Sanni Mu’azu…
All Hail Makama Jos North
CONGRATULATORY messages are still pouring in for the veteran actor, writer and producer Sanni Mu’azu who was recently conferred with the traditional title of Pozoh Rhum ( Makaman Jos North).
The road to the country home of the actor of vast credit is still busy as friends, colleagues and well- wishers from far and near have been trooping in, to felicitate with the former President of the Motion Picture Practitioners Association of Nigeria ( MOPPAN) on his recent conferment and the turbaning ceremony, which was performed in May by His Royal Majesty, the Ujah Anaguta and President, Jos North Traditional Council Pozoh Johnson Jauro Magaji. In the letter conveying the conferment of traditional chieftaincy title to Mu’azu, the traditional council had stated that the conferment was in recognition of Mu’azu’s “exemplary leadership, service to humanity, commitment to peaceful coexistence and respect for the traditional institution.”
As the Makaman, the traditional council expects the filmmaker to continue to exhibit a high sense of o responsibility, integrity and decorum, which as the traditional council noted, has characterised the life of the accomplished actor.
Indeed it has been one delegation to another since the turbaning ceremony at Jos North Local Council in Plateau State. This week, the leadership of Abba Na Shehu Ward Community Development Initiative, led by Alhaji Auwal Al- Mansoor, paid Mu’azu a courtesy visit to congratulate him. The delegation had paid similar visits to the Ujah himself and the Turakin Jos Alhaji Garba Abdulkadir.
Also, the Federation of Muslim Women Associations of Nigeria, FOMWAN, Plateau State Branch under the State Amira, Haj Kaltume Auwal, led her executive committee on a similar visit. The Makama who considers the conferment of the title as “a new phase in his life as an Ummah” has also received a delegation from CCSI, an organisation that has worked with Sani Mu’azu as an A- list actor on Newman Street. The CCSI had partnered Nollywood Concepts Promotions to produce Newman Street.
An elated Mu’azu had on behalf of the Ujah Anaguta led Jos North Traditional Council and the Turakin Jos thanked all those who visited, called or sent letters of congratulation.
“I thank you all most sincerely for the kind gesture and prayers for our success in carrying this leadership responsibility. May Allah bless us all,” he said.
An award winning actor, producer and director whose most recent major appearance in a movie is in the award- winning movie titled King of Boys, Mu’azu is unarguable one of Nigeria’s best hand in acting and producing. A product of the Mass Communication Department of the University of Jos and an alumnus of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Mu’azu joined the movie industry from a sterling career on television.
A cast member of two international celluloid film projects— the first Soweto directed by Mike Reburn in 1987 and the second, a 1990 Hollywood film Mr Johnson as directed by
Bruce Beresford and shot on location in Toro, Bauchi State, Mu’azu had made name on television before he joined movie industry. He made name as a leading actor in two of the defunct television soaps by the Nigerian Television Authority ( NTA) Shadows and Behind The Clouds.
His other television credit was playing the leading role in Riddles and Hopes, which earned him the best actor award. Currently a Board Member of Nigeria’s sole collective management organisation for Audio- Visual— - Audio Visual Rights Society of Nigeria, Mu’azu has featured in a number of movie projects both in the English and Hausa divide of the Nigerian motion picture industry.
Movies that have benefited from his believable portrayal include Shuga ( 2013), Newman Street ( 2014), Lion Heart ( 2018), Up North ( 2018), King of Boys ( 2018), Soft Work ( 2020), and Hikama ( 2020), Others are Amina, Agumba, Hafsah, Eg’igwe, Tambaree and several others.
Mu’azu produced Hafsah, a movie on
HIV/ AIDS for BBC World Service Trust Abuja. The movie earned three nominations at an earlier edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards ( AMAA).
A member of the unofficial Nollywood 60’ s club, Mu’azu who is married with children has served on a number of ministerial and industry committees including serving on the steering committee for the Motion Picture Council of Nigeria by the Federal Government and on the Bank of Industry Nollyfund Committee.
A member of the Independent Producers Association of Nigeria ITPAN and the Directors Guild of Nigeria ( DGN), Mu’azu who was appointed as Fellow of the Film Academy by Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, has received a number of awards, including best Hausa Producer/ Director at the Africa Film Awards in the UK, Filmmaker of the Year and the Plateau Man of the year award.
A recipient of the prestigious Stars in the Movies Award and the Nollywood Personality Award NOPA, Mu’azu’s feature film, which he produced, Mountain Blues, was awarded the Best Feature Film Award at the Abuja International Film Festival ( AIFF) in 2019.
Asked how it feels to be conferred with such a prestigious traditional title, Mu’azu who runs Lenscope Media as Managing Director said it felt good to be honoured and recognized by his people.
“I have received a number of awards and recognition. But this is special, because it is by own people. It is a call to greater service to humanity and a call to work with others to help in realising the traditional council’s objective of fostering peace and unity as well as progress and development of the traditional council area. I thank His Royal Majesty the Ujah Anaguta and President, Jos North LGA Traditional Council for the honour and recognition, which I don’t take for granted.”