The President of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Mr Pretty Okafor, has said late Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad’s not being a registered member of the organisation makes their intervention into the controversies on issues of royalties with his former record label, Marlian Records difficult.
Okafor disclosed this when he appeared before a House of Representatives committee investigating the death of Mohbad, particularly the allegations of harassment and unpaid royalties.
He said the new crop of musicians has failed to see the need to join PMAN, which he said had numerous benefits for them, including resolving contractual issues between musicians and record labels.
He said, “We engage the Music Managers Association of Nigeria. We engage the Record Label Association of Nigeria and we also engage the artistes. That is why it is difficult to manage the crisis that erupted now.
“Some of them believe that PMAN is archaic. Some of them believe that it is only for old people. For some of them, the record labels manipulate their psyche not to make them stay under the authority of PMAN which is why this kind of crisis emerged.
“So, if we reach out to the record label association they will need to reach out to their artists. They must be a member of PMAN so that we can protect their interests and also protect the interest of the record label owners because they are supposed to get certification from PMAN.
“The structure has been that the record label association and record label owners must be registered members of the union so that they can be monitored and guided. Same with the musicians. Also, the music managers are supposed to be part.
“We have a lot of people under PMAN including Tuface, MI, Banky, and so on. They all belong to the association. But the younger ones, maybe their managers and record labels were not passing positive messages to them and that is why it was difficult for them to join the union.
“So when the crisis started, I personally wanted to interfere but I could not… That is the main reason for being a PMAN member, because of contractual issues. PMAN, as I said, the record labels are also registered certified carriers of PMAN certificate to operate the record label.
“Then, the artists are members. So, the burden is on PMAN to now call the record labels to the table and call the artist and his management to the table and address it. Because we have a legal team, they handle that.”
Also speaking the late Mohbad’s lawyer said before his client died, he had some arrangements with Marlian Records, which are still subject to dispute today.
He said, “Mohbad and the Marlian Records had some arrangements, which I cannot term as a record label agreement yet and this is subject to litigation currently. While he worked with them in some sense, he released an Extended Play (EP) and a number of singles.
“Now, those songs are subject to litigation, which he was in court prior to his demise. Subsequently, sometime in October last year, he set up his own label, Imolenization Limited, and he released an EP, from which he received the revenue directly to because he was the sole owner of the company. So on the EP, which is called blessed, it is fully secure.
“What we have been trying to retrieve prior to his demise and currently are the EP and singles. Those are still being controlled by the Marlian Records and distributed through their distributors. That is what we have been in court trying to resolve until now, up until his demise and we are still in court for that.”
Chairman of the Committee, Olumide Osoba, said they were committed to ensuring issues pertaining to the late musician’s royalties and entitlements are resolved.
