By Emma Ogbuehi
There seems to be no end to the crisis rocking the Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN), on the authentic president of the association between Pretty Okafor and Dr. Obi Okwudili Casmir (Vombastic).
Both have been struggling for the soul of the Association, which was founded through the initiatives of the late Chief Christy Essien-igbokwe decades ago, until an Ibadan based National Industrial Court (NIC) in a landmark decision ruled in favour of Okafor in a case brought by Mr. Obi seeking to overturn all the victories Okafor had been secured from the court.
However, despite the court’s decision, members of PMAN, that are either aggrieved with the decision or are in support, have been taking on one another on the social media on behalf of the complaint and defender.
The battle line was drawn by Edi Okri who on November 25, 2020 on his Facebook Timeline, remarked; “Pretty are you not ashamed of yourself? My guy so are you going to be using fake court rulings to run PMAN and how long you want to go with destroying the beautiful association we started and branded before you came into the music industry?
“Shame to (sic) you and you are lucky I don’t reside in Nigeria and I will drag you and all your fake judges to jail. PMAN is not your personal business and it belongs to thousands of musicians nationwide and you people are doing this cunning nonsense to hold on to power. I tell you when the time comes, you will cough out all you have used PMAN to collect over the years. Listen, step down and step off now before it’s too late for you.”
In a riposte Okafor stated:“You are a big fool, sir. And you should be the most stupid person on planet Earth to use that word on me. Why not stay back and fight me.
“This is the fourth time we are beating your gang of thieves hands down and you are slipping into my timeline to write trash. You are lucky that you are not around; I would have given you a sample of what I did to them, idiot.”
“You think we in Nigeria are like beggars living in a strange land and pretending that you are doing well. Do you even know how the legal system works in Nigeria?
“Your stupid bunch of thieves took the union to court and this is the fourth time they have done it and the fourth time they have lost. We will get the Industry right and no big fool like you can stop it.
“Your time has passed, so go and look for what to do because the next president of PMAN will be a youth and not old thieves like you all.
“If you are man enough come and face me one on one. You are the fool that encourages them to challenge the judgment in the court and now they have an injunction and restraining order on their heads and you came here crying like someone they are fucking through the anus. Get off my timeline fool.”
And when stakeholders had thought that all members of the Association would allow peace reign and join hands with Okafor to right all that is wrong with the musicians’ body since Chief Okoroji exited as president, just then Charles Imoloame a.k.a Charlimo and one Paul Graham ignited the fire again.
Imoloame had posted on PMAN NEWS Facebook Timeline thus: “A court judgement can settle a dispute but cannot impose a leadership on an association that has no dispute or leadership issues.
“The Constitution of Nigeria guarantees us freedom so we don’t require any law to abstain from oppressive judgement. Those who requested for a consent to choose a leader can queue behind the leader they surrendered their rights to but we shall choose our leaders through the ballot. You cannot build any good thing on lies”.
In reply, Graham stated “A court judgment against Atiku made Buhari the President. Anyone going against a court judgement risks a jail sentence.”
Imoloame replied again by saying that there are chances the Ibadan NIC decision might be appealed. In his words; “Paul Graham, that is precisely what is going to happen from the way I see things. Appeal the judgement.”
That was all that was needed for divergent comments from members of PMAN, music journalists and other keen watchers of events in and around PMAN
