Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) Nigeria’s biggest
Copyright Collective Management Organization has asked all organizations
deploying the musical works and sound recordings of COSON members and
affiliates to immediately obtain a COSON licence or face huge litigation.
At the massively attended World Press Conference held on
Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at which COSON demanded the immediate resignation of Mr.
John Asein, the DG of the Nigerian Copyright Commission(NCC) for serial corruption,
COSON said that the purported suspension of the COSON operating licence is a
ruse not founded on Nigerian law or the Nigerian constitution and requested all
those deploying works in the COSON repertoire to ensure that they take
immediate steps to obtain a COSON licence or face huge litigation.
At the conference attended by its lawyers, COSON also asked
the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC)
to make appropriate restitution to COSON for harassing,
intimidating, maltreating and bullying COSON and several of its officers with
powers not founded on the laws and constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria and denying the Nigerian music industry billions of naira in revenue due
to the industry.
COSON said that it was amazed to discover that some senior
officers in the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) a federal government
agency, were neck deep in the almost 3 years old conspiracy to hijack COSON and
turn it into a private ATM and a private piggy bank for them and their friends
with a plan that if their conspiracy fails, they must destroy the organization
which has become the flagship of the Nigerian copyright system across the
world.
Speaking at the Press Conference, Chief Tony Okoroji,
Chairman of COSON said, “Gentlemen of the Press, despite all the hounding and
intimidation, you are witness to the fact that COSON House continues to stand
tall and remains sparkling clean. 7 days ago, the Board of COSON met at COSON
House. Not one member of the Board was absent and not one member left the
meeting before its adjournment about 7 hours after the meeting began. It was
the Board that directed that this press conference be held. The Board also
approved the acquisition of new state of the art software that will make
royalty distribution in COSON unquestionable and fully transparent.
“Gentlemen of the Press, the COSON Management stands strong.
Our membership on Dec 7, 2017 when the coup took place was 3631. The membership
as of today is 4700, an increase of 29.44%. We wish to inform all those who are
deploying works in the COSON repertoire that the purported suspension of the
COSON operating licence is a ruse not founded on Nigerian law or the Nigerian
constitution. We therefore request all those deploying works in the COSON
repertoire to ensure that they obtain a COSON licence without delay or face powerful
litigation.
“Both the NCC and those who have
conspired with them to hound us and drive us out of existence have not read the
game well. They have underestimated the vision, mission, passion, dedication
and determination of the
members and leaders of COSON. We are 100% committed to ensuring that COSON will
not be one of the failed organizations in the creative industry.
“We have
become freedom fighters for the Nigerian creative industry. We are fighters
against the use of state power to muscle and overwhelm innocent citizens. We
will not slumber, and we will not tire. We refuse to be made slaves in our
nation. We will fight the tyranny that has been unleashed on us until we gain
total victory for the artistes of Nigeria.”
Speaking on the sidelines of the
Press Conference, renowned COSON lawyer, Mr. James Ononiwu of WhitedDove
Solicitors said, “We forcefully challenge the NCC to show Nigerians under which
law it obtained the power to
unilaterally intervene in the choice of the Chairman of a CMO, the power to, on
its own, suspend, revoke or restrict the approval given to a collecting society
or embark on an audit of a collecting society or order the freezing of the bank
accounts of a CMO without ever going to court and seeking the order of a court.
It is absolutely crazy that the NCC is said to be acting under internal
regulations made by it, not founded under any Nigerian law.
How can the NCC in a democracy be
the law maker, the accuser, the judge and the jury in its own case? I agree
that the NCC has become a monster and needs to be tamed.
This terriblescam to decimate one
of the few Nigerian organizations bringing pride to our country across the
world must be condemned by all serious Nigerian citizens.This idea of every
small man who gets a government appointment using the opportunity to visit
mayhem on innocent Nigerians must stop. Enough is enough. We will make the NCC
an example”.
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