For Pretty Okafor, President of Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN), it is victory at last!
This is coming following the release of the final Police Investigation Report, which cleared and exonerated him of all criminal allegations.
For months, crisis had engulfed the PMAN, leading to the purported suspension of its president while he was away on official duty in Spain.
Narrating the genesis of the crisis to journalists at the PMAN secretariat in Lekki, Lagos recently, Pretty Okafor stated: “Without just cause, and while I was overseas in Spain on official PMAN duty, certain members of the then National Working Committee (NWC), in flagrant violation of the PMAN constitution, initiated a campaign of calumny against me. They issued me a query and purportedly suspended me without following due process. They ignored Article 13(C)(i)–(iv), which clearly outlines that only the National Executive Council (NEC), through a duly appointed National Disciplinary Committee, can take such action after a fair hearing.
“This constitutional safeguard was thrown to the wind. Instead, they proceeded on their unlawful path – issuing an indefinite suspension that violates Article 18(B) of our constitution and publicly pronouncing me guilty of unfounded criminal accusations.”
Further affirming his innocence, Okafor said: “There was never any financial misconduct. There was never any forgery. There was no breach of the PMAN constitution on my part. Now, the truth has finally prevailed!”
NEC’s swift response
According to Okafor, his antagonists did not anticipate the swift response of the National Executive Council (NEC), which immediately restored order, reversed the illegal actions, and suspended or dismissed those involved in the plot.
“While Boniface Itodo and Faga Bem-Paul (General Secretary and Assistant General Secretary respectively) were dismissed and paid three months salary in lieu (of notice), Sunny Neji, Zakky Azzay, and Michael Stephen (Ruggedman), through their open collaboration with the illegitimate Lobby D PMAN, have vacated their positions as by their own actions. These vacancies will be filled in acting capacity pursuant to Article 11(M), pending a Special National Delegates Conference to be convened soon,” he asserted.
Abuse of court processes
In the heat of the crisis, aside from the PMAN’s bank account, Pretty Okafor also had his personal bank accounts frozen. Acting in concert with a court clerk in Upper Sharia Court III, Minna, Niger State, a police officer ordered a Post No Debit (PND) on Okafor’s accounts, pushing him and his family into untold hardship.
But while the court clerk stands dismissed from service and facing prosecution, his police co-conspirator is currently under investigation by the higher authority in Abuja. “This speaks volumes about how far these connivers were willing to go in their desperate quest to destroy me and hijack PMAN,” Okafor said.
As if the troubles were not enough for the PMAN president, a consent judgment in Suit No. NICN/LA/360/2024 was procured when George Dureke, Fruitful Mekwunye and 12 others allegedly sued themselves, using the address of Lobby D, National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, and claiming to have resolved the dispute amongst each other.
“They never served PMAN at our publicly known registered national address – instead, they served themselves using the address of the infamously discredited Lobby D, National Arts Theatre, which did not exist in PMAN’s reckoning,” he posited. “For this reason, that judgment is a legal nullity. It binds no one. It is built on deceit, impersonation and forum shopping. The real PMAN leadership – myself included – was never a party to that suit.”
Corroborating Okafor’s stand, a letter with reference No. FMLE/RTU/97/VI/71 dated May 5, 2025, and emanating from the Registrar of Trade Union on behalf of the Minister, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, had confirmed him as the authentic PMAN president.
Unlawful trespass
The PMAN’s helmsman explained further that despite being suspended/dismissed, the antagonists allegedly broke into the union’s office twice on March 1 and 3, 2025 and carted away some items including cash, laptops and batteries. He added that the incident has been reported to the police and arrests have been made.
Motive behind crisis
To Okafor, the true motive behind the incessant crisis rocking the PMAN was the desire of some members to seize control of the association’s assets and deplete its resources.
“It’s on record that PMAN had no National Secretariat it could call its own. But that changed under my administration. It’s under my leadership that PMAN acquired a befitting edifice which today stands as the National Secretariat of our great union. We have also invested in state-of-the-art radio equipment to launch PMAN FM radio – a groundbreaking innovation and the first of its kind in PMAN’s history. Furthermore, it was through my vision and efforts that the Abuja Monaco Project was initiated – an ambitious development that seeks to significantly raise PMAN’s national and global profile. Ironically, it is this significant achievement that attracted internal enmity,” he stated.
But as a way of protecting PMAN against future conspiracies and financial misappropriation, the National Executive Council (NEC) has resolved to establish an Asset Management Company to safeguard the association’s properties.
Alluding further that the Monaco Project had triggered the recent crisis, Okafor reeled out some infractions on the developer’s part, including selling units in a project not yet in force, unauthorized signing of another contract in respect of the project, and allegedly receiving a huge sum of money from a third-party without paying the association’s balance of the agreed premium that would have brought the JVA into force.
In his words: “After receiving ₦350 million as part of a premium payment, and with the company having committed over ₦1.5 billion to site work and other associated developments, the developer not only denied entering into any contract with the union, it also disclaimed the agreement.
“However, a forensic investigation by the Nigeria Police Force has confirmed that the contract was indeed signed by Olusco. This finding is backed by incontrovertible facts and is documented in the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Police Investigation Report now publicly available for scrutiny.”
Strong and resolute
Despite the crisis, however, Pretty Okafor remains strong and resolute in the belief that the Police has cleared and exonerated him of all criminal allegations including visa fraud, misuse of PMAN’s name and financial misappropriation.
“The Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Nigeria Police Investigation Report clears me and confirms that every action taken by the National Executive Council (NEC) under my leadership was constitutional, just and lawful. We are standing strong. We will rebuild. And we will pursue all legal avenues, civil and criminal to bring every impostor, saboteur and sponsor of this evil agenda to justice,” he concluded.