In light of Nigeria’s recent ban on depicting ritual killings and smoking in movies, Ghanaian director Ola Michael is advocating for the activation of existing classification laws in Ghana to regulate sensitive content in the media.
In an interview with GhanaWeb’s Isaac Dadzie, Michael highlighted the need for stricter enforcement of regulations that restrict content showcasing smoking, money rituals, and other vices in Ghanaian media.
Drawing parallels with Nigeria’s efforts to curb harmful content in films, Michael emphasized the importance of protecting young viewers from being influenced by such negative portrayals.
He criticized the political inertia that has prevented Ghana’s film classification laws from being operational, leading to the glamorization of vices influenced by Nigerian films.
Michael stressed that the law exists in Ghana but has not been activated due to the indifference of those responsible for enforcing it. He called for immediate action to prevent further negative impacts on Ghanaian society.
Drawing inspiration from India’s stringent film guidelines, Michael highlighted the need for active classification to ensure that harmful content is regulated and young viewers are protected.
He cited examples from Bollywood and Nigeria, where strict guidelines are in place to restrict smoking in films and ensure that only certain characters are shown smoking.
