NIGERIAN PUBLISHERS BEGS GOVERNMENT TO STOP ENCOURAGING PIRACY.

By: Agbola Edosa.

The Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA), has urged for partnership and cohesion amongst the stakeholders in the book chain with the Nigerian Copyright Commission( NCC), in the fight against piracy.

The President of Nigerian Publishers Association (NP), Dr Uchenna Cyril Anioke made this call on Thursday in Enugu, when a delegation from the Nigerian Copyrght Commission, led by their South South And South East Directorate, Coordinator, Mrs Ngozi Cecilia Okeke, paid a courtesy call to his office.

He stated that, the high rate of piracy especially at institutions in the country has gotten out of hand and it requires an active involvement of every stakeholder in the book chain to eradicate.

He decried what he called pathetic situations where by school proprietors, head Masters/mistresses, principals, amongst others, who should be protectors of intellectual property, has become the vehicles used in perpetrating the heinous crime and begged for a massive manhunt of those who do this to Publishers and other stakeholders in the book ecosystem.

"Piracy and plagiarism remain Intellectual theft that are of equal status with armed robbery.

"We have seen the pathetic situations whereby intellectuals, academicians, school proprietors, head masters, Principals and so on, indulge in this act with impunity."

"Goto our academic environment and see the level of this theft, it has almost become a norm, because, they use photocopying machines to duplicate people's works for their own use without the knowledge of the Publishers and authors."

"Fighting piracy must be a collegiate business between authors, publishers, printers, booksellers and others."

Hon Anioke also stated that government at all levels contribute a lot in the alarming state of piracy in the country by giving book supplying contracts to those who do not belong to the book business or partners in the book chain, which thus, makes the beneficiaries to use dubious ways to execute such contracts, by pirating people's works.

He Thanked the Nigerian Copy Right Commission NCC, for their efforts so far, in maintaining intellectual sanity in the book chain, urging them to partner with environmental protection agencies in South East and South South States as done in other regions, to get more results.

Hon Anioke also asserted that, NPA is currently proposing a super summit for stakeholders in someday he book chain aimed at finding a way of talking to the Government, to curb issues affecting them; especially those caused by the Government.

He however, assured the Nigeria Copyright Commission, South South and South East Directorate, that the request made on sponsorship of kiddies Radio programme on Solid 100.9 FM, which is targeted at sensitizing the kids on the dangers of being involved in the intellectual theft, would be solved; as the Radio programme would be sponsored. by him.

In her own remarks, the South South and South East Director, of the Nigeria Copyright Commission, NCC, Mrs Ngozi Cecilia Okeke, stated that the aim of their visit was to have a working relationship with the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) aimed at tackling the issues of piracy and other vices bedeviling the Book industry..

She stated that the agency is doing their best but are limited due to logistics issues especially, lack of finance and manpower.

According to her;

"We are here to congratulate the new NPA boss on his emergence and to equally, find ways of working together with NPA , to handle issues bordering on piracy "

" The piracy menace is a very tasking issue in the country and it has affected the book industry "

" On the other hand, NCC 's biggest challenge is manpower and Finance"

"We are seriously under staffed and active in only 14 states of the Federation"

"In some States, we have only 2 Staff which makes our work harder"

"We in the South South and South East Directorate, are working to partner with book chain practitioners and security agencies to curb the menace of piracy."

Also speaking, a board member of the NCC and Former Vice President of the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA), Sir Jesse Odu stated that, Publishers are not helping the Nigerian Copyright Commission that much and urged the publishers to much more.

He stated that, NCC also, should get to work irrespective of their financial challenges because currently, they no longer Monitor what happens at different press firms the way they are supposed to.

"Printing presses are supposed to register their names with NCC," he said.

"If there is one who prints without having printing approval, such a person should be arrested

"NPA on their own, should also work harder to encourage NCC as their works are interrelated and interdependent."

Then, writing thesis by all undergraduates must be stopped. They are merely breeding pirates via that act.

If na this matter, 98% of Nigerians are guilty

Plagiarism is so rampant in our Universities