COSON resolves issues with BON/IBAN

The face-off between the Copyright Society of Nigeria on the one hand and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria and the Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria on the other has now been resolved.
It took the intervention of the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission to end the misunderstanding between the artistes’ body and the broadcasters’ entities.
IBAN And BON had directed their member stations to stop the airplay of artistes under COSON.
This affected some popular artistes such as Evangelist Ebenezer Obey, Sir Victor Uwaifo,2face Idibia and other contemporary artistes.
During the face off, Sammy Okposo renounced his membership of COSON as he was affected by the ban.
Speaking in Benin City, the Edo State capital, during a visit of COSON to the state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, the Chairman of COSON, Tony Okoroji, described the recent pronouncement by NBC on the BON/IBAN conflict as a historic moment in the development of the creative industry in Nigeria.
Asked if he saw the NBC pronouncement as victory for COSON, he answered: “I know that some might see it as victory for one group or another, but in the process I do not think in terms of victors or vanquished.
“I am interested in the progress of the Nigerian nation.
“I believe that the full engagement of NBC and NCC in ensuring the proper enforcement of our copyright legislation is a momentous development, which will have tremendous impact on the Nigerian economy down the road.
“I have spent a life time campaigning for an environment in which people receive fair compensation for the creative work they do because I verily believe that this is how we will unleash the massive creative energy in our people for the creation of wealth and employment for millions of our people.”
Asked if he was not bitter over the several months of personal attack on radio and television stations directed at him during the COSON fight with BON and IBAN, Okoroji replied: “We cannot afford to dwell too much on the personal sacrifice we have to make.
“We must concentrate on future possibilities for our country and the work we still need to do.
“I look forward to working with our colleagues in BON, IBAN, NBC and NCC to resolve all the issues within the time frame set out by the NBC or even faster.
“Respect for intellectual property rights will not only benefit the music, film or literary industries, I believe that it will return our broadcasting stations to being the hotbeds for the creation of very profitable, marketable and exportable programming instead of just being sellers of air time.
“I know that people have resisted these developments because of the fear of tomorrow.
“There is nothing to fear.
“Nothing can be more tragic than our remaining trapped in our habits because of fear.”