A popular member of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), who does not want his name in print because he is not empowered to speak officially for the society has joined in saying that the Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC), has no power under the Nigerian law to compel the society to audit its account.
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The member who spoke to newdawn as part of the event marking COSON’s 10th anniversary, however, said that the only person vested with the power to demand for the audit of the copyright management organisation (CMO), are its members.
And when reminded that a section of the members of the society are in the forefront of the call for an external forensic audit, he retorted, “was Efe Omorogbe, the leader of those calling for the audit, not aware of the audits we have been doing since the society came into being. What of Joel Ajayi, was he not with us all the years we have done the audits? Did they raise the red flag? Did they just discover the word forensic audit in their dictionary? For every audit we have done in the past copies were sent to NCC, did it raise any objection or query, why the sudden turn around? I think that there is more to their demand for audit now. There is a hidden agenda. Let NCC go to court and show proof that it has power to tell a private outfit like ours that is not a department in the commission to go for external audit.”
Though, our source agreed that NCC has regulatory power over CMOs including COSON, he was quick to say that, that power is not superior to the laws setting up CMOs or that of Nigeria as regards the operation of a CMO.
“Yes, it can say it is exercising its regulatory power but its law is not superior to the law of the land, if it is let it go to court and prove it. COSON from inception has audited its accounts and we are surprised at the sudden clamour for our audit report, which NCC and all those asking for the report have been receiving year in, year out. Is it not the same audit it did with Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN), that is causing ‘katakata’ now,” he concluded.
