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 and thousands of other members
of the Copyright Society of Nigeria, COSON.
In a statement jointly signed by Sonny Adun and Guy Murray
Bruce, IBAN Chairman and Secretary respectively, 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.
"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.
He added that COSON has done everything to engage
broadcasting stations in Nigeria to do what is done in every
other country in a very professional manner.
"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.
Other artistes who have their musical productions prohibited
on air include 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.
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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