COSON factional president tells members to ignore meeting called by Tony Okoroji

The battle for the soul of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) rages on as Efe Omorogbe has called on members of the collecting society to ignore the Emergency General Meeting scheduled for December 18, 2018, which is allegedly being arranged by Tony Okoroji.

In a statement signed by Efe Omorogbe and other board members of COSON including; Sikiru Agboola, Obi Asika, Dare Fasasi, Joel Ajayi and Audu Maikori, the meeting by Tony Okoroji was declared ‘illegal’ and therefore an exercise in futility.

The statement which came with a six-point agenda also declared that Tony Okoroji does not have the legal authority to convene a COSON EGM, or present an agenda for deliberation.

Here’s a full text of the statement issued by Efe Omorogbe; “This is to advise members of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), music industry stakeholders and the general public that contrary to what is being advertised, the Emergency General Meeting scheduled for December 18, 2018 is illegal and therefore an exercise in futility.

“Chief Tony Okoroji and his board of handpicked acolytes do not have the legal authority to convene a COSON EGM, present an agenda for deliberation or execute whatever resolutions are adopted.

Read also: PMAN secures court order to freeze all COSON’s account

The current status is thus:

1. Okoroji remains sacked as chairman of the board.

2. The operating licence of the society remains suspended according to the regulator, Nigeria Copyright Commission.

3. Okoroji and his agents are currently facing criminal prosecution by the regulator.

4. Mareva order was issued on 30th November, 2018 on suit number FHC/L/CS/1819/2018, Premier Music Publishing Company Limited, Ivory Music Limited and another vs COSON & others freezing all COSON accounts (save for staff emoluments).

5. Appeal process is on-going on the ruling of Justice Liman J. at the Federal High Court, Enugu and until the case is determined, Efe Omorogbe maintains his position as the legal chairman of the legal board of COSON.

6. Right owners should be rest assured that we will not relent in our commitment to the protection of their royalties and the building of a world class process-driven structure for collective management of copyright in music in Nigeria.

The statement comes days after Pretty Okafor, the factional President of the Performing Musician Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) revealed that a court order has been secured to freeze all bank accounts of COSON.

According to Pretty Okafor, the recent move to freeze the accounts was in furtherance to the suspension of COSON’s operating license by the Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC).

The PMAN honcho also added in the statement that court order to freeze the accounts was done in a bid to stop the illegal and unsupervised spending of monies belonging to rights owners by Chief Tony Okoroji and his illegally constituted board.

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