Omoni Oboli Denies She Copied Spike Lee Chiraq Idea In ‘Wives On Strike Nollywood Movie’

April 15, 2016 – Nollywood Actress Omoni Oboli Denies Copying Spike Lee Chiraq Ideas In ‘Wives On Strike’ Nigerian Movie

Nollywood actress Omoni Oboli has been accused of copying the idea of Chiraq, a musical drama produced by American filmmaker Spike Lee in her latest flick ‘Wives on strike’.

The controversy forced Omoni to give vital background information on the movie. The movie’s concept, she said, came to her about four years ago when she wanted to do a movie about women going on strike, but could not find a sensible reason for the strike.

Her words:

“We felt there was no sense in making comedy, just for comedy sake. At least, that’s how I think, and I like to stick to what I know and leave others who are better at their own areas of expertise to do theirs. So when my husband and I wanted to do something concerning the Child-Not-Bride issue which was steaming up back in 2013, we decided that we had found a good enough reason for the strike. I wrote the script, and when we were ready we started principal photography in April 2014.”

“The idea of going on strike was just fantasy and wishful thinking, not knowing that it had really been conceived by other women in practice, or by other filmmakers and playwrights in theory,” said Omoni.

“Spike Lee commenced principal photography (that means he started shooting) in June 2015, and released in select theatres on December 4 of the same year. Heaven forbid that Spike Lee would copy little old Omoni Oboli, who is in our Nigeria here! How can that happen?! If I had released it first on October 1st, instead of The First Lady like I did, then Spike Lee was definitely being artistic and the similarities were just mere coincidences, but since I decided to release later, then I ‘definitely’ (beyond a shadow of a doubt) copied Mr Lee. Case closed!”