I am
reliably informed that all roads led to Abeokuta, the beautiful capital city of
Ogun State earlier this week as our kit and kin in the broadcast industry all
dressed to finish headed to the Olumo rock city to show off their new attires
and new rides. The big event was the General Assembly of the Broadcasting
Organization of Nigeria (BON).
I do not
belong to the broadcast industry but I have attended more General Assemblies of
BON than I need. I was at the 41st BON General Assembly which took
place at Gateway TV Broadcasting Hall in the same Abeokuta on December 1, 2005.
I remember that trip to Abeokuta in the company of the great highlife
saxophonist, Chris Ajilo who is now 88 years old. Chris Ajilo was then General
Manager of Performing & Mechanical Rights Society (PMRS). Also on the trip
to Abeokuta was young ChineduChukwuji who had joined PMRS not long before with
the big dreams of every young man. Our ‘driver’ on the way to Abeokuta was ace
music producer and acclaimed drummer, Laolu Akinswho was my colleague on the
Board of PMRS. Akins had driven us in his Toyota Camry, the most presentable
car to be found among us at that time.
I remember
Abeokuta in 2005 as if it was today because the same self-serving excuses that
were made in 2005 are still being made today. In Abeokuta, there was a lot of
back slapping and self-adulation, the kind that takes place whenever a group of
Africans who believe that they have extricated themselves from the abject poverty
in which the rest of their kin are gripped, get together. There were several flowery speeches during
which not a few people dosed off.
Eight years
ago in Abeokuta, I was asked to tell the gathering why broadcast stations in
Nigeria should pay royalties for the music deployed by them. I spoke with all
the passion I could muster, at some points almost in tears. I reminded them
that what we were talking about wasnot just my personal wish but Nigerian law. I
begged them to obey the law. I asked which of them would be comfortable to
invest his labour and talent and watch other people every day exploit that
labour without any compensation.
I reminded
them of the over 50 meetings I had held on the same subject with people in the
broadcast industry starting from 1987 when I was first elected President of
PMAN at 29 years old and how each time the broadcast industry had found excuses
to kick the can down the road. I begged them to find the will in Abeokuta to do
that which is the practice in every civilized nation and pay musicians and the
music industry their dues. They clapped for me and assured me that a
‘committee’ would be set up to deal with the matter without delay.
I was not
in Abeokuta for the 59thBON General Assembly which took place this
week. I was not invited, did not expect to be invited and would have not
bothered with such an event but I can be sure that they have set up another
‘committee’ to study the matter. Without being there, I can bet that Tony
Okoroji would have been called all kinds of names for asking that broadcast
stations in Nigeria obey the law and pay the dues they owe musicians and the
music industry. I have no doubt that someone would have complained that ‘Okoroji
is taking this thing too personally!’ and cite that as a reason why they should
not fulfil their legal and moral obligations to fellow citizens.
I have not
seen a communique from this week’s BON General Assembly but I will not be
surprised if they contain the old excuses and manufactured new excuses for
their embarrassing failureand down-right robbery of the intellectual property
of fellow citizens. For instance, they will tell you that they do not know who in
Nigeria to pay to even when Google in America knows who in Nigeria to pay to,
Multichoice in South Africa knows who in Nigeria to pay to and FRCN in the same
Radio House Abuja building where BON has its headquarters knows who in Nigeria
to pay to. It is not unlike them to cite a phantom court case that has tied
their hands but they will not tell you the case number or the issues in the
case. They dare not ask the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) which is just
ten minutes drive down the road what they should do. The NCC is the Federal
Government agency statutorily charged with all copyright matters in the country
but BON is afraid of talking to or recognizing the authority of the NCC because
they want to hide under their self-imposed ignorance to continue their day
light robbery.
I am sure
that some people at BON who may not know all the facts will wonder why I talk
about BON these days with very little respect. The truth is that I have little
respect for anyone who has no respect for himself. I wonder if the people at
BON even check their own records. If they do, they should read the communique
of the 21st BON General Assembly sponsored by DAAR Communication
which took place at Airport Hotel, Lagos on 27th February 1997. They
may also check out the communique of the 22nd General Assembly which
commenced in Enugu on 10th July 1997 and that of Kano (the 33rd
General Assembly) which began on December 11, 2002. I ask them to particularly
read the communique of the 35th BON General Assembly which commenced
in Kaduna on December 14, 2003.Do they not notice the massive contradictions in
their positions and the blatant lies they have fed the public? Of course, I was
at the BON 53rd General Assembly from 15thto 17th
September 2010 in Awka where at the end, it was still all motion and no movement.
Since we
began this crazy journey with BON, the Soviet Union has become 12 thriving
nations, East and West Germany have become one country, the Federal government
has moved from Lagos to Abuja, the third mainland bridge in Lagos has been
completed. If BON is truly honest about it, what is so difficult about paying
royalties for the music you use that it will take countless committees over so
many years? I welcome the pilgrims from Abeokuta and hope that they had a good
time. See you next week.
N.B. THE LOCOMOTION SERIES IS
PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN SATURDAY INDEPENDENT ON PAGE 37
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