A very dirty Christmas: Why Ini Edo movie dey make CAN vex

Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Ini Edo, don beg di feem board, National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) make dem no pull down her new feem, 'A Very Dirty Christmas' from di cinema.

Inside one emotional video wey she post for her Instagram page on Sunday night, Ini Edo react to wetin CAN bin say - make NFVB review dia approval of di feem becos of di name, 'A Very Dirty Christmas' wey she use as di title.

On Thursday, President of CAN, Daniel Okoh bin tok say di feem dey offensive and disrespectful to di Christian faith.

Oga Okoh tok say di feem title don turn di spiritual meaning of Christmas and how dem dey celebrate di birth of Jesus Christ into sometin "crude and sensational."

"Di Christian Association of Nigeria dey deeply troubled by di title of di movie: 'A Very Dirty Christmas', wey dem see as offensive and disrespectful to di Christian faith. Christmas na sacred season wey mark di birth of Jesus Christ and represent purity, peace, love and redemption,"e tok.

"Linking such holy celebration wit di word 'dirty' diminish di spiritual meaning and reduce a solemn religious mata into sometin crude and sensational."

While reacting on Sunday night, di actress tok say she no fit do anytin wey go disrespect God or Christendom, she beg make NFVB no pull down her movie as investors don entrust her wit dia money to produce di movie and put am for cinema

"I no fit do anytin wey go disrespect God or Christendom. God house dey feel home, if I be pesin wey no get God I no fit dey here," she tok.

"I don collect money from investors to do dis feem. We don do adverts and promotions. We get 70 cinema house wey don dey show dis feem. How I go come begin change di name and tittle?"

"Abeg, no pull my film, I dey beg. Just allow pipo watch am. Afta una watch finish, make una come back come tok say dis feem dey spoil Christian name or dey make Christianity look bad. If una talk am like dat, I go pull am."

Ini Edo tok say she be pesin wey value religion and she no want any wahala wit CAN or any religious body but make dem allow pipo watch di feem and if di title no good she go change di name herself.

She beg CAN and anyone wey find am disrespectful say she no mean any harm wit di title.

"I be Christian. I no want wahala with Christians at all because I be one of dem. I go change di title, I dey beg make una no pull di feem," she tok.

"If di film no respect God or Christians anyhow, I go remove am and carry di blame.

Dis film no get dirty inside at all. E just dey show family reunion and unfolding secrets."

Di movie 'A very dirty Christmas', wey Ini Edo produce and Akay Mason direct dey show for cinema dis festive period and na about family reunion wey turn emotional wia dem begin reveal old secrets and past trauma.

Di feem feature ogbonge Nollywood stars like Nancy Isime, IK Ogbonna, Lateef Adedimeji, Josephina Otabor, and Wumi Toriola, among odas.

'Approval of di title no mean to disrespect Christian faith' - NFVB

On Friday, NFVCB Director-General, Shaibu Husseini, issue one press statement on Instagram wia e tok say dem never receive any formal communication from CAN.

Oga Husseini assure di Christian community and di general public say NFVCB hold religious sensitivity, mutual respect, and peaceful co-existence as important mata.

"Di NFVCB clarify say di film get approval and dey classified afta dem don undergo established censorship and classification process, wia di Film Censorship Committee examine di work within di narrative and thematic context," di statement tok.

"Di approval of di title no mean to disrespect Christian faith or di significance of Christmas, but dey considered as part of fictional and creative expression."

NFVCB tok say dem don follow di feem producers tok make dem change di title so e no go offend Christians or cause "religious tension"

Oga Husseini tok say di board go make sure say di films wey dem approve dey inline wit dia laws.

"Di Board dey assure di public say dem go follow di National Film and Video Censors Board Act, including Section 39(1), wey give di Film Censorship Committee power to withdraw film from exhibition for further review wia such action dey considered necessary in di interest of di public," NFVB tok.