.

The average Nigerian prefers the multi-movie DVD because of its quantity. They can spend N250 to gain access to about eight movies. Though this development is injurious to the marketers, the fault is that of the producers and marketers of the movies. They release countless movies on a monthly basis, irrespective of the interest of their audience.

If the Yoruba film market had been properly regulated, the activities of pirates would not have thrived this much. The reward of the labours of film makers is now being enjoyed by pirates who reap where they have not sown.

Regardless of the short-comings of film producers and marketers, I want to implore all government agencies, saddled with the responsibility of regulating the activities of film makers in Nigeria, to come to the aid of the film producers and marketers before the vicious activities of pirates send them into exile. Also, film marketers should release the number of movies they can monitor. This would stem the unscrupulous activities of pirates.

Wale Donald,
bowad2000@yahoo.co.uk