Royalty: Lagbaja in hot debate with Okoroji

The need to stop the monopoly of the Copyright Society of Nigeria was an issue at the Nigerian Entertainment Conference held in Lagos on Wednesday, JAYNE AUGOYE reports

Most times when artistes gather in a place, the story is usually that of music, fun and more. But the  when Nigerian musicians and other stakeholders gathered at the Eko Hotel and Suites on Wednesday, the atmosphere was rather charged.

One of the reasons is that the age-long  issue of who and who should collect rights for artistes came up again, with some key musicians calling for an end to the monopoly enjoyed by the Copyright Society of Nigeria, popularly called COSON.

Aside  the fact that the forum – the Nigerian Entertainment Conference –  allowed some persons who were hitherto considered to be rivals to sit side by side and chart a new course for the industry, some artistes also seized the occasion to let go of lingering weighty issues of their minds, once and for all.

Veteran artiste Lagbaja’s speech turned out to be one of the most outstanding and memorable at the event.  The masked one began his comment by complimenting COSON Chairman, Tony Okoroji, before going ahead to reveal his stance.

He said, “The monopoly by COSON should stop. Okoroji, (he said referring to the COSON chairman), you need to think about the fact that some day you will have to leave COSON and so what happens when the wrong person steps in? COSON and other bodies must shift the attention away from its leaders and focus more on creating a solid infrastructure for the body.”

The veteran singer, however,  also seized the opportunity to speak about his music career,  saying, “The truth is that I may not be as popular as I used to be but that is because the media is focused on the young artistes. But I refuse to be paid lesser than the new wave of artistes,” he noted.

In the similar vein, 2face Idibia sprang a surprise at the forum when he delivered a well-thought-out speech titled Slaying the Collective Rights Monster. It left critics applauding his mastery of the subject matter. Although his speech was laced with intermittent interjections like ‘you know’, he still managed to make his points known.

While he shared some of the sentiments expressed by Lagbaja, the singer addressed the need for the music industry to collectively put an end to the controversies surrounding collecting rights and royalty payments in Nigeria.

He said, “The monster has to be tackled and wrestled to the ground. I am not an aristocrat but I have common sense and knowledge. The issue of individual differences is hindering the success of the collective society in Nigeria. There is a task before me to say this today and that is why I stand before you.

“Artistes need to be educated and be self-aware because these are the first steps to taking the fight to the ‘monster’ and this is not a time for blaming or pointing fingers This is not the time for ‘he said, she said’; we all need to protect our  intellectual property. Try to know your rights’. The ‘Nigerian Broadcasting Commission needs to ensure compliance on radio and TV. Nobody should be above the law.”

A panel comprising radio presenters, Olisa Adibua, Ik Osakioduwa, Okoroji and seasoned entertainment consultant, Edi Lawani , were also on hand to deliberate on some of the points highlighted by 2face.

While Okoroji maintained that in spite of the many debates and obstacles trying to restrict the payment of royalties,  he said that artistes have been getting their dues. But, this statement did not appear to go down well with gospel singer, Lara George, who in turn challenged the authenticity of Okoroji’s claims.

She said, “I have never been paid any royalties from COSON .Even if my songs  are not played from Monday to Friday, at least I am very certain it is being played on Sundays as such I should  to be paid my dues. I remember Mr. Okoroji saying that whether or not an artiste is a COSON member he or she is entitled to royalties. So, why haven’t I ever received a Kobo?”

Amidst a thunderous applause from the audience, Okoroji did manage to put up a defence.

He said, “Lara, when you last came to the COSON office you said you would come back and register but you never did. You need to come and register so you can enjoy these benefits. There are over N60m which belongs to some artistes who are yet to be full-members of the body. COSON is a structured body so if you come in it will be sorted out.”

During the business sessions, George also cried out about the percentage cuts Nigerian artistes get after the distribution of their music. The singer said, ‘I spend months in the studio recording. You take my music and distribute it whichever way you do and take 80 per cent of the profits. The middle man between will take another 50 per cent from the remaining 20 per cent and leave me with almost nothing. That has to stop We need a law that will stipulate the percentages these middle men get.”

Adibua , on the other hand, was particularly bothered about the question of which body royalties should be paid to. He said, ‘There are many people involved in the process of making music and not just the artistes. You have song writers, producers, record label executives and studio engineers. If the proper way of distributing these royalties are not discussed and settled, this royalty war will still continue.”

Source: Punch ng