SOUL CRY

Wicked are your souls, you rogues
As you shoot your arrows at our soles
And make us run for cover in holes
In a land that belongs to our bones 

You can shoot us down in whole
But you can never kill our soul
For we will never be afraid of those
Who kill the body and not the soul
We will only be afraid of the creator of our souls
Who can destroy in hell, both body and soul

For only a penny 
One can buy two sparrows yet, 
Not one sparrow 
When shot with an arrow 
Falls to the ground without His consent
Why then do you hold us in high contempt?

You want to take over our land without our heart's Consent
After you and your herds have fed to your heart's content
You give in to wicked and selfish urges
When differences could have been settled 
With gentle and peaceful nudges
Your medulla just stopped working
Unable to decipher justice at dawn

Oh! Images of maimed and dead bodies
Make my stomach churn and purge
And cuts through my heart like
Would a punch
And because our faith forbids us throw a retaliation punch
We find comfort in the belief that only God, will judge.

All Rights Reserved (c) DJ Irawo (2010)

TAX BREAK FOR THE NIGERIAN CREATIVE INDUSTRY IS HERE

In past entertainment conferences, I have raised the issue of tax break for entertainment entrepreneurs/businesses. Now, it is a reality.

In a statement issued and signed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, the  Nigerian creative industry would get pioneer status.

The ‘Pioneer Status’ is granted to companies making investments in qualifying industries and products as tax holiday, from the payment of corporate income tax and withholding tax on dividend from pioneer profits for an initial period of three years, extendable for one or two additional years. 

The minister said,

"We are determined to do more for the creative industry in order to allow the creative talents of our youths to blossom, create massive jobs and position Nigeria as a global hub for the industry.''

The Minister said the move was made in fulfillment of a promise made at the Creative Industry Financing Conference in Lagos 17-18 July 2017, by the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, who was represented by the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, at the opening event.

Lai said the FG was doing its best to tackle the key issues raised by participants at the Creative Industry Financing Conference such as granting ‘Pioneer Status’ to the creative industry as well as tackling piracy of creative works.

He further said,

''It is a measure of the increasing importance attached to the industry by the federal government that these issues are now being handled with utmost urgency. 

First, the ‘Pioneer Status’ has been granted within three weeks of the conclusion of the conference. Secondly, an Anti-Piracy Committee, comprising representatives of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, industry stakeholders and the police, has been set up to work out the modality for tackling piracy in a lasting and sustainable manner.''