Famed drummer and producer, Richard Ayodele Cole, has reacted angrily to statements said to have been made by flutist, Tee Mac Iseli, over the death of singer, Onyeka Onwenu, calling the statements divisive and reckless.
Tee Mac has made several statements in recent times claiming that Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) which has Chief Tony Okoroji as Chairman, has been cancelled by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
Following the death of Onyeka Onwenu, Tee Mac went on again to make another statement on several social media platforms claiming that COSON which is Nigeria’s biggest copyright collective management organization, was fraudulently registered and that the name has been cancelled by the Corporate Affairs Commission.
Following COSON’s announcement that flags at COSON House in Ikeja are now flying at half-mast in honour of the deceased singer, Onyeka Onwenu, and that a condolence register has been opened in her name and that members of COSON nationwide will do whatever is necessary to ensure that Onyeka is buried like the queen she was, Tee Mac went on to infer that COSON’s reaction to the death of Onyeka Onwenu is to gain “cheap publicity”.
Said Richard Cole, a COSON Board member and easily one of Nigerian music industry’s most respected senior citizens, while speaking with www.Beats-onit: “The fact that the Chairman of COSON, Chief Tony Okoroji, has chosen to ignore the reckless and divisive statements of Tee Mac, does not mean that all of us in the industry who know the truth should keep quiet. I am sure that Tee Mac has a phone and data. He can log on to the website of CAC today and find out that not only does COSON remain listed in the Register of Companies; COSON is listed as “active”, making it clear that COSON is a very responsible Nigerian organization in compliance with all the corporate demands of the CAC. Regrettably, Tee Mac’s special purpose vehicle, MCSN, is listed as “inactive”. Anyone can verify this. At no time ever was COSON’s registration canceled. Why is Tee Mac shamelessly spreading lies all over the place?
“Tee Mac was nowhere as close to Onyeka in her life time as Chief Okoroji. Onyeka was Okoroji’s Vice President while he was President of PMAN, the most celebrated period in the history of PMAN. She also served on the Board of Performing & Mechanical Rights Society (PMRS) with Chief Okoroji as Chairman. Onyeka was a founding member of the COSON Board, once again, with Chief Okoroji as Chairman.
“Few will forget the week-long set of events called “All for Onyeka” celebrating 25 years of Onyeka Onwenu on stage. Those events were the biggest celebration of Onyeka in her lifetime. The spectacular events were conceived, personally funded and produced by Chief Okoroji, a nationally acknowledged master of great events. Where was Tee Mac?”
Richard Cole declared that at a time of sorrow in the creative industry when a true leader like Okoroji, has eschewed every disagreement, and is rallying one and all to truly celebrate our fallen colleague who was a great ambassador of the industry, Tee Mac is spreading falsehood, making divisive statements and sowing hatred.
Stressed Cole: “Tee Mac is the one looking for cheap publicity and his negativity is the reason he is unlikely to ever gain 10% of the respect that Chief Tony Okoroji commands across the creative industry.
“Few will forget that not long ago, Tee Mac Isele was parading himself as President of PMAN without ever being elected to the office. What many might not know is that Tee Mac had rushed to Chief Tony Okoroji to beg for his support and endorsement.
When Chief Okoroji asked Tee Mac Iseli how he became PMAN President, Tee Mac replied that the late Bolaji Rosiji who was PMAN President, had resigned and he was invited by some people to take over as President. Chief Okoroji, the stickler for due process, was aghast. He admonished Tee Mac and bluntly said to him that what he had done was completely unconstitutional and unacceptable.
“He was schooled that not being Vice President of PMAN or even an elected member of the PMAN Executive Council, there was no way he could become President upon the resignation of an elected President. Chief Okoroji, the only person ever elected President of PMAN three times, told Tee Mac to go and contest and win a valid election if he wanted to be PMAN President and come back for his support.
“No one can forget that subsequently, Tee Mac was locked out of PMAN Headquarters and chased out by members of PMAN”.
