COSON LAWYER DESCRIBES THE MCSN ATTACK OF THE ONGOING COSON DISTRIBUTION OF =N=50 MILLION TO SUFFERING MUSICIANS AS WICKED AND EVIDENCE OF INCURABLE “BAD BELLE”

Mr. James Ononiwu, renowned lawyer to COSON, Nigeria’s biggest and most successful copyright collective management organization, has stoutly condemned the recent attack by the leadership of Musical Copyright Society Nigeria (MCSN), of the ongoing distribution of =N=50 Million Naira by COSON to musicians across the country who are traumatized by the Coronavirus lockdown.

In a swift response to the attack, Mr. James Ononiwu. Principal Partner in the Lagos law firm of Whitedove Solicitors, described the attack as “wicked, despicable and evidence of incurable bad belle”

Mr. Ononiwu wondered how any musician or anyone who claims to love musicians can find fault with the responsible and responsive action taken by the leadership of COSON to alleviate the suffering of their members across the country at a time of their greatest need. Said Mr. Ononiwu, “the unquestionably positive reactions of hundreds of musicians and thousands of other Nigerians to the brilliant step taken by the COSON Board can be found on every social media platform and practically every newspaper in the land. Many musicians in every state of Nigeria are happy and openly praying for the leadership of COSON. Why is that disturbing the sleep of these funny people at MCSN? Did COSON distribute MCSN money? This is not the first or second or third royalty distribution by COSON, an organization that has distributed hundreds of millions of naira to its members and commissioned the sparkling and magnificent COSON House while MCSN has little or nothing to show except never ending bad belle. Can’t the people at MCSN see that this is no time for their degenerate brand of politics? What is the business of a CMO if not to collect and distribute royalties?”

Said the fiery Lagos lawyer, “This a defining moment in the affairs of man. Across the world, true leaders are being seen for who they are and retrogrades are also being seen. COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji, has once again displayed the attributes of a first-class leader that has made him a Nigerian icon. His understanding of the situation, his humanness, decisiveness and the detailed and transparent execution of the relief distribution will certainly go down in the history of the Nigerian creative industry and the nation.

“Meanwhile, the leaders of MCSN who were sleeping while Nigerians have been going through a harrowing experience, suddenly woke up from their slumber and kick started their usual grumbling and quarreling and finger pointing and rabble rousing while people are in deep pain. Can’t they see that this is no time for such nonsense? Don’t these guys know when to shut up? Don’t they have any milk of human kindness in them at all? I know that thousands of musicians across Nigeria have received their royalties while some have not. I wish to assure every COSON member who is yet to receive his relief royalty that MCSN cannot stop the distribution and that their money is on the way”

In conclusion, Mr. Ononiwu said, “I have seen the litany of cases mentioned in the ill-advised press statement issued by the leadership of MCSN and their jaundiced and self-serving reasoning and claims. I am a lawyer and I know that in Nigeria, we do not try cases on social media platforms or blogs. If these guys who have shown no modicum of empathy for the suffering of the musicians they claim to represent, truly believe that COSON has done something wrong, let them meet us in court. I and other COSON lawyers will be waiting for them”.

UDEGBUNAM BOMBS PRETTY OKAFOR, SAYS: COSON REMAINS SOLID AS A ROCK

Frontline COSON Board member, Honourable John Ewelukwa Udegbunam is angry at what he has termed a propaganda war unleashed by the factional leader of PMAN, Mr. Pretty Okafor and his cronies against COSON. In a scatting public statement, Udegbunam described Pretty Okafor as “the entertainment industry’s blatant Minister of Confusion, Disinformation & Fabrication”. The propaganda war which allegedly is being orchestrated from “Okafor’s decadent PMAN which has no known office address” is that there is ongoing significant withdrawal of rights from COSON in support of the action of the NCC against COSON which Udegbunam describes as totally misguided.

Until recently, Udegbunam was the National President of the powerful Music Label Owners & Recording Industries Association of Nigeria (MORAN), Nigeria’s biggest association of owners of copyright in sound recordings. From inception, he has been a member of the Management Board of COSON, Nigeria’s most respected and successful copyright collective management organization. He is a trained musicologist, composer, music teacher, producer and label owner and National Music Director of the Praise & Worship Ministry of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Nigeria (CCRN).  

