The legal management board of Copyright Society of Nigeria COSON after an emergency board meeting on Thursday, May 16, 2019 has passed a resolution directing the management of the CMO to formally apply for the renewal of its operating licence with immediate effect.
This was contained in a release signed by the board and made available to the media.
By 5:00 PM on Monday 20th May, 2019, the operating licence of COSON would have expired making it criminal for the once widely admired collective management organisation to collect licensing fees on behalf of thousands of rights owners.
While this ugly eventuality may appear to offer short term breather for the embattled Tony Okoroji and his cronies whose intransigence have resulted in the suspension of the license since April 2018, it is a major setback for writers, composers, performers, labels and publishers whose works and investment produce the music that drives many a business within and outside Nigeria.
Since his illegal hijack of the reins of the management board of COSON on December 19, 2017, Tony Okoroji has superintended COSON’s free fall into crisis, ignominy and criminality. The loss of credibility and suspension of its licence have resulted in dwindling collection. Tens of millions of distributable income have been channelled into a mindless legal and media war of attrition more in a bid to maintain Okoroji’s illegal stranglehold of the reins and ensure his personal survival than to protect the interest of right owners.
It has become a matter of necessity for the stakeholders, represented by the legal COSON Board comprising Efe Omorogbe, Joel Ajayi, Sikiru Agboola, Obi Asika, Dare Fasasi and Audu Maikori to direct management to apply for renewal of the operating licence of COSON with immediate effect.
The board and members hereby issues a stern warning to the management of COSON that the consequences of conniving with Okoroji, puppet members of his rogue-board and toxic acolytes to strip the society of its hard-earned approval thereby depriving members of their duly earned royalties, will be dire.
“Every one shall be held accountable for his or her role in this sordid drama and make no mistake, everyone will pay for their actions,” the legal board threatened.
