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Tony Okoroji Opens Up On COSON Coup

In the last couple of weeks, documents have been flying all over the media authored by some guys who clearly do not like me. They make it sound like they are driven by their love of COSON, the board of which I chair. The guys know how to make COSON a more efficient and effective organization than I have done and according to them I am standing on their way of making this happen because I am a dictator and a despot!

Tony Okoroji

I have done a careful assessment of our guy who is pushing and coordinating this narrative. He is close to 70 years old. I do not see what exceptional thing he has done with his life all these years except that he is a prolific writer of petitions and meaningless position papers. My book, ‘Copyright & the New Millionaires’ is being read and studied across the world. With the skills of my all-knowing guy, I am not aware of any book or even a pamphlet authored by him. He presents himself as an expert at building institutions but every institution he has been given to build is either dead or on death row.

Rather than spend time on the once vibrant record label handed over to him which is dying in his hands, his full-time job has become the pursuit of Tony Okoroji. I know my guy very well. His kind populate our country – very good at talking but can’t get anything done.

A few years ago, there was nothing like COSON. Almost no one in Nigeria gave COSON a chance when we announced it in 2010. I was told repeatedly that it would not work. Today, without any kobo from the public purse or a loan from any bank, the beautiful COSON House is standing. By the way, it is called COSON House and not ‘Tony Okoroji House’. The edifice does not belong to me but to the musicians of Nigeria. It is located in Ikeja and not Owerri, my state capital.

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COSON employs and pays as at when due some very brilliant and very well-trained Nigerians. COSON is distributing hundreds of millions of Naira to its members every year. The organization has reciprocal representation agreements covering about 140 collective management organizations in every corner of the globe. Its accounts are audited and filed every year with every relevant agency and never one day late. Every year, every COSON member gets a copy of the audited accounts and financial report which are scrutinized at our Annual General Meeting held without fail every year at the time stipulated by law.

In November 2017, we brought to a close the amazing 2017 COSON Week: eight back to back events organized over eight days in eight different venues: some of the best organized events in Nigerian history. Some of the events were broadcast live across the world. At COSON Week, we played host to three Ministers of the Federal Republic, the representatives of the Senate President and the governor of Lagos State. On all indices of growth, COSON is a very successful Nigerian story.

I was once President of PMAN, the musicians’ union. PMAN was a most respected Nigerian institution. We were celebrated. People like my guys started their petition writings and agitations. I left PMAN for them. Everyone can see what has become of our once great PMAN.

Oh yes, I have encouraged some young people to come on to the Board of COSON so that they can gain experience in the intricacies of managing a complex organization like COSON and thereafter, take over.

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With the glittering COSON House, the millions in the bank, the significant name recognition, COSON has become very attractive. Suddenly everybody knows how to run COSON better and they can’t wait to chase me out.

COSON was started in a two-bedroom flat. At some point, I spent 60 days and nights at the COSON office, only going home periodically to pick up a change of clothes. My bed was the office floor. I was writing legal documents, press releases, accounting documents, organizational charts, etc. Many times, I worked 20 hours in a stretch. None of the people who now love COSON more than myself offered to spend one night with me in the labour that has built COSON.

Without the compliment of staff that COSON now has, the building blocks were laid and held together by incredible self-denial and iron clad belief that tomorrow can be better than yesterday. I have been attacked left, right and center and have lost count how many times I have gone to court to defend my name and to defend the COSON legacy. They have told tales of fabulous property owned by me but no one can give you the address of one such property because the property exists only in their warped minds.

I am human and not indispensable. I however understand the COSON vision, its very foundation and how the building blocks have been laid. I know the unique strengths and weaknesses of the organization. There is no question that there are people who dream of being in the leadership of COSON not because they want to defend the interest of the members but because they think that COSON has money that they can get their hands on. They neither have the knowledge nor the training to deal with the very complex subject of collective management of copyright. They lack the liver to take on the many enemies who are determined to destroy COSON. They do not possess the skills to manage the many contending interests but they are very hungry for office. The covet the beautiful COSON Boardroom. In less than six months, such people will destroy the wonderful organization we have carefully built. Oh, the trajectory of this incredible Nigerian success story will dive south.

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On December 19, 2017, the members of COSON from across Nigeria said in very clear words that they do not want me to leave. They told me that they trust me. I was touched by their confidence in me and Indeed, I cried.

I have decided that I will not be bullied out. No amount of falsehood, half-truth or twisted logic published against me will push me away. As long as the members of COSON genuinely want me to protect their legacy, I will be there to protect what belongs to them. Let the petition writers continue to write their petitions and watch COSON grow bigger and bigger. COSON will not be another PMAN. Let the music pay!

– By Tony Okoroji