This would be a difficult situation to face by
these artiste as The Broadcasting Organisation
of Nigeria, BON, and the Independent
Broadcasting Association of Nigeria, IBAN,
have stopped airing musical productions
belonging to the following musicians; Chief
Ebenezer Obey, 2Face Idibia, Onyeka Onwenu,
Banky W,Iyanya, Azizat, D’Banj, Olamide, Dr.
SID, Sammy Okposo, Olu Maintain, Sunny Neji,
Rugged Man, Jasman Olofin, X-Project, Asa,
African China, Terry G, Waje, Omawumi, Sound
Sultan and J Martins.
the two bodies said they were constrained to
take this step principally as “a result of
COSON’s attitude of antagonism and
harassment under the leadership of Tony
Okoroji (COSON Chairman)”.
“No person or organisation, particularly a
collection society such as COSON has a
monopoly of authority over any other…IBAN
and BON have the utmost respect for Nigerian
artistes in their individual and collective
capacities and have indeed contributed more
than any known institution to the promotion of
Nigerian music and the development of the
entertainment industry as a whole,” the
statement reads.
But in a swift reaction, Okoroji, COSON boss,
said his organisation has read with amusement
the empty threat by the leadership of BON
that its affiliate stations would no longer play
the music of Nigerian citizens on Nigerian
stations because Nigerian musicians are asking
for their right to be paid copyright royalties
for the exploitation of their music as is done
in every country in the world.
He said it is only in a country like Nigeria that
this can take place with some people having no
regards for intellectual property.
“The threat by the leadership of BON reveals
the crass ignorance with which some members
of BON have been misled and steered into
easily avoidable crisis. For many years, this
people have used ‘divide and rule’ tactics and
threats to weaken the music industry and
ensure that the industry did not effectively
challenge its exploitation,” Okoroji said.
He stated that it is indeed revealing that IBAN/
BON people who pretend to be leaders of the
broadcast industry in Nigeria believe that they
can play music belonging to foreign nationals
for free in Nigeria without any consequence.
He said “For their information, by the
reciprocal representation agreements entered
into between COSON and several collective
management organisations around the world
and the various copyright conventions to
which Nigeria is a signatory, every broadcast
station in Nigeria is bound to pay copyright
royalties for foreign music as it must for the
music belonging to Nigerians. Failure to pay
exposes Nigeria to both economic and
diplomatic sanctions,” Okoroji disclosed.
“COSON has met with Broadcasting
Organisations of Nigeria (BON), Independent
Broadcasting Association of Nigeria (IBAN),
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and
practically every major broadcasting network
in Nigeria. While there are broadcasting
stations that have reached agreements with
COSON and are broadcasting music
comfortably as required by law, some other
stations have allowed themselves to be
deceived by the empty boast of people who
have told them that they can ‘handle’ COSON,”
Okoroji added.
But IBAN and BON also said their members are
ready and willing to pay royalties for works
used but will not be railroaded into arbitrarily
imposed and concocted fees which are not
based on any agreeable and verifiable tariff
and standards.
“In the circumstance, we are therefore taking
steps in liaison with important stakeholders in
the country to address and hopefully come to
a fair and reasonable resolution of this COSON
induced crises,” IBAN/BON stated.
PMNEWS learnt Prince Emeka Mba, Director
General, National Broadcasting Organisation of
Nigeria, has waded in.
The NBC boss is said to have called for a
negotiated settlement, wondering how the
stations can do away with works of the
affected artistes who are the best in Nigeria
and still meet up with requirement of NBC.
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