Hon. Udegbunam in his account states that the demarcation of rights is an everyday occurrence in collective management organizations across the world and that those who have recently demarcated their rights in COSON have a right to do so and COSON has no quarrel with them. In his words, “these right owners constitute less than 0.2% of the entire membership of COSON and to use this to mount the propaganda that members are running from COSON is very mischievous. I know for certain that no member of COSON has resigned his membership of the society in recent times rather, artistes continue to join COSON in droves because they know that COSON is solid, responsible, transparent and responsive and is in the frontline of stoutly defending the rights of its members and providing succor for them in their times of need. Without question, there is no other institution in the Nigerian creative industry like COSON”.

Continued Udegbunam, “I am aware that because of the ‘fire’ burning at the NCC in Abuja with the exposure of the frightening corruption and flagrant abuse of power of the leadership of that government institution, some charlatans who have sold their souls and the music industry for some pieces of silver have  been hired to throw stones at COSON in an effort to deflect the ongoing investigation of the activities of the DG of the NCC and destroy the image of COSON. They are working together with those who failed woefully in their attempt to hijack the leadership of COSON in 2017. We are not unaware that recently, Pretty Okafor, the Facebook PMAN President with minute followership, visited the very tainted NCC leadership in Abuja to receive his instructions. Their gambit to deflect attention from the investigation of the NCC DG will not work because the evidence against the DG is overwhelming and unassailable and nothing will stop the music industry from doing its sacred duty of continuously and vigorously drawing the attention of the Nigerian people, the international copyright community and the government to the corruption at the NCC until the law takes its proper course”

Asked the music industry leader popularly known as Eweson, “Is it not strange that Pretty Okafor never talks about PMAN which he purports to lead? All he sings about every day, from morning to night, is COSON of which he is not even a member and to which he has assigned no rights”. What exactly is Okafor’s claim to being a musician… is the chorus voice he did for his late friend, Junior, in “Bolanle”, recorded over 25 years ago?”

Without pulling any punches, Honourable Udegbunam says “with respect to the wild actions of the NCC against COSON, the issues are before a court of competent jurisdiction. Sooner or later, judgment will be delivered. Those who have followed COSON know that it is an organization that does not go to court in vain”.

He insists that he participated in the meeting of the COSON Board at which after vigorous discussions, it was unanimously decided that the NCC be sued since every attempt to get its leadership to respect the law and the independence of COSON has been thwarted.

Hon Udegbunam insists that the court action taken by COSON is creating desperation and fright within the enemies of the music industry as there is serious suspicion that at the end of the day, COSON will be proved right again and that is why the enemies of the music industry have ramped up what he describes as “their meaningless propaganda activities” which he is sure will crumble again.

The COSON Director concludes by saying, “For the avoidance of doubt, COSON remains solid as a rock and the members remain very proud of this phenomenal organization”

COSON CORONAVIRUS RELIEF DISTRIBUTION - UPDATE BY COSON CHAIRMAN, CHIEF TONY OKOROJI

I wish to thank the members of COSON across Nigeria for their widely expressed happiness and prayers for the COSON Board for initiating the Anti-Coronavirus Emergency Relief (ACER) General Distribution to assist members to weather the storm at this very difficult moment.

In the spirit of transparency and accountability which is behind the phenomenal success of COSON, I wish to update members of COSON as follows:

1.     The sum of N50 Million which is being distributed by COSON to our members across Nigeria was not provided by government or any other agency at home or abroad. It is entirely funds earned by COSON on behalf of our members.

2.     It is only COSON members whose names are on the register as at May 19, 2019 that are qualified for the distribution.

3.     It is not every member who is qualified that will receive alert on the same day as the control measures instituted on the digital platform which has been set up for the distribution between our bank and our operatives permits a limit of =N=10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) a day.

4.     On Tuesday, April 7, 2020 the sum of =N=9,999,000.00 (Nine Million, Nine Hundred & Ninety-Nine Naira) was sent to 909 members of COSON. Money meant for 15 members was returned unpaid.

5.     On Wednesday, another sun of =N=9,999,000.00 (Nine Million, Nine Hundred & Ninety-Nine Naira) was sent to another 909 members of COSON. Money meant for 25 members was retuned unpaid.

6.     As of Wednesday, April 8, 2020, 1,778 members of COSON have been paid a total sum of =N=19,558,000.00 (Nineteen Million, Five Hundred &Fifty-Eight Naira)

7.     Efforts are ongoing to ensure that more members of COSON receive their alert today. I call on all those who may not have received their money even after today, to be patient as I am working non-stop with the management team to ensure that the process does not stop until every qualified COSON member has been attended to. Every attempt will also be made to resend all the funds which were returned in case their return was as result of a computer glitch.

