COSON begins massive sensitization of music industry stakeholders across Nigeria

Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Nigeria’s biggest copyright collective management organization has begun what it has termed a “wide, deep and critical” sensitization of stakeholders with interest in music copyright in Nigeria. The sensitization is aimed at the education of different arms of the music industry on the significant challenges and obstacles faced in the collective management of music copyright which obstacles were created by some officials of the outgoing Federal Government and their cronies and which obstacles have in recent times affected the distribution of music copyright royalties which COSON had done successfully for several years. The sensitization is also to brief stakeholders on the steps being taken by COSON to resume a very vibrant regime of music copyright royalty distribution to stakeholders in Nigeria without much delay and to correct the misinformation and false propaganda being circulated to bring COSON down.

As part of the sensitization, a delegation of the COSON Board, on Wednesday, August 19, 2020, held a meeting with members of the Lagos State Chapter of Gospel Musicians’ Association of Nigeria (GOMAN). The delegation was made up of two senior members of the COSON Board: the great drummer, songwriter and producer, Mr. Richard Ayodele Cole and the gospel minister, Evangelist Olusegun Omoyayi, who in his own right, is a staunch member of GOMAN.

The COSON delegation which was well received, read a “solidarity message” sent to the GOMAN members by Chief Tony Okoroji, the indefatigable COSON Chairman and celebrated former President of PMAN. They also answered several questions asked by members of GOMAN who expressed their unwavering solidarity with COSON.

In his message, Chief Okoroji said “I have always seen everyone of us in the music family as one. During my tenure as National President of PMAN, my core brethren in the leadership of PMAN were members of GOMAN. One was the late great Demos Deniran who was our National Treasurer. Another was Rev. Shola Rotimi. My personal relationship with members of GOMAN has remained solid over the years.

“You will recall that I was present with you in Ikeja in 2018 during the first inauguration by the GOMAN National President, Dr Funmi Aragbaye, of the State leadership headed by Evangelist Philip Olayiwola. It was indeed a memorable occasion.

“There are hundreds of GOMAN members from different states of the country who are also strong members of COSON and enjoy all the rights and benefits of COSON membership.

Continuing, the COSON Chairman said, “It is common knowledge that following the establishment of COSON, the jinx that made it impossible to collect and distribute music copyright royalties transparently in Nigeria was broken. It is on record that COSON distributed royalties totaling hundreds of millions of Naira to thousands of right owners in Nigeria in years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

“It is also on record that in the heat of the Coronavirus lockdown in 2020, COSON was the first organization in Nigeria to offer any form of COVID 19 palliative to thousands of its members across Nigeria and this was done transparently and without any quarrel or rancour. In the action, COSON showed itself as a caring, very responsible and responsive organization.

“Of course, in 2017, COSON commissioned the magnificent COSON House in Ikeja, the only edifice of its type owned by any organization in the Nigerian creative industry.

“It is clear that COSON surprised many at the speed and dexterity with which we brought together thousands of creative people, assembled millions of works, both local and international, thereby creating a breath-taking repertoire and library. We built and equipped the magnificent COSON House in Ikeja with the most modern technology without borrowing one kobo and set up a management team of well-trained accountants, lawyers, copyright experts, statisticians and other world class professionals.

Chief Okoroji said that unfortunately, because of the vicious nature of the Nigerian political environment, the COSON success began to attract envy and the usual Nigerian ‘bad belle’ and that some top officers of the Nigerian government were told that COSON is a gold mine. So, they began to work assiduously, in collusion with some people in the music industry, to take over COSON for themselves and their friends at the expense of the musicians of Nigeria.

Said Chief Okoroji, “Determined to make COSON their private ATM, they told many lies against us as they tried to destroy the image of COSON. They have twisted and mutilated the law and turned it upside down and tried every subterfuge, using government security agents to turn COSON, an independent private sector organization into their private cash cow.

“Every single year since the incorporation of COSON, we have had our accounts professionally audited. Recently, COSON invited one of the most respected accounting firms in the world and for seven months subjected itself to a complete forensic audit, something no other organization in the Nigerian creative industry has ever done.

“We have had to deploy the law, maybe like no other organization in the history of Nigeria, to form a bulwark against the attack on COSON”. ​

Chief Okoroji said, “I wish to state emphatically that COSON remains Nigeria’s biggest copyright collective management organization with several thousands of members across Nigeria and millions of musical works and sound recordings, both domestic and international, which works are legally assigned to or placed in the repertoire of COSON.

“For the avoidance of doubt, COSON continues to operate lawfully and at no time has COSON ceded the rights to license any of the millions of musical works and sound recordings lawfully assigned to it, to anyone else and no one including the Nigerian Copyright Commission is empowered by law to authorize anyone else to license works in the COSON repertoire which are property belonging to innocent citizens recognized as such by the Nigerian constitution”

In conclusion, Chief Okoroji said, “I am proud of the members of COSON, everywhere in Nigeria, our Board members, and the indefatigable Management team at COSON. The support of our members has been powerful, the unity within the Board is unrivaled and every working day, the Management team resumes at the ever sparkling and magnificent COSON House and makes sure that COSON is working, and all the key COSON processes are operating at international standard.

“I want to assure you all that as the present government is set to go away, the period of the locust is almost at an end. COSON will soon fully resume the distribution of royalties and benefits to our members, including those who are members of GOMAN, across Nigeria.

“Every member of COSON, including members of GOMAN, should be proud that the musicians of Nigeria have refused to be cowards and slaves in our country and that we have proved that the rampaging economic and political bandits in Nigeria can be taken on.

“At the end of the day, we will have the last laugh as we create new sweet music, dance and sing to the glory of the Almighty and in solidarity and pride, ensure that everybody hears those iconic words for which we are very well known, “Let the music pay!””.

COSON BEGINS MASSIVE SENSITIZATION OF MUSIC INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS NIGERIA

Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Nigeria’s biggest copyright collective management organization has begun what it has termed a “wide, deep and critical” sensitization of stakeholders with interest in music copyright in Nigeria. The sensitization is aimed at the education of different arms of the music industry on the significant challenges and obstacles faced in the collective management of music copyright which obstacles were created by some officials of the outgoing Federal Government and their cronies and which obstacles have in recent times affected the distribution of music copyright royalties which COSON had done successfully for several years. The sensitization is also to brief stakeholders on the steps being taken by COSON to resume a very vibrant regime of music copyright royalty distribution to stakeholders in Nigeria without much delay and to correct the misinformation and false propaganda being circulated to bring COSON down.

As part of the sensitization, a delegation of the COSON Board, on Wednesday, August 19, 2020, held a meeting with members of the Lagos State Chapter of Gospel Musicians’ Association of Nigeria (GOMAN). The delegation was made up of two senior members of the COSON Board: the great drummer, songwriter and producer, Mr. Richard Ayodele Cole and the gospel minister, Evangelist Olusegun Omoyayi, who in his own right, is a staunch member of GOMAN.

The COSON delegation which was well received, read a “solidarity message” sent to the GOMAN members by Chief Tony Okoroji, the indefatigable COSON Chairman and celebrated former President of PMAN. They also answered several questions asked by members of GOMAN who expressed their unwavering solidarity with COSON.