The Collecting Society of Nigeria (COSON), which remains the only Collecting Management Organisation (CMO) for obtaining royalties on behalf of musicians, since the middle of this year, has been on a crisis of leadership on account of successorship from its first and only chairman for now, Tony Okoroji.

The image of the CMO had been battered and its license suspended albeit partly by the government regulator, Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC). Between the lingering legal tussle from the management of COSON and the regulator and even, one if its leaders, Efe Omoregbe, it has not augured well for the music industry as a whole and the resolve of its stakeholders to develop and put structure to the industry.

The CMO tasked with enforcing the performing and mechanical rights on behalf of its members by licensing music users through the collection of licence fees and then distributing them by giving royalties to musicians under its membership had done well for 18 years since 2000 when COSON started transiting from PMRS in the days of yore.

Still fighting its battles with perceived enemies in court, COSON has not had it this bad and as one that has followed the progression and has attended events by COSON, one is sad about this present development as the music industry is worse for it. Forget the buzz and hype by our own Davido, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Falz, Yemi Alade and others who have gained international recognition which has put the industry in the global map as one that is thriving and worth billions of dollars if well harnessed.

Erudite and astute music practitioner, Efe Omoregbe, who is one of the COSON board members and is supposed to take the reins of leadership from its founding chairman, the ebullient Tony Okoroji until the cookie crumbles, was a guest of the chief comedian, Alibaba on Sunday in his program, Alibaba Seriously, shown on NTAi. Efe Omoregbe, speaking on the crisis in COSON stated that it all began when veteran and stakeholders in music, Prof Victor Uwaifor, Evangelist Ebenezer Obey, Laolu Akins wrote a petition drawing the attention of the COSON board on issues bordering on royalties collection and the percentage and also the constitutional terms of office for the chairman of the collecting organisation. Efe stated during the program, “instead of Tony Okoroji to address the issue from these veterans and elders in COSON in our meeting, he went on talking about other agenda of the meeting as if that wasn’t important and this irked some of us and we asked questions and demanded that we should address it. All these and others snowballed into the crisis we see now – a case of a leader wanting to perpetuate himself,” Omoregbe stated.

Mr Tony Okoroji and the management should, as a matter of fact, not carry along as if it is business as usual but with a conscience, cleanse its house as the NCC and the leader, Mr Afam Ezekude, as well as Efe Omoregbe, can’t be totally wrong. It is in the domain in our industry that not everyone likes Mr Okoroji on account of his style of leadership and past achievements and this COSON crisis, if not nipped in the bud now, will affect the image of Nigerian music industry, globally. COSON rival, Music Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN), which has gotten its license back, has not done much for itself. The Performing Musician and Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) has not still recovered from its comatose state. It is about one new leader or the other emerging and elections are not even held across board. The younger generation of musicians and professionals don’t take PMAN seriously and one doesn’t know if there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

https://www.mcebisco.com.ng/2018/10/coson-crisis-between-tony-okoroji-efe.html

These people should work with media monitoring agencies like CCM who monitor Radio and TV to save them from stories like this that touch the heart.

Tell me I am FTC

Do not look down on other people, unless you are admiring their shoes... Everywhere crisis...

If i may correct a misinformation in the post, COSON is not the only CMO authorised to collect royalties on behalf of musicians. There is a Federal High Court judgement validating the MSCN and authorising it to collect royalties on behalf of musicians. There's no where in the Copyright Act that says only one Collecting society should collect royalties in the industry it services

Kiddinpoh:
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You're not. Don't faint o.

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You're not. Don't faint o.

.... I feel like drinking hypo now

All these associations wey don lose their respect n value in a long time.

They are talking of regulation and management not operations. Their operations does not have a problem.

braine:
These people should work with media monitoring agencies like CCM who monitor Radio and TV to save them from stories like this that touch the heart.

They have been suspended for now as their is a case in court ,but their foot soldiers r everywhere still collecting royalties that never gets to any musician but their pockets. They still held me in Benin , Mission market last few weeks during my market storm activation and went away with my stock
Bastards

omooba199326:
well its a matter of choise.

Choise in deed.

......though, some grey areas has to be addressed,


I STAND WITH MY ABLE CHAIRMAN, CHIEF TONY OKOROJI!

he's one of the best thing to ever happen to the nig Music Industry.

It's indeed sad.

the alternative CMO, MCSN should up their game as COSON is not helping one have confidence in them. Tony ran COSON like a personal business like it was his TOPS and it's not right. This is man that has no doubt done something for the industry but man has got to know his limits.

There is space for more but having two bodies seems neat. Now it's like there is no CMO in Nigeria and royalties are being left hanging.

I would expect a body like COSON to have incorporated such technology as Playdata in their system.