Barrister James Ononiwu
Well-known lawyer to Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Mr. James Ononiwu of the Lagos law firm of Whitedove Solicitors has assured members of COSON, Nigeria’s foremost copyright collective management organization that Whitedove is deploying 100% of its resources to ensure that no one takes COSON for granted anymore. In this close-up with Mr. Ononiwu, he tells www.beatsonit.com, “We will take on anyone from anywhere at any court in the land who tries to mess with COSON and if the person or organization makes the mistake of landing one blow at COSON, we will immediately reply with five blows and it really does not matter who the person or organization is or who sent the person. We are committed to protecting the rights of the members of COSON, a positive and an uncommon Nigerian organization”.www.beats-onit.com spoke with the graduate of University of Lagos in his highbrow Opebi office in Ikeja.
Excerpts:
You appear to have become an albatross around the necks of COSON adversaries. You are in court everywhere fighting for COSON and its members. What exactly is driving the passion and commitment you seem to have exhibited in the defence of COSON?
It is true that there are several cases in which we are representing COSON and we take each of those cases very seriously. I consider it an honour to represent such an organization. I have many friends who are artistes. In fact, there is a young lady from my kindred who is a budding and talented singer and a member of COSON. I believe very much in the Nigerian creative industry. I am convinced that the industry has significant contributions to make towards the future of the Nigerian nation and our economy. Unfortunately, the Nigerian creative industry is faced with a number of committed trouble – makers who traffic in rubbish, fuel instability and prevent the industry from achieving its true potentials. In the past, these trouble – makers have walked away with the troubles they caused. They have not been made to pay any price. So, they cause more trouble and others see that there is no price paid and they join them and generate more trouble. Look at how unstable PMAN has become with every Tom, Dick and Harry claiming to be PMAN president at the same time with no visible democratic process and no progress. This is the same PMAN that used to be the pride of the Nigerian nation. We have a clear brief not to let what happened to PMAN happen to COSON and we dare anybody who thinks we are joking to take us on.
How did you get involved with COSON?
In 2016, I represented the former owner of the property in Ikeja acquired by COSON for the construction of the present COSON House. While I had heard of the COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji, that was my first time of meeting him. I was very impressed with his total commitment to the good of the Nigerian creative community and his insistence on a completely transparent process. I remember the day the property changed hands, Chief Okoroji invited practically every member of his board to the bank and insisted that anyone of them who had any objection to the transaction going forward should raise the objection before the money was transferred. Several members of the board were there, the GM was there, the Head of Finance was also there. Unlike the average Nigerian, he did not ask to discuss anything in a corner. Everything was in the open. There was no kickback, no under the table dealing, no hanky-panky of any type. He left us at the bank to conclude the transactions. I was truly impressed.
A few months later, I went to the same location in Ikeja. I saw a miracle! I was astounded to find that in record time, Chief Okoroji had supervised the building of a world class edifice with the inscription, ‘COSON House’ at an amazingly low cost, with no debt, no loan and no grant. I deal with a lot of property, so I know. For a period of three months, he showed up at the construction site every day including Sundays and Public holidays. From his pocket, he bought food and drinks practically every day for the artisans who worked on the project, made them his friends and inspired them to do a first-class job.
So, why all the brouhaha?
There was this day I had a visitor in my office. My guest was a prominent Nigerian rap musician whom I had known since we were much younger. We discussed this and that and he started talking about COSON and how one Tony Okoroji thinks that they are all fools. According to him, Okoroji had swindled musicians with the acquisition and construction of COSON House. The guy did not know that I personally handled the transaction and he bandied about all kinds of fictious figures. I was alarmed. After a while, I could not resist telling him that he was talking balderdash. I informed him that I personally supervised the acquisition of COSON House and had copies of all the documents with the figures in my office. I told him that he owed Chief Okoroji an apology for the lies he was being used to spread. When I saw Chief Okoroji, I told him about the conversation. Surprisingly, he smiled and took it very calmly. In my presence, he called the artiste and invited him to come to COSON House so he could ask any questions he wanted. I am aware that till today, the guy did not show up.
Why the antagonism towards the COSON Chairman?
There is hunger in the land and there are some people who believe that if they can control COSON, they will become rich and their money problem will be over. Okoroji’s position is that he did not work so hard for so long to create a cash cow for a handful of people to feast on. He is determined that every genuine musician in Nigeria, no matter where he or she comes from should continue to benefit from COSON. Of course, there are people who want to reap where they did not sow and believe that Okoroji is blocking them. They have thrown everything at this uncommon Nigerian. They have deployed the Police, EFCC, SARS and even the NCC which he fought to establish, to break him down. Instead of being an unbiased arbiter, NCC has been dragged in and has become part of the problem. Can you believe that the NCC brought a criminal charge against Okoroji and they failed? They have even gone on to use ex-parte court orders to shut down COSON bank accounts and starve the organization of money. Over and over again, they have failed and Tony Okoroji just smiles at them. He has unbelievable patience. While they attack him, the membership of COSON continues to grow.
Before COSON House, Nigerian artistes had no property anywhere. As PMAN president, Okoroji acquired land in a prominent location in Abuja to build a gorgeous PMAN Plaza. They started their ‘wahala’ and he left them. I hear that some members of PMAN sold the land and shared the money. Of course, there is no PMAN Plaza today. When the COSON House was commissioned, all kinds of characters crawled out from their different holes with envy, jealousy and covetousness. In COSON House, Chief Okoroji has proved what is possible with good leadership. At COSON, salaries are paid as when due, royalties are being distributed across the country, AGMs are being held and accounts being audited every year. Suddenly, those who had no faith in COSON, want to lead COSON. They are just like locusts and they want to rubbish Okoroji, push him aside and feed fat on the great organization he has built.
I have been invited to meetings of the COSON Board. I have also attended COSON Annual General Meetings with members from across the country. A huge majority of COSON members respect Chief Tony Okoroji. They adore him. They understand what he has done for them and the kind of fight and sacrifice he has undergone. He is so committed to raising the profile of every Nigerian artiste including those who fight him. I was at Lagos Sheraton on May 20 at the COSON AGM, when Chief Okoroji stepped down and joined the floor at the end of his tenure. There were shouts of “no!” “no!” across the hall. The members insisted on voting for him again and bringing him back. No one objected. That was democracy at work. If anyone tells you that Tony Okoroji does not want to step down, it is a lie. It is COSON members who are afraid of what will happen if he leaves.
Forget the handful of people in Lagos who make noise on social media. Chief Tony Okoroji is hugely popular in COSON. And the reason is clear. COSON is the product of his vision, sacrifice and commitment to the progress of the Nigerian creative community. He is tried and tested. Believe me, the man is brilliant and informed. He is a master strategist. Each time, he will tell you what his adversaries will do next and they will do exactly as he says. That is why he is always ahead of them. Probably no one in Nigeria knows more about copyright than Okoroji, not just the theory but the practice. He understands the law and how the courts work and he has unbelievable courage. He is never afraid to apply the law. In fact, COSON was built on his fearless deployment of the law. He has been in the witness box defending the rights of musicians in practically every court across Nigeria while the people talking trash have been in hiding. Chief Okoroji makes our work easier because at every point, he understands what we are trying to do and participates in the legal decisions we make. COSON members across Nigeria know that if Okoroji had deserted COSON, the locusts and dogs of prey would by now have feasted on COSON. COSON House probably would have been put on sale. COSON would have become another PMAN. God forbid.
