A drought defined is “a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water! This is my most sincere evaluation of Alhaji Adebayo Thomas, a bezak who courageously tenanted the once very vibrant NFVCB, causing a drought to befall it’s activities, villainizing those who built the movie industry with their sweat and blood slaking his avaricious hunger for milking the industry dry by attempting to levy the subscription of individual members of guilds.
Adedayo was a raging tempest that swept the raft beneath the movie industry spectrum, stunting progress, and collapsing the Board’s propensity to improve the industry.
In his time, the Board lacked cohesion and direction from within and without, presenting policies that were self product of his arrogance and ineffectual perceptions. Yes, Thomas was a case of very efficient but most ineffective manager of resources, taking very unkindly even to the most constructive criticism, and deploying his political rascality to break the will of progressively minded players within and outside the board.
His claim to achieving 500% growth rate in cinemas in Nigeria is self aggrandizing. He had no input whatsoever save for his draconian policies that stunted the numbers. He was too lazy to engage the growing challenges of the industry and was too cowardly to table them for discussions.
Adedayo was a drought that pervaded the spectrum of the movie industry in his rascal political journey and disgruntled effort to save his face albeit his audacity to post an immediate lengthy but vexatious epistle of his fall out of power.
Yes, he fought so hard to twist the hands of the then powers that be, to renew his second tenure by four years against the three years specified by the Act setting up the Board.
Under Tinubu, he tried to enforce his iniquity but he was sacked enroute his destination.
No teacher is in a position to evaluate his teaching competence, a feat Adedayo tried to achieve. We are the industry, we know you did not do well. We are happy to miss him.
Chief Peddie Okao writes from Benin City, Edo State.
