Veteran music producer and former Vice President of
PMAN ,Mr Laolu Akins has reacted to the call by the President of the National Working
Committee of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria(PMAN), Mr. Teemac
Omatshola Iseli that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should
probe the accounts of Chief Tony Okoroji’s led Copyright Society of Nigeria
(COSON) .
According to him,Teemac has no moral justification
to make such request.
Hear him.
“Tee Mac is behind time; and I say this with due respect and without any
prejudice. His allegations against Coson are all familiar and he is still
bitter over Coson's approval by the Federal Government of Nigeria ( an approval
which was by law not lobbying or through armtwisting) He is also wrong in his
argument that Coson does not have international affiliates; Coson has been and
is daily expanding its working relationships with several international
collecting societies and there is significant progress being made and better
confidence being built among users in the Nigerian collective atmosphere. What
I will advocate as a member of Coson is that the Coson finances should be
subjected to constant scrutiny possibly by external auditing so that financial
discipline can be ensured. Coson owes members the responsibility of
transperency and accountability and must shun frivolous or bogus spendings that
may run counter to its members expectations/interests. But I dare say a Tee Mac
has no moral justification to advance these arguments after turning PMAN to a
private property where the affairs are run from private offices and homes,
destroying the credibility that some focused, dynamic, passionate and
hardworking musicians among us worked so hard to build for the Union in the
early years. Pman now has many factions and no serious musician gets involved
any longer for fear of being entangled in all the controversies. I wonder which
faction of Pman Tee Mac now runs as President of its caretaker committee. Coson
is forging ahead,getting things right taking one step at a time. The work is
enormous and cannot be rushed, but it's coming along though we must thread
carefully not to get carried away with the progress that is being made, and
above all; be disciplined. “Let the music pay” joooo. - Laolu Akins”