Key leaders of the Nigerian Music Industry Coalition have
joined the 18 Guilds of the Nigerian Motion Picture Industry to call for the
disbandment and reconstitution of the COVID 19 Committee recently announced by
the Minister of Information & Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed. An
investigation by dailynewscover.com reveals a burning anger across the music
industry that there was zero consultation of the institutions of the music
industry before one EfeOmorogbewas announced as representing the industry in
the committee.
Hon John EwelukwaUdegbunam, a foremost music industry
activist and immediate past National President of Music Label Owners &
Recording Industries Association of Nigeria (MORAN), Nigeria’s biggest
association of owners of copyright in sound recordings and a key convener of
the Nigerian Music Industry Coalition, described the announcement of the
appointment of Mr. EfeOmorogbe to the committee as “an insult, an outrage and
an attempt to provoke a large section of the music industry in Nigeria”.
Asked Hon Udegbunam, “How can EfeOmorogbe who is presently
standing criminal trial for the forgery of documents belonging to the Nigerian music
industry be representing the same industry?... Please tell me, how can the same
Omorogbe who has been ordered by the Federal High Court to stop parading
himself as Chairman of COSON, a key organization of the music industry, be said
to be representing our industry? … Does it make sense that EfeOmorogbe who
conspired with others to unlawfully freeze the accounts of COSON in different
banks from which more money would have been released by COSON at this trying periodto
cushion the effects of the coronavirus lockdown on musicians in Nigeria, is now
appointed to make decisions on behalf of
the same musicians he has so dastardly punished? This is the same man who
collected a whopping =N=9million interest free loan from COSON for himself within
the timehe was given a chance to serve the music industry. EfeOmorogbe has
roundly and publicly been rejected by the musicians of Nigeria. It is very
provocative to announce him as representing our industry.”
Another key convener of the Nigerian Music Industry Coalition,
Eng. Sharon Esco Wilson, National President of Music Producers and Marketers
Association of Nigeria (MUPMAN) said, “I have considered Minister Lai Muhammed
to be a friend of the Nigerian creative industry. I have been to his Abuja office
before and was well received by him. He is in fact a patron of our association.
I was shocked when I heard the announcement. I began to wonder who advised him
to make such a very offensive decision? Who gave him this very bad advice? What
could have led him to so badly decide to shave our heads in our absence? Is
somebody trying to use the committee to rehabilitate EfeOmorogbe? It will not
work. I can tell you without equivocation that in my association, Omorogbe is
not considered a partner for good in the music industry but a very dangerous
adversary of our industry. How can he represent us? Is this a joke or a comedy
skit? Maybe, that is why they made Alibaba chairman of the committee!”
Ace drummer, Richard Ayodele Cole, respected across the music
industry, said that the constitution of the committee is a slap on the music
industry. Said Mr. Cole, “it is totally unacceptable. It is consistent with the
age long treatment by government officials of people in the creative industry
as beggars who will take anything given to them. They ought to have learnt that
our industry is made up very brilliant people and those who deal with us must
respect our structures. After all, this is supposed to be a democracy.
“About two years ago, the Minister of information &
Culture was hosted at COSON House in Lagos. He must have seen the magnificent
structure that is COSON House built by the musicians of Nigeria and the
top-class professional manner in which COSON is run. Let it not be forgotten
that recently, COSON became the first Nigerian organization to distribute
millions of Naira to thousands of musicians across Nigeriaas coronavirus
palliatives in a most structured and transparent manner that has openly been
commended by many. The money distributed was not government money and the people
who coordinated the distribution are not government officials. The Nigerian
creative industry has capacity and the continued insult of the industry needs
to end. EfeOmorogbe does not and cannot represent the Nigerian creative
industry. The committee hasto be disbanded and reconstituted with true
representatives of the Nigerian creative industry or some of us will conclude
that this committee was intended to be a case of Alibaba and many thieves”
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