Why is Oyefeso, Director, Public Affairs, silent?
By Charles Okogene
The refusal of the Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Mr. Vincent Oyefeso, to respondent to newdawnngr’s inquiry as per the whereabouts of the Commission’s Director-Director-General, Mr. John O. Asein, has heighten suspicion that the DG might have disappeared from office following an ultimatum by an anti-corruption civil society group, Peace & Development for Africa Initiative (PDAI), to the DG to throw in the towel.
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The group had in its petition, which it handed down to the DG, alleged offences ranging from huge debt to corruption.
A report by an online platform, www.beats-onit.com, had alleged that Asein was last seen in the office two Fridays ago gathered and was absent from work on lMonday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday last weeks.
Based on that newdawngr sent a message to Mr. Oyefeso who was once a reporter with the Daily Times of Nigeria in the 1980s to confirm or deny the story but 24 hours later, Oyefeso ignored the inquiry. He out rightly refused to comment on the story, which has unsettled the copyright community in Nigeria, if not the whole world.
It must be stated that the NCC DG has been enmeshed in a cold war with Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), which is equally polarised by its members who are pro and anti Chief Tony Okoroji’s continual stay in office as the chairman of the Society.
Some of the members who are led by Mr. Efe Omorogbe, are equally pushing for a forensic audit of the more than seven years old COSON’s book; a move, which the DG is said to have endorsed with NCC’s appointment of KPMG to look into COSON’s books.
Though, before now, that was during the tenure of former DG of NCC, Mr. Afam Ezekudo, who was accused by some people who claimed to know, that Asien was one of the NCC officials that were behind the formation and approval of COSON by NCC as the sole copyright management organisation in Nigeria, thus closed the doors against others like Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN) that had been in the business of copyright management since the early 1970s.
The no love lost relationship between COSON and the DG came to a head last last year, precisely December 7, 2019 when the DG was invited to ‘COSON Week’ but shunned the invite even after the Okoroji led faction of COSON that organised the week had gone to town with the announcement that the event will be graced by the DG.
This prompted Mr. Patrick Doyle, a close ally of Okoroji to openly tell the full house that included the chairman of NCC, Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, that no DG of NCC had ever visited COSON since it was founded.
One thing that is not clear is if members of Peace & Development for Africa Initiative (PDAI), that gave the DG the ultimatum to vacant office within 24 hours are working for the interest of COSON, MCSN or that of the splinter group led by Mr. Omorogbe. However, whoever, they are working for to get rid of Asien, time shall tell.