Mr Cole is convinced that what he calls the hyperventilation of Tee Mac is because musicians across the country are asking serious questions about what happened to the over Two Billion Naira Tee Mac and his MCSN gang extracted from Multichoice Nigeria in the name of music copyright royalties.
Asked Coles: “How was the money shared? What are the names of the people who got money from the shake down? How much did each person get? Questions are being asked and Tee Mac & co seem to be scared.
“They are scared shitless. Nigerian musicians will not allow the matter to be swept under the carpet. Everybody must come clean. There is no place to hide. At this time when Nigerians are protesting over the corruption of our political leaders, people are doing terrible things in our own industry. We are calling on the security and anti-graft agencies for an open and transparent investigation into the sharing of the Billion Naira shake-down of Multichoice”.
Richard Cole insisted that no matter how much Tee Mac tried, he cannot be another Tony Okoroji.
Said the renowned drummer, “I have worked with Chief Tony Okoroji for several years. I respect him. His love for the musicians of Nigeria is unmatched. His readiness to sacrifice his remarkable intellect for what he believes in is unparalleled. His insistence on doing things properly and transparently is unrivaled. Okoroji’s legacy is everywhere.
“Just come to COSON House in Ikeja, built by the vision of Tony Okoroji, and see a world class organization at work. No one would have thought that the music industry in Nigeria can set up an organization run so professionally.
“When Covid 19 hit the country and no musician could earn a living, COSON distributed millions of Naira to thousands of musicians across Nigeria in a very professional and transparent manner. With the present economic hardship in Nigeria, COSON recently distributed millions of Naira as palliatives to thousands of musicians across Nigeria in a 100% transparent manner. Specific royalties continue to be distributed to musicians by COSON, every day.
“Are you aware that nobody pays even one naira to join COSON? There are no monthly or annual dues at COSON, or any form of subscription whatsoever. No one in the creative industry is charged one penny to use the first-class facilities at the COSON House Arena. That is part of the many legacies of an exceptional Nigerian known as Tony Okoroji. Apart from blowing his flute, what is the legacy of Tee Mac?”
“Okoroji is an extraordinary manager of men. I have participated in many board meetings chaired by Tony Okoroji. You know how hot-tempered we musicians can be. I am sure that you know several members of our board. Please ask them. The man never loses his cool and, on every issue, gives everyone a chance to ventilate his opinion until we reach a consensus. We have never had any meeting that ended and anyone leaves dissatisfied.
“It is the same way that Okoroji throws everything open at our Annual General Meetings. Every year, without fail, audited accounts are handed to every member that attends from around the country and openly discussed. Royalty distributions are openly discussed and agreed upon in front of the media. He does not tolerate secrets of any kind.
“I know that the scammers and ‘wayo’ people that operate in the creative industry, who want to feed where they did not sow, are scared of Tony Okoroji because of his insistence that the industry must be transparent, and not allowed to become a scammers’ paradise. There is nothing they have not thrown at him. They have used the Police, EFCC, DSS, NFIU and even NCC against Okoroji and the man has continued to stand firm.
“They froze his personal accounts and even tried to abduct him. Chief Okoroji has won more defamation cases in court than any other Nigerian living or dead. At a time, they demanded a forensic audit of COSON. Ok now. One of the most reputable audit firms in the world was invited to do the forensic audit. The firm spent seven months at COSON House, checking every book, every voucher, every transaction, every bank account, etc. At the end of the day, no fraud, misappropriation or embezzlement of any kind was discovered. COSON is the only organization in the history of the Nigerian creative industry to ever do a forensic audit”.
“What is good for the goose is good for the gander. I am therefore demanding a forensic audit of MCSN and NCC by a reputable audit firm. The result will be interesting”.
“If Nigeria was a normal country, Chief Tony Okoroji ought to be awarded one of the nation’s highest honours. This totally detribalized Nigerian is out there every day fighting for the rights of musicians from the east, west, north or south of our nation, caring for musicians, helping those who are sick and making sure that those who die, get decent burials. Tony Okoroji understands the meaning of service. He is a leader, a true leader.”
NB: Culled from beats-onit.com
