Controversy at Nigeria’s copyright body

For some, the news might have come as a surprise: Okoroji had come to be synonymous with the body. For others, the report might have come on the wings of predictability, as the former boss and the organisation he presided over had been in and out of several lawsuits over the years.

But according to a statement issued by Omorogbe, Okoroji, who was voted out of his position on 7 December by the COSON board, was deposed for other reasons, including the board’s “dissatisfaction with the clear conflict between him acting as executive chairman of COSON, and him acting as a contractor and consultant to COSON; Dissatisfaction with the continued engagement of companies owned by fellow directors; and disapproval of the manner of handling of an earlier petition by Premier Music Publishing Company Ltd”.

The statement, which is titled Beyond the Noise, Mob Action And Drama: Why Okoroji Was Sacked as Coson Chairman, also noted that the board was unhappy with the terms of negotiation pertaining to the renovation of the COSON building in Ikeja, Lagos. Omorogbe’s statement was partly a response to an earlier article by Okoroji titled Take 5 Efe Omorogbe.

Following his removal, Okoroji convened a meeting on 19 December in which he was reinstated as head of COSON, a move Omoregbe describes as “showcasing Okoroji’s desperation to remain board chairman at all cost” because he is afraid of “the possibility of a probe”.

Omorogbe also sets down his personal impression of Okoroji. "After a decade of dealing with Okoroji one-on-one, my opinion of him is crystal clear – he has become the biggest threat to the process of growing COSON into a world class organisation," Omorogbe said.

Nonetheless the current head of COSON acknowledges that “Okoroji has done some measure of commendable work in the growth of COSON".

Okoroji is yet to respond.