By Ibrahim Ramalan
The Kano State government has delivered a summon to popular Kannywood Artiste, Sadiq Zazzabi, inviting him to appear before a Kano-based Court 3, over his inability to censor the lyrics and the visuals for a recently-unveiled video.
The singer, being sued by the Kano State Censors’ Board (KSCB), would have to appear before the said court on March 1, 2017.
Zazzabi, who unveiled a song about the former Kano State Governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, raised the alarm some time back that he was being deprived of his freedom of expression by the KSCB, who is using the State Security Service (SSS).
However, when he reported to the offices of the SSS, they could not stop him for want of “substantial evidence.” He said: “The agency didn’t harass or intimidate me. They are very professional. We discussed how and when the fracas started.”
Blueprint gathered that the evidences Zazzabi presented were more concrete than that of KSCB, because there was no law that barring any singer from releasing a song any time he or she wished to do so.
He said: “It happened weeks ago when I intended to unveil my latest song, in which I praised my political idol, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso. I organised an award ceremony to honour him and other ‘Kwankwasiyya’ movement members. I used that opportunity and unveil the song, but prior to that event, I submitted my song to the board for censoring, because I don’t want to be seen as a law breaker.
“The agents at the board premiered the music and only asked me some few questions about some phrases in the music, and I told them that it is normal for such genre of music since there was no mention of names. I was then asked to go and that they would get back to me. I obliged and complied. After that I went there more than three times, nothing was said to me, and went ahead with my programme.
“I want to maintain that I did not break any law, did not release my music like they were alleging, it was just an event to unveil the music and there is a difference between unveiling and exhibition. And the most interesting part of it is that up to the moment I did my event, no body called my attention from the board,” Zazzabi revealed.