8.     The only problem that can stop a member from receiving an alert is if his or her account details are faulty or if he or she has changed accounts without notifying COSON.

9.     Please do not attempt to bribe any of our operatives or give any kind of gratification to any of them as such is forbidden in COSON and all services to our members including registration is completely free.

10.                        At the end of the exercise we will publicize a portal at which any qualified COSON member who has not received his money can lodge a complaint and his or her matter will be reviewed.

11.                        A further update will be provided as it becomes necessary.

Stay safe everyone and may the Almighty bless all members of COSON, our families and our nation.

CHIEF TONY OKOROJI

April 9, 2020

COSON “BOMBS” NIGERIAN MUSICIANS WITH 50 MILLION NAIRA CORONAVIRUS RELIEF.

Starting from Tuesday evening, thousands of musicians across the country would have started receivingbank alerts as Anti-Corona Emergency Relief Distribution from COSON, Nigeria’s biggest and most respected copyright collective management organization. The distribution is in reaction to the hardship and distress being faced by many musicians in Nigeria who have been affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the current lockdown which has also stopped entertainment activities across the country.

For the distribution, the COSON Board has approved the sum of 50 Million Naira to be shared amongst about 4,500 members on the society’s register as at May 19, 2019.

In the midst of the current crisis and following several S.O.S. messages from COSON members facing deep hardship all over the nation, the COSON Board over the weekend, met online in an emergency session and after vigorous discussions, approved the distribution.

Speaking on the development, COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji said, “I have personally received calls from several members of COSON who are desperate for immediate assistance of any kind. Other members of our Board have received similar messages. At a time like this, COSON must be responsible and responsive to the needs of our members and we should do everything we can to help them wade through these hard times. That is the very reason why COSON was set up. I am proud of the quick response of members of the COSON Board who showed great understanding that we must be our brothers’ keeper at a time like this.

“Starting immediately, with the co-operation of the banks, each qualified member of COSON will receive a modest sum of eleven thousand naira in what we have termed Anti-Coronavirus Emergency Relief (ACER) General Distribution. We are able to do this because of the deft management of our resources. We wish we could do more. I however believe that most people are aware of what we have been through in recent times. Let me thank the COSON management team of Vincent Adawaisi, Isa Aruna and Anthony Imuse who burnt the midnight oil to ensure that the decision of the Board is executed with dispatch”.  

On outstanding Specific Distributions, the COSON Chairman said, “Every member of the Board is very eager that all outstanding specific distributions should be paid without any delay. The issue was prominent in our discussions on the emergency relief distribution. While the Board and the General Assembly have approved the specific distributions, it is common knowledge that COSON funds in two banks are frozen. The money for the specific distributions is domiciled in the frozen accounts. The money is safe. Not one Naira is missing. It is also common knowledge that we have gone to court to have the accounts unfrozen and immediately that happens, the money will be paid. In any case, all those entitled to Specific distribution will also receive the Anti-Coronavirus Emergency Relief (ACER) General Distribution.

“It is unfortunate that it is some of our colleagues that requested the banks to freeze the accounts which has brought this suffering to innocent COSON members and even to those who took the action. That is why we need to be very careful about what we say and what we do.”

“I hope that we will use this very challenging period to think deeply. We have built COSON to be there for musicians through thick and thin. We work hard to ensure that COSON takes care of musicians while they are alive and celebrates them even in death. Has anyone forgotten how in an unprecedented manner we buried the late Ras Kimono like a king?

Said the COSON Chairman, “Some people may think that because things are going well for them today, they will never need COSON. I have been in the industry long enough to know that the day will come when each of us needs an institution like COSON. When I hear people in our industry call on government to clamp down on COSON or that those who owe us money should not pay us, I ask why anyone would choose to urinate into a well from which he might soon draw water to drink when he is desperately thirsty”

Concluded Chief Okoroji, “I know that I cannot please everyone but I am working hard every day to lift up the musicians of Nigeria, promote and defend our industry and provide visible solutions to the problems of each of us. I have absolutely no interest in the cantankerous name calling and rabid character assassination which many appear to dwell in and which do not provide even one cup of garri for any Nigerian artiste or one cube of Maggi for his pot of soup”.