Mercy Johnson blasts Ghanaian TV station for airing her film without permission

Nollywood star Mercy Johnson-Okojie has called out a Ghanaian television station, Blazing TV, for allegedly broadcasting her movie The Firstborn without authorization.

Taking to Instagram, the actress expressed outrage and disbelief over what she described as blatant copyright infringement.
“Ghana, Blazing TV. How is this even ok?” she wrote.

“Blazing TV in Ghana is showing my movie, The Firstborn, on their TV without my consent. How does this even make sense? How? I am speechless at the audacity of it all.”

Her criticism adds to a growing outcry among Nigerian filmmakers over the unauthorized use of their content by some Ghanaian broadcasters.

Actress Omoni Oboli had earlier condemned similar actions and even threatened to escalate the matter to Ghana’s president, describing the infringement as disgraceful.

Likewise, Bolaji Ogunmola publicly warned content pirates, saying she was tired of the setbacks caused by intellectual property theft.

In response to the uproar, Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Sam George, addressed the concerns raised by Nigerian creatives including Bimbo Ademoye.

In April, George assured that the issue would be discussed with the appropriate regulatory authorities and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to protecting intellectual property rights.

Responding directly to Ademoye on social media, he wrote: “@bimboademoye, my attention has been drawn to your post thanks to the tag. I would be raising the issue with my Colleague Minister responsible for overseeing television content.

“I however wish to assure you that our government is very respectful of intellectual property rights and would ensure the protection of same.

“I believe Ghana and Nigeria have so much we can continue to collaborate on for our mutual benefit.”

The controversy has reignited conversations about the need for stronger regional enforcement of copyright laws and better cooperation between the Nigerian and Ghanaian film industries.