COSON moves to block NCC from interfering in crisis

The Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) has moved to stop the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) their officers, agents, privies or anybody howsoever called from taking any steps to victimize or otherwise affect its rights as a collecting society.

COSON made the move after it filed a motion for interlocutory injunction at the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos praying the court to restrain the NCC and the AGF from taking any action, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal of a pending case with suit No. CA/L/415/18.

The motion was filed by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Uchechukwu Val Obi, of Alliance Law Firm.

In the affidavit in support of the motion, COSON said that since the judgement of Ibrahim Buba delivered on the 13th of February 2018, the NCC and AGF have been emboldened to interfere in the internal affairs of COSON and to exact punishment on the leadership of COSON for having the effrontery to institute the action at the Federal High Court.

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COSON further said that the NCC and the AGF are taking every step to discredit and remove the leadership of COSON to create the atmosphere for them to achieve their objectives to the detriment of COSON, its members and those whose interest are represented by COSON.

The motion was filed by COSON a day after ‘African Queen’ crooner, 2face Idibia petitioned the NCC calling for an end to the lingering crisis over the battle for the leadership of COSON between Tony Okoroji and Efe Omorogbe.

The petition which was addressed to Alam Ezekude, director-general of NCC, also copied Ibrahim Idris, the inspector-general of police, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and President Muhammadu Buhari.

In the petition, 2face lamented that Omorogbe and other COSON board members were “being harassed, intimidated, and demonised” by the police.

He also accused Okoroji of fighting for the control of COSON for “personal ends”.

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