Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has pledged full
support for the activities of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), even
as he called on all persons and organizations which deploy music in their
businesses in Imo State to ensure that they respect the law and obtain
appropriate copyright licenses from COSON.
Okorocha spoke at Government House Owerri recently, when he
met with the leadership of COSON led by the Chairman, Tony Okoroji.
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| Tony Okoroji (l) presents some documents to Gov. Rochas Okorocha (r) while others watch |
According to the Imo State helmsman, “Music has left America
and London and is back to Nigeria now. So, this is our finest moment to make
use of this special product. Probably, oil is giving way to allow the musical
talent to come up. So the drop in oil price is increase in the price of music
and I will like us to celebrate it. So we are proud of you. We are very proud
of you and I am not mincing words, we are proud of you”.
In underlining the support of his state by pledging that the
Imo State government will immediately provide land for COSON to build a
befitting headquarters in the state, he stated that Imo state has everything
necessary for the success of the Nigerian entertainment industry.
Said he: “Somehow, as
small as the state might be in terms of size, this seems to me to be the pivot
of which many activities in Nigeria will rotate. Imo has provided everything
for this nation. Many of you may not know that the gas we talk about; the
source of power is in Imo state and we are number one in gas in the whole of
Africa. We have over 2.8 cubic trillion of gas deposit. The one next to us is
Bayelsa. But Bayelsa is riverine. So if Nigeria could come here to set up a
power station, we can power the whole of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
Speaking earlier, COSON Chairman, Tony Okoroji, commended
Governor Okorocha for the rapid developments in Owerri, the state capital which
are turning the city into a very attractive city; a town which he said could
have been described as a glorified village not too long ago. According to Okoroji,
Owerri has more first class hotel rooms per square kilometer than any other
Nigerian city and it has become necessary that the state works closely with the
entertainment industry to ensure that these hotel rooms are constantly filled
with sustained tourism so as to provide good jobs and respectable income to the
people of the state.
The governor pledged close co-operation with COSON on the
organization of important entertainment events in Imo State and gave strong
indications that Imo State Government is ready to provide quality facilities
and support to host the next COSON Week in 2017.
The meeting with Governor Okorocha was prelude to the big
COSON Stakeholders’ Forum in Owerri for copyright owners in the South-East
and South-South states of Nigeria.
On the COSON delegation to Governor Okorocha were top
COSON members like Rub-a-Dub master, Ras Kimono; renowned Highlife crooners,
Bright Chimezie and Ugo Stevenson; Queen of Love, Azeezat Allen; Fuji maestro,
Aljhaji Sikiru Agboola; Celebrated musicologist, Hon John Ewelukwa Udegbunam;
Chairman Music Label Owners Association of Nigeria (MULOAN), Mr. Joel Ajayi and
COSON General Manager, Mr. Chinedu Chukwuji
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