Hours after call on creative industry community and its stakeholders not to attend the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) emergency meeting summoned by the Chief Tony Okorji led memebers, the Mr. Efe Omorogbo version of the Society has drawn the attention of COSON members and the public to some document alleging that some payment have been made by the Society despite the fact that its accounts have been frozen while its operating license suspended.
Below is the unedited press’s release as signed by Omorogbo and other members of his board “the attention of stakeholders in the Music Industry is hereby drawn to the following.
Documents were filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday December 14, 2018 which indicate that in defiance of the suspension of the COSON licence and the directive to COSON from The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) not to disburse COSON funds for reasons other than staff emolument, some payments were made from various accounts of COSON in May and June summarized as follows.
₦
Bernice Eriemeghe 22,800,000.00
TOPs 985,000.00
Amalia Agatha 200,000.00
Adatia Resources Ltd 52,000.00
Alliance Law 10,000,000.00
Jus Partners 4,500,000.00
Creative Legal 1,470,000.00
Imuse Anthony 1,077,000.00
Preaby Nig Ltd 1,000,000.00
Total 42,186,000.00
“This further buttresses the fact that a detailed forensic Audit needs to be carried out on the COSON Accounts. Why would payments of over ₦20 million be made to the society’s Finance & Admin Manager?
What services did TOPs entertainment render for it to be paid nearly ₦1.0 million?
“The other payments are also not related staff emoluments.
The process to rescue COSON and turn it into a society that belongs to ALL is on –going, and will be achieved by the grace of God.
Signed:
The COSON Board.
