LOCOMOTION 5: WHY DO THEY WANT TO MAKE ME A HERO? – TONY OKOROJI

On the same day that the leadership of Association of Nollywood Core Producers (ANCOP) at Protea Hotel, GRA, Ikeja presented me with the ‘Nollywood Icon’ award for my work in the defence of the rights of creative people in Nigeria, another group of Nigerians under the aegis of Independent Broadcasting Association of Nigeria (IBAN) and Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON) made history. On that day, IBAN and BON issued a statement banning from Nigerian airwaves the music of practically all the topmost music stars that our dear country has produced. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time in the history of mankind that all the top music stars of any nation have been forbidden from being heard on the airwaves of their nation.

You may ask, ‘what big offence did Nigerian artistes commit to be banished in their land?’ The artistes are members of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), the organization approved by Nigeria’s Federal Government to ensure that all those who use music in a public or commercial setting obtain a licence and pay royalties to the creators of the work for such use. You may also ask, ‘is Nigeria the first country where broadcasting stations are asked to pay royalties for their musical content?’ Certainly, not!In practically every civilized nation, it is unheard of to deploy the intellectual property of anyone in a broadcast without a licence and/or compensation. In Nigeria, it is the law of the land. Indeed, Nigeria is signatory to many international conventions requiring that we offer such protection not only to our citizens but to citizens of other nations. By not doing so, we expose ourselves to diplomatic and economic sanctions.

In the IBAN/BON statement which is being broadcast repeatedly on several stations across the country, they have left the message and pounced on the messenger. If you are not informed, the way they repeat my name,you may think that I am a politician running for office or a preacher of the gospel. I am simply Chairman of COSON and with a bible in my hand, I swore to defend the rights of members of COSON and its affiliates around the world. I have tried to do the job I swore to do the best I can.  All I have asked of my brethren in the broadcast industry is to obey the law and give to the worker, his dues. It is clear they don’t want a conversation. They want a shouting match.

LOCOMOTION 4: 7 DAYS OF MADNESS! BY TONY OKOROJI

As the year tappers off and I have to deal with the unending threat of the Nigerian broadcast industry against Nigerian musicians and all the many matters that pile up at this time of the year, it is not difficult to forget that 2013 has been a watershed year in many ways. If I can forget anything, how do I forget those seven days of madness in Lagos in May called the COSON Week?

Having conceived the seven different events of the COSON Week and produced them, everyone would expect that I would be the best person to describe the week to anyone who was not there. Each time I have tried to describe the COSON Week however, words have failed me.

In 1989, with some colleagues, I started the celebrated Nigerian Music Awards. It was the biggest show in the land with very complex organizational demands. The NMA which was the forerunner to practically all the entertainment award events that take place in most of Africa today, has played host to Heads of State, Governors, Ministers, Ambassadors and stars from around the world.

With its unique themes and sub events such as the ‘Soul Flight’, the ‘Treasure Box’, the ‘Green Carpet’, the ‘Street Train’, ‘Dinner with the Stars’, the ‘African Breakfast Party’ etc., the intricate planning and execution required to faultlessly put together such an event tests every skill you have.

LOCOMOTION 3: ON THE WAY FROM ABEOKUTA - TONY OKOROJI

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 41^st 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. 

LOCOMOTION 2: WHY DO THEY ALWAYS UNDERRATE US? - TONY OKOROJI

I attended the Super 7 edition of the Nigerian Music Video Awards (NMVA) organized by never-say-die CalyIkpe this last weekend. It was a really good show. As I came in, I was welcomed by a senior broadcast journalist, a friend of mine. Even before he had asked about the family, as I thought was the custom around here, he fired me with ‘‘why are ‘you people’ hammering BON relentlessly?’’ In BON, he obviously meant Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria and ‘you people’ I believe, refers to Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) of which I am chairman.

I could not understand how COSONoperating from one modest building in Ikejacould be said to be hammering BON which has deployedmillions of naira in powerful transmitters of its member stations spread across Nigeria to threaten the music industry with the stoppage of the broadcast of Nigerian music on Nigerian airwaves. The broadcast is repeatedcountless times every day. I thought of asking my journalist friend if he had ever heard the phrase, self-defence. The conversation was lost in the heat of the commotion caused by Paparazzi flashing light bulbs in all directions and the countless new TV gossip columnists all demanding to talk to me, not because they really find me interesting in any way but because they are desperate for content to fill the endless airtime they have in their hands.

LOCOMOTION 1: SEE ME WAHALA! - TONY OKOROJI

I once wrote a small column for the Punch. I was a lot younger with a lot of fire in the belly. Despite the mad tussle with deadlines and the once in a while writers block, it was fun. I had very strong opinions and could not wait for people to hear them. Of course, when you are young, you think that you are the only one who has an opinion that counts. As you get older however, you begin to realize how stupid you have been. Everybody has an opinion and everybody thinks that their opinion counts.

A 29 year old American called Mark Elliot Zuckerberg found out how much everybody wants to express their opinion. As a result, Zuckerberg has become a billionaire several times over. On Zuckerberg’s Facebook, everybody is expressing their opinion to everybody whether they want to hear or not. Dirty linens are being washed with the whole world watching and the stinking water splashed around with complete abandon. Girls are stalking guys on Facebook and guys are enjoying being stalked. You can’t be on Facebook and not say something. It is like a huge Oyingbo market. So, everybody is talking, everybody is lying and everybody is posing. In the new world of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and BBM, everybody is a publisher, everybody is an editor and everybody is a columnist.