The Gangs of Lagos, streaming on Prime Video platform continues to generate an animate form of reaction, which ordinarily would require taking a critical look in such directions but looking closer at those who have taken up the gauntlet, are political entities supposedly speaking on behalf of the people, their constituents? The truth is politicians are cynical by nature and they would milk any opportunity that comes their way.
With a hotly contested set of election cycles just concluded, Lagos and everything associated with the city became the eye of the storm in those elections. Winners emerged with formidable losers who weren’t ready to take their loses lying low. Recriminations followed. Caught in the middle of the political mud fight, was the release of the film, Gangs of Lagos, which was shot in 2021, which is a work of fiction, that is beautifully crafted and presented. Politicians reacting rather hastily and tilting towards irrationality are at variance with a democratic culture that the average citizen is clamouring for. The arts through discourse occupy a significant space in nurturing a vibrant democracy, without overtly being political.
It’s important to note that Lagos is an enigmatic city, so also is New York and London. These latter mentioned cities have also had their share of Gangs of New York and Gangs of London respectively through movie representations. These 3 cities are great places to behold but at the same time they have their unique seedy underbelly. This however doesn’t rob them of their dynamism. Recently on a flight to Lagos, I came across a young lady born and bred in Canada but of Congolese descent on a visit to Lagos for the first time. The attraction was the information she had been exposed to and the desire to explore. She was very excited. At the same time the lady was told that though Lagos is a great place to visit, she needed to be on guard at all times. We were being honest.
Reading too much into an artistic presentation, which coincides with an election cycle, is nothing more that stretching it. Lagos is great, with its unique peculiarities. Thus, the call to ban or edit the film Gangs of Lagos to pander to narrow and opportunistic interests will be a slap on one of the major features of any truly democratic society, freedom of expression.
© 2023, Olugbenga Adebanjo
Ojuriblog 