It was jubilation galore on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 as the management of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) approved a whopping N465.5 million for distribution to members as their royalties for the year.
Described as the highest in the history of the organisation, the royalty distribution began immediately, with several members receiving bank alerts even while still at COSON House in Lagos.
The former President of PMAN and Chairman of COSON, Chief Tony Okoroji, delivered a moving speech titled, “The COSON Spirit”. He declared: “We have deployed the law, like no other organisation in the history of Nigeria, to form a bulwark against the people, in and out of government, who have tried everything to hijack and plunder COSON or if they fail, to kill COSON. You know the modus operandi of the vampires among our citizens: they grab every good thing in Nigeria for themselves, their friends and families with no thought for the millions of other people in our country. They are not satisfied with owning one house.
“In a nation where millions do not own even a hut, they grab what belongs to all of us and build 735 duplexes for themselves alone and want more as if they have a contract with the Almighty that they will never die. I wish to state that I have been to practically every court in the land, have mounted the witness box and testified, and have won victories on behalf of COSON that many had thought were impossible. We have retained the services of four first class Senior Advocates and several other senior lawyers.
“Without the decisions of those distinguished Judges of the Courts who remain committed to truth and justice, COSON, this great pan Nigerian organization that has become the nation’s most formidable agent of strength, unity, progress and growth for the creative industry, would have since been sucked dry and wiped away.
“Fellow members of COSON, let me state that I verily believe that in these hard times, we could have done more, much more for the musicians of Nigeria. It is a paradox that the institution established by the state to enable us to soar and achieve great results for our nation, conspired with carpetbaggers and fraudsters to become the greatest obstacle to our progress and success. But… we continue to fly, due to the unbreakable COSON Spirit.”
At the AGM were COSON’s General Manager, Mrs. Bernice Eriemeghe, and prominent artistes like Felix Duke, President of Creative Industry Group; Eng. Sharon Wilson, President of Music Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (MUPMAN); Sir Shina Peters; Righteousman Erhabor; Stella Monye; Alex O; Kenny Saint Brown; Koffi Da Guru, and Steve Black.
Also present were COSON Board members including Abuja-based Chief Uche Emeka Paul, Enugu-based Angus Power Nwangwu; Oge Kimono, first daughter of Rub-A-Dub Master, Ras Kimono, who himself was a COSON die-hard before his death; Richard Cole, Zdon Paporella, and Evangelist Olusegun Omoyayi.