Nigeria’s music stakeholders call for COSON audit

The controversy began when COSON leadership split, following the reelection of Tony Okoroji by one group of COSON members and the election of Efe Omorogbe by a different group.

The disagreement between both leaders led to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) banning COSON from collecting royalties on behalf of its members, following an unheeded directive that fresh elections be held to solve the problem. Led publicly by Okoroji, who has headed it since its creation, COSON continued to function, albeit not fully.

Now, Omorogbe and other music stakeholders, including Chocolate City group head Audu Maikori, creative entrepreneur Obi Asika and artist Sunny Neji, have requested an independent audit of the COSON’s financial statements. Last year, a call for a probe failed to materialise.

COSON members “demanded an audit of the account of the organisation but Okoroji refused, citing the cost as an unnecessary burden because its books had been audited by internal auditors,” Omorogbe said recently. “However, the Music Publishers Association of Nigeria (MPAN) has offered to underwrite the cost of the audit. And personally, if the books are audited, and Okoroji is absolved of any wrongdoing, I would apologise to him in any way he wants. Our stance has nothing to do with the chairmanship or board positions.”

Corroborating Omorogbe’s claim, MPAN’s chairman Olumide Mustapha said his body would pay for the audits to be done.

“We just simply wanted a second opinion,” Mustapha said. “The general legal requirement of any company is to have the financial statement audited every year, and, based on the AGMs we have been attending in the last two years, an independent forensic audit would make everybody more at ease. Right now there are questions and those questions would be better answered if there is independently verifiable information that everyone can accept.

“For example, we noticed that there was an almost N200million decrease in the amount collected last year compared to the year before. There were also certain large increases in cost like security which rose from N1 million from the year before to N31 million ($100 000) last year. I broached these questions at the AGM and of course, there were some explanations, but if verified by an independent party, there won’t be any issues.

“As an organisation, MPAN has said we would be willing to underwrite the cost of a forensic audit and they haven’t responded. Until they respond officially to that, we have to deem it that they have not agreed to it.”

Omorogbe bemoaned Okoroji’s apparent refusal to renew COSON’s licence, which expired on 20 May and some of its financial records. “For now, COSON cannot carry out its statutory duties,” he said. “Meanwhile, the body generated N200m less than it did the previous year. It also spent N31m ($100 000) on office security, as against N1m ($3 200) the preceding year. For legal fees, the society allegedly spent N34m ($110 000), whereas it only spent N17m ($55 000) the previous year.